...Intro Behavior in children can be complex as well as unpredictable. Adults can be the ideal role models however there are times children will display behaviors that are unwanted. The parents then have to find a way to modify and stop this undesirable behavior. This essay will discuss three ways to modify behavior in children: Motivation, Operant Conditioning and Classical Conditioning (positive and negative reinforcement with or without stimulus).Also included in this will be how these methods are used and which method is most effective. Motivation Motivation itself can be very rewarding from success in any accomplishment. This can be used for children and behavior. Behavior can be changed thru motivation such as the child getting a reward for good behavior. “Piaget discovered that children act on their own in the world and eventually will discover how the world works and what all is in it for them” (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). As Piaget suggested, when a child discovers what is in it for them they will willingly want to change the undesired behavior. Children are often swayed and motivated by rewards. If they know they will get something for displaying good behavior the undesired behavior will become less and less. Eventually the behavior will become extinct if the parent uses the motivator in a lengthier time frame. One must understand that children have psychological needs and motives. According to Deckers, “ For human motivation, biological and psychological motivates...
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...role when it comes to teaching children how to get along with each other. It is important to teach those skills since we live in a society that expects respect and socially appropriate behavior. Brain development starts very early in prenatal life and is a livelong project (Zero to Three, 2014). Therefore it is important to teach infants and toddlers basic concepts and provide an environment that allows children to experience and follow set routines. Daily routines and interactions will encourage the brain to put together electrical activities in every circuit. It takes repeated activities and interactions for children to build confidence and learn the concept of social behavior. The early stages of development are strongly affected by genetic factors; for example, genes direct newly formed neurons to their correct locations in the brain and play a role in how they interact. A child’s senses report to the brain about her environment and experiences, and this input stimulates neural activity. Children do not always get along with each other, it is our job to teach infants and toddlers to respect and tolerate one another. It is difficult to teach older children to behave accordingly since the brain already built a base which is made of experiences and life lessons. Social development goals should be in every childcare curriculum. To build social behaviors, a professional teacher and...
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...The Conflict of Children Behavior While setting at the park I observed a boy named Carter (not real name) playing with some little cars and trucks. He had begun digging in the ground while he was making a dirt track. This young boy had an independent variable; it was him and his toy cars and trucks and no one else. He seemed to be in his own little world. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another boy Dalen (not real name) who was watching as he started to come closer. Dalen stood there for about five minutes, and then he turned around and ran to ask his mother for something. As I was noticing that Dalen was getting a cup of water from his mother instead of drinking it he came over to Carter and started pouring the water on the dirt track that he had made. At this time I notice Carter was staring at the other boy and starting to get up as Dalen through the rest of the water on Carter. Carter started to scream and lunged at Dalen. About the time Carted started to hit Dalen both mothers stepped in. It seems to me that the mothers were talking when Carter’s mother said her son had OCD. Carter’s mother was trying to explain to Dalen’s mother when Dalen ran over to Carter and said he was sorry and could he play anyway. As the parents were still talking the boys were playing together peacefully. When these two boys talked to each other and become friends they began constructive playing with the cars and trucks. While the parents were deciding discipline for the boys, the boys...
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...For my observation, I observed a Preschool classroom during the mid-day. There were 5 children in the class all together, and two teachers. two children were sitting with a teacher coloring and pointing to images and the other three were playing while the teacher supervised. The children were preschool aged and seemed to all be around 2-4 years of age. The three children that were playing were the ones I focused on, specifically a boy, let’s call him John. John was sitting with one girl and another boy playing with two toy cars and some bricks built up like a tower. John seemed to be the leader of the group. He was a little bigger than both children and his communication skills seemed to be far more advanced. While the other children used smaller words to make sentences such as saying “no” or “don’t do that” or “go here” John used more complex sentences. He seemed to almost be teaching the other two children and would expand their sentences. Such as when the little girl said “There” John would say “it goes over here” referring to one of the toy cars. Or if one of the children did something John did not approve of he would say, “no don’t do that, thats not how its suppose to go” Because of this, and due to the fact that there really wasn’t anything else going on I decided to focus in on John and count the number of complex sentences he spoke over a period of fifteen minutes. Due to his language skills, I defined complex sentences as anything he said with 5 or more words such...
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...Sexual development and behavior in children Name University Course Tutor Date Sexual development and behavior in children Introduction Childhood is a special time in human life. It is a period of learning and exploration. Children would want to learn, discover and explore things about themselves and other people as they grow up. Like other body parts, children’s sexual parts develop over time as they grow. There is a normal way by which this sexual development happens. The normal development is generally natural in nature. This development is usually associated with certain behaviors that also change as the child grows. The normal sexual development and behavior is a healthy process in a child’s life and is principally driven by the child’s curiosity. However, some behaviors can appear to dominate a child’s life and may become worrisome to the parents. It is therefore important for parents, teachers, guardians and even the whole society to be able to demarcate what can be considered a normal sexual behavior and behaviors that can put a child’s life at risk. According to Rich, normal sexual behavior is usually more exploratory and playful in nature, non hostile, and shows no preoccupation with sexual interaction (Rich, n.d). It is somehow natural. The behavior is experienced within the same age groups, children of same size, and in most cases the children will be friends. On the other hand, inappropriate sexual behaviors in children are characterized by...
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...It is evident that child behavior today is worse than ten years ago. There is a tendency for children today to be more aggressive than ever before. The media is extensive with reports of children doing drugs and exhibiting violent behavior. Girls are indulging in premarital and/or unprotected sex at an early age (The consequence has been increased rate in illegal abortions-some of which have resulted in deaths). At such an early age as 15 girls are sexually active. In essence children are less disciplined today than they were ten years ago. There are number of reasons for the decline in children’s discipline, but one of them stands out, and it might even be at the heart of all the others: laxity on the part of parents. Parental laxity has swung open the floodgates harmful factors which have in effect compromised children’s sense of morality and discipline. By reneging on their responsibilities, parents have denigrated the significance of the family as the source of primary socialization (Schultz, 2012). Sociologists profess that behavior is learnt through a process known as socialization (Schultz, 2012). Primary socialization, as differentiated from secondary socialization, occurs during the formative years of a child (Schultz, 2012). It takes place through the child observing and learning from those around him. Through this process a child is taught the type of behavior which elicits approval or disapproval from the people around them, usually the immediate family members...
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...Children tend to learn anything fast, They also imitate what adults behavior particularly during their crucial year of growth. Although children have not been able to speak, they can imitate what others were doing, either from their words or behavior. Children start to imitate their surrounding mainly adults when they are about one year of age. Psychologists found that personal character formed and more affected by the environment surrounding for about 75%, the rest 25% is the basic personal character of inborn, therefore person's personality will match for what he/she obtained from their surroundings especially parents that they had met since the beginning of his/her life. Parents and family nearby dominated the develop children’s character personality. Basically imitating and copying are children’s cognitive abilities which always growing and usually they first learn to imitate or copying from language. That's why the first imitated by children are usually the language or words. At first, children will emulate from the closest people such as parents or somebody who often he/she faces. After their social environment wider and got older, the role model imitated also changing; it could be a friend or teacher. In addition, children will also imitate from the figures he saw on TV. For example, superhero likes Superman or Batman. The way children learn from their environment influences could also called Incidental Learning. Through incidental learning, children will develop the...
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...observing the behavior of adults and copying it. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Young children are naturally curious about cause and effect, and are naturally motivated to learn all about the “how’s” and “whys” of the world. Babies and children are like little scientists. They gather evidence by observing and experiencing the world. While playing with dolls, searching through a toy box, or banging blocks together in a seemingly haphazard manner, they’re actually engaging in a quite rational process of making hypotheses, evaluating statistical data, and dismissing prior beliefs when presented with stronger evidence. They also display remarkable psychological intuition and, by observing the actions of other people, can determine underlying motivations, desires and preferences. Children learn about people from statistical information and they in turn evaluate evidence in light of their developing social knowledge, in an ongoing, reinforcing cycle. By the time children are in preschool, they already understand a lot about other people’s desires, preferences, beliefs and emotions. But how do they learn about these internal motivations? It is generally thought that children pick up this knowledge from emotional cues such as facial expressions. Kids gain knowledge best by watching conducts of adults and replicating it is a contentious one. Many people think that this is the most effective for the children to learn. However...
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...I agree with the statement that children learn best by watching and imitating adults’ conducts and behaviour. Even though children develop their own thoughts and personality, those elements are continually shaped and influenced by the environment. Behaviour of adults are the best way children learn because of the proximity of parents and their children, Adult’s behaviour plays a significant role in modelling children’s personality. It is often mentioned that parents are the first teacher of their child. Although parents sometimes do not intend to teach the children certain things, kids have started to imitate and watch what their parents are doing. Since the first day a baby was born, the baby starts learning through imitating and observing each movement of the adults. As children grow, adults around them tend to have important effect on their decision making skill and logical thinking. Adults should set a good example for children as they learn by paying attention to people around them. For example, little girls enjoy playing making up in front of the mirror after seeing their mother making up. Boys, in the other hand, learn to play football and video games after seeing their fathers doing these. However, imitation occur in both good and bad way as children also imitate the bad stuff people around them perform. For instance, children growing up hearing vulgar language, they would think that it is the right thing to do and follow the behaviour. That is why it is important...
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...Challenging Behaviors in the Preschool Classroom Challenging behaviors come in many shapes and sizes. Some children have tantrums, others may go hide in a corner and some may even get extremely aggressive. The underdeveloped or emerging language and social/emotional skills of preschool children can lead to challenging behaviors in the classroom when they cannot communicate their needs. Finding strategies that will enhance the development of their language and social/emotional skills will help to deter the challenging behaviors. Smith and Fox (2003) (qtd. In Powell, Dunlap, and Fox 26) define challenging behavior in young children as “any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in prosocial interactions with peers and adults.” Challenging behaviors can be a behavior that encumbers the child’s development of their social, cognitive and emotional skills (Kaiser and Rasminsky 7). Some of these behaviors can be harmful to the child themselves or to other children or adults. Many adults tend to put labels on those children with challenging behaviors. Kaiser and Rasminsky stated “A Rose by Any Other Name” (9), here are some of the labels many of us have heard or even used ourselves, ”High maintenance, noncompliant, disruptive, and out of control” just to name a few (Kaiser and Rasminsky 9). When labels are used to identify a child with those challenging behaviors, the child basically...
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...Behavioral Support Plans Behavior management is essential in early childhood settings. It is part of avoiding problems that some children may bring to the classroom. Examples of behaviors consist of hitting, biting, kicking, or throwing things. Behaviors such as these can also be called challenging behaviors. This type of behavior can happen for numerous reasons, which is why teachers need to make a plan to help control or even stop these types of behaviors. Having behavior management skills that are useful are used in classrooms will reduce any disruptions and help all of the children learn. Being a proactive thinker lets you think your own way. It is not allowing others to tell you what to do or how to think. As difficult as it may be to be a proactive thinker, especially while working with children, it is still very important. You may need to try different strategies before you find the one that works. Not everything will be fixed right away. Strategies that may help teachers determine while children are displaying challenging behaviors include: predictability and scheduling, add more choices, and make adjustments to the curriculum. Not knowing what is going to happen can cause someone to become challenging. For example, Ana is a child at a center. She goes five days a week however; every time she is dropped off she has to go to a different room rather than her normal room. This causes Ana to start throwing tantrums whenever she is dropped off. Being...
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...Behaviors That Challenge Children and Adults The Teaching Pyramid A Model for Supporting Social Competence and Preventing Challenging Behavior in Young Children Lise Fox, Glen Dunlap, Mary Louise Hemmeter, Gail E. Joseph, and Phillip S. Strain Lise Fox, Ph.D., is a research professor with Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She conducts research and training and develops support programs focused on young children with challenging behavior. Glen Dunlap, Ph.D., is a professor of child and family studies and director of the Division of Applied Research and Educational Support at the Florida Mental Health Institute. Mary Louise Hemmeter, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois in UrbanaChampaign and the principal investigator of a five-year project to enhance the capacity of Head Start and child care providers to address the social and emotional needs of young children. Gail E. Joseph, Ph.D., assistant research professor at the University of Colorado at Denver, has been engaged in several national projects focused on professionals working with children with challenging behaviors. Phillip S. Strain, Ph.D., professor in educational psychology at the University of Colorado at Denver, has designed comprehensive early intervention programs for children with autism or severe problem behaviors. Development of this article was supported...
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...psychologists have long been interested in how parents impact child development. However, finding actual cause-and-effect links between specific actions of parents and later behavior of children is very difficult. Some children raised in dramatically different environments can later grow up to have remarkably similar personalities. Conversely, children who share a home and are raised in the same environment can grow up to have astonishingly different personalities than one another. Despite these challenges, researchers have uncovered convincing links between parenting styles and the effects these styles have on children. During the early 1960s, psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study on more than 100 preschool-age children (Baumrind, 1967). Using naturalistic observation, parental interviews and other research methods, she identified four important dimensions of parenting: * Disciplinary strategies * Warmth and nurturance * Communication styles * Expectations of maturity and control Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). The Four Parenting Styles 1. Authoritarian Parenting In this style of parenting, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain...
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...children’s behavior from preschool all the way through elementary school. This paper presents disruptive behavior in young behaviors in young children which includes Attention Deficit Disorder that consist of being hyper all day whether they in school or they are at home. The new method that they find out if a child has a behavior problem is to distinct between normative behavior and a typical behavior during their growth years. During their growth years while they are in preschool years they act out their developmental period that they starting to develop autonomy. A big deal of different behavior changes that fall under the Rubric outgoing behavior. Some children have Attention Deficit Disorder and don’t even know it until they are tested by their Physician. Most children in preschool mock other children and they pick up everything that other children are doing and also what they have learned to speak. Parents always asked themselves can you teach a young child or children to manage to manage their own behavior. According to (McDavis,2007) you can teach them self-management to pay attention to the oneself behavior and also to complete activities using effective appropriate behavior. You basically have to ask yourself like I did when I had preschoolers and elementary school age children. Is the child able to make different accurate self –assessments to her or his behavior then you need to ask yourself is the child’s current level of self-managing. Most children who are treated...
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... What is discipline? As part of their natural development, children sometimes challenge or test parental and adult expectations and authority. Sometimes, children simply choose to misbehave in order to gain something (e.g., attention, an object, power, peer approval). This is a significant part of the growth process of children, yet it should not be without consequence. Discipline is how children learn right from wrong, acceptable from unacceptable. Parental or adult discipline of children should be designed to help children engage better with others and to modify or control their behavior. Providing appropriate discipline to children is one of the most essential responsibilities of a parent. And providing consistent and positive discipline helps children grow into responsible adults. According to the Committee for Children (2004), the purpose of discipline is “to encourage moral, physical, and intellectual development and a sense of responsibility in children. Ultimately, older children will do the right thing, not because they fear external reprisal, but because they have internalized a standard initially presented by parents and other caretakers. In learning to rely on their own resources rather than their parents, children gain self-confidence and a positive self-image.” What about the use of physical discipline? American Humane, as a policy, opposes the use of physical discipline on children at home, in the community, or in school. In two national surveys...
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