More about Chapter 13

The Decision Making Model of Child Guidance:

A guidance plan based on clear thinking and good decision making will allow you to deal effectively with a variety of discipline encounters.

It is more than just common sense, you must do the following:
- Possess specific knowledge about guidance
- Have specific guidance skills
- Respect children and families

Eclectic Approach:

- One strategy does not fit all, select the best fit from several different theories
- Different children, families and scenarios will call for different approaches
Figure 13.1, Pg. 325

4 Steps in the Decision Making Model:

1. Observe
2. Decide
3. Take action
4. Reflect

Figure 13.2, Page 328

Encouragement:

- Inspires
- It imparts courage and confidence
- It fosters and gives support
- It helps a child develop a sense of self-pride and enhances internal motivation
- It means that one or more of the following critical life messages are coming through either by word or by action:
I believe in you
I trust you
I know you can handle this
You are listened to
You are cared for
You are very important to me





How can we encourage children:

- Explore why the child behaves as s/he does
- Use encouragement to build the child’s confidence and feelings of self worth
- Avoid adult behaviours that reinforce faulty perceptions
- Act positively rather than negatively
- Work for improvement, not perfection
- Focus on the effort more than the end result
- Separate the deed from the doer. One may reject the child’s actions without rejecting the child
- Build on the child’s strengths, not weaknesses
- Let the child move and learn at his/her own pace
- View mistakes as valuable parts of the learning process
- Avoid competition
- Encourage independence and self sufficiency
- Show your trust in the child

Modeling:

- Most learning occurs through modeling
- It takes place in a social setting, from a variety of models
- Not all models are imitated
- Children build a prototype of behaviour after observing several models
- They imitate the behaviour only if it matches their prototype (of what the behaviour should be)

Cognitive Factors that will determine whether a child will learn something after observing a behaviour:

Attentional factor-child must be able to discriminate and interpret the even (perceptual skills must be sophisticated enough to enable him/her to pay attention)

Retentional factor-child must be able to retain information about the event (remember); memory must be well enough developed to enable him/her to remember

Reproductive factor-child must be able to reproduce the event (re-enact it); motor skills must be good enough for him/her to reproduce something observed

Motivational factor-child must want to learn the material even if s/he can discriminate, interpret, remember, and reproduce it

Note-developmental level plays a part in learning from models


Effective praise should be:

- Specific
- Descriptive
- Appreciative
- Sincere
- Given as soon as possible after the event
- Reward effort
- Reward small steps toward goal
- More effective when given along with appropriate physical contact of other nonverbal communication