promoting positive behaviour and learning in the infant

Promoting Positive Behaviour and Learning in the Infant Classroom

(Environmental and Whole Class Approaches)

DanielSophie Seán Róisín

https://ncse.ie/

Contents

Introduction 1

Continuum of Support 2

Strategies for Promoting Positive Behaviour 3

1. Developing Positive Relationships 3

2. Setting up the classroom environment and creatingrules, routines and reward systems 5

3. Practical strategies on creating sensoryfriendly environments 10

4. Incorporating elements of emotional literacyinto teaching and learning 13

5. Understanding and planning for behaviours of concern 16

Useful Resources/Links 21

References 21

Appendices 22

Appendix A 22

Appendix B 23

Appendix C 24

Appendix D 25

Appendix E 26

‘Preparing Young Children for Primary School. A Resource for Parents, Early Learning and Care Practitioners and Schools’ is another useful resource, aimed at parents which can be found on the NCSE website.

Promoting Positive Behaviour and Learning in the Infant Classroom 1

IntroductionThe aim of this booklet is to provide a brief overview of evidence based strategies to

promote positive behaviour and learning in the infant classroom. This resource was

developed due to growing requests from Infant class teachers for assistance in supporting

students who are struggling to settle into school due to social, emotional, and behavioural

difficulties. Additionally, with the unique challenges we are currently facing within the

COVID-19 context, some students may face extra challenges whilst settling into a new

school setting.

This booklet aims to support teachers to develop strategies to promote positive behaviour

and learning at Level 1 of the Continuum of Support Framework, (Classroom Support) for

all for some and for a few children whilst settling into their new school. This booklet is the

first in a series of booklets to support class teachers and SET teachers to promote positive

behaviour and learning for children in Infant classrooms across the Continuum of Support

Framework.

This booklet is divided into 5 sections as outlined below.

1. Developing positive relationships

with students.

2. Setting up the classroom

environment and creating rules,

routines and reward systems.

3. Practical strategies on creating

sensory friendly environments.

4. Incorporating elements

of emotional literacy into

teaching and learning.

5. Understanding and planning

for behaviours of concern.

Promoting Positive Behaviour and Learning in the Infant Classroom2

Continuum of SupportStarting school is a significant milestone for all students. Welcoming students into an infant

classroom involves careful planning on many levels. How the classroom environment is

structured and how teaching and learning is supported to promote optimal learning

experiences, is especially important.

Creating a supportive learning environment on a whole class level is considered best

practice in terms of promoting positive behaviour. The Continuum of Support outlines

support on three different levels within the school community. Tier 1, Whole School/

Classroom support for all, addresses support at a universal level and tiers 2 and 3 support for

some and few, addresses the needs of students at a more targeted level.

The key to success in promoting positive behaviour and creating a supportive learning

environment is making accommodations to meet the needs of all of your students.

Once the essential accommodations are made, you can begin to identify if further

more targeted support is required for some/few or individual students.

ACADEMICCOMPETENCE

SchoolSupport Plus(for a Few)

Individualised &Specialist Support

Response to Groupsand Individuals

Preventative& ProactiveApproaches

A Continuum of Support

SchoolSupport

(for Some)

Whole-School & Classroom Support(for All)

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL& BEHAVIOURAL

COMPETENCE

Continuum of Support image as shown in the Department of Education and Skills: Guidelines for Primary Schools - Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs (2017).


Strategies for Promoting Positive Behaviour1. Developing Positive RelationshipsDeveloping positive relationships is the first step in promoting positive behaviour. A good

relationship between teachers, students and their families has a positive influence on the

effectiveness of teaching and learning.

When students have a positive relationship with a teacher it ensures they develop self-

confidence, well-being and a sense of belonging within the classroom. It also helps promote

a student’s self-awareness and understanding by helping them manage their own feelings.

Below are two tables which outline signs of the quality of student/teacher relationships.

Signs of a positive relationship Signs of a poor relationship

Student Teacher Student Teacher

Responds to and seeks out teacher.

High rates or affirmation and praise.

Does not respond to or seek out teacher.

Low rates of affirmation and praise.

Initiates interactions or eagerly responds.

Positive tone and content in interactions.

Withdraws from work and tends to avoid questions.

Interactions involve a lot of correction and repeated directions.

Listens and follows instructions with ease.

All feedback is clear, consistent and given regularly.

Appears to ignore directions.

Lack of problem solving approach to behaviours of concern.

Laugh, smile, or other signs of positive engagement.

Laugh, smile, or other signs of positive engagement.

Appears discontent, unhappy or indifferent. May show signs of frustration and confusion.

Appears disconnected , frustrated and struggles with finding ‘common ground’.

Interactions are enjoyable, satisfying and interesting for both and characterised by having fun whilst getting lots of learning done!

Interactions are stressful or awkward for both parties.


One way of building a positive relationship is by communicating to a student that they

matter to you. Typical ways in which you already may be doing this in your classroom

are listed below.

• Greet them when they arrive at school.

• Interact and acknowledge them during activities.

• Provide opportunities for students to share experiences.

• Celebrate birthdays and special occasions.

• Ask for their help with little jobs or giving them responsibility.

• Identify your students interests and whilst teaching remember to include these in your

interactions with them.

WellDone!

For some students who are finding it more difficult to settle in and connect with you and

others in the classroom there are some additional strategies discussed below.

• Set students up for success. Recognise and reward all efforts a student makes to

complete tasks or activities.

• Catch the positive behaviours. Students are more likely to repeat behaviours that they

gain attention for.

• Listen to what they are trying to communicate. Some students may need you to be

patient and take the time to work out what they are trying to tell you.

• Deliver instructions in a positive way. Students need to clearly understand what they

need to do. A focus on positive language promotes successful and respectful interactions.

• Spend time having fun with them. Free-play time is a great opportunity to follow their

interests and really get to know your student.

Developing a positive relationship with a student may take time and it is also something

you will have to continuously work on throughout the school year. Sharing your student’s

achievements and success with the school community, the class and their parents is a very

powerful way to encourage and motivate your student to do their very best.


2. Setting up the classroom environment and creating rules, routines and reward systems

An organised and structured classroom provides predictability for students which is essential

in promoting positive behaviour and learning. This involves having a clearly arranged

physical environment and established classroom rules and routines that your students can

follow and understand.

The physical environment

A welcoming and well run environment begins with the room’s physical lay-out. The

arrangement of desks and working space, the attractiveness of wall displays, the neat

storage of materials and supplies and the differentiation of stations, for example reading

and art are all characteristics of a well organised classroom.

You may also want to consider how to use the physical lay-out of the classroom to support

student engagement and participation during play and learning. Ensuring that only the

materials needed for each activity are available and work areas are clutter free, will help

your student plan and complete an activity.


Establishing the classroom rules

Establishing clear expectations and rules for all students to follow is another important

aspect of developing a structured classroom.

Teaching classroom rules and encouraging students to follow rules plays a crucial role in

their effectiveness. For some students with additional needs you may need to reduce the

number of rules and plan for differentiation of instructions. Below are some common

guidelines that may help you and if you would like some additional information, please see

the accompanying booklet titled, ‘Developing Rules and Routines in the Infant Classroom.’

Classroom rules should:

a) Involve all students

b) Be kept short & memorable

c) Be age appropriate

d) Be stated positively

e) Be displayed clearly


To begin teaching rules you need to:

a) Clearly tell students what you expect

b) Model (for example, doing it yourself or role-playing with other students)

c) Support (with visuals)

d) Reward regularly

Initially, just select 1 or 2 rules you want to teach. Set aside extra time to work on these

rules. Engineer opportunities for rehearsal with the whole class and reward students for their

efforts. It is important to give students time to learn the skills involved in following rules.

It will take time, patience and practice for students to follow rules naturally throughout the

day. Once your students have learned the initial rules and are following them routinely, build

on this by introducing another rule to teach.

Remember, not all students coming into your class will have the capability to generalise

rules across settings and may have to be taught each rule in each specific location.

Some students may continue to find it difficult to follow the rules set out. To support

these students, identify the areas of rule following they find difficult. You may need to

consider simplifying the rules or using additional visual supports to help them understand,

or implementing an individualised reward system.

Effective use of reward systems

When we talk about reward systems we are talking about giving positive feedback to

a behaviour which makes that behaviour more likely to happen again.

If teachers actively promote and encourage students as they complete routines, follow

classroom rules and engage in positive behaviours, they will learn to complete and become

more independent in these areas.

Praising students for following classroom rules and routines also helps them learn what

the expectations are and feel valued by their teacher. It also can help those students who

perhaps find following a routine more difficult or have difficulty paying attention.

When using praise it should always be delivered in a genuine and sincere manner, and

should be specific. That is, we name the positive behaviour and reflect it back to your

student. For example, “Well done, hanging up your coat, Tom”.

For some students, occasional praise is not yet enough to act as a reward for them and they

may need something more tangible to help, such as short-term rewards to promote positive

behaviour. Establishing an in-class reward system could help motivate students to follow

expectations in a classroom. These reward systems could be set up for the whole-class,

small groups or be more individualised.


Everyone

Ready

Everyone

working hard

EveryoneListening

Fill theJar

Class Party

No Home work

Whole-class reward systems – Whole class reward systems encourages co-operation

between students. A whole-class reward systems involves all students earning points, tokens

or stickers together throughout the school day. These can be exchanged for small rewards at

the end of the day such as extra play time. In addition to this, points could also be totalled

at the end of the week and exchanged for a bigger reward such as a class party.’

Remember to plan for success. The first time you deliver a reward, it should be easily

accessible and delivered quickly in order to maintain motivation.

Group reward systems – Similar to a whole-class reward system, except the class is broken

down into smaller groups (could be done by table or specific groupings). Like the whole-

class reward system, a group reward system encourages team work (just on a smaller scale).

It also provides students the opportunity to encourage one another, and adds some friendly

competition between groups. The rewards for reaching a set criteria are given per group –

the rewards can be things like not having to do homework, extra free-play time etc.

Individual reward systems – Each student has their own reward system in place and

points, tokens or stickers can be earned individually for following classroom rules and

completing routines. Using an individual reward system supports more explicit teaching for

students who may be struggling with learning classroom rules. You can select an individual

goal for those students and reward them for their efforts and successes. At the same time

students who perhaps do not need the same level of explicit teaching can also earn rewards

for more general positive behaviors within the class.


Never remove tokens/stickers from students as a consequence to inappropriate behaviour.

If a student has earned a reward it is their reward, regardless of any behaviour that follows.

If inappropriate behaviours occur, you can remind students that they choose not to earn a

token/sticker for completing that particular task or in a particular time frame. Also, remind

students that they will have another chance to choose to earn a sticker/token. Removing

tokens/stickers can have negative effects on a student’s well-being and their relationship

with adults in school.

Establishing classroom routines

At the start of every school year, there are new rules and routines for students to get to

know. Regularly following a clear sequence of events provides structure to your students

day. This allows them to gain a deeper understanding and connection to their environment.

Providing structure particularly at key times in the day will help students to recognise over

time what is happening, what is coming next, what they need to do and how to do it well.

Times of the day requiring structure will vary from class to class and teacher to teacher

and may include events such as arriving to class in the morning, getting organised to

learn during a lesson or preparing for yard time.

Before you can begin teaching a routine, you first need to plan and think about what

routines may occur during the school day. In appendix A, we have a checklist of some

example routines that may occur in your class to help with planning.

Routines are made up of a sequence of actions and the easiest way to teach them is to

break down the routine into separate steps. This is a strategy referred to as task analysis.

To develop a task analysis, first complete that task yourself and write down the steps

needed in order to complete the task.


For example, a task analysis of hanging up a coat may look like this:

1) Pull down zip

2) Take off coat

3) Find collar of coat

4) Hold coat by the collar

5) Hang coat by the collar

Your task analysis may have additional steps, for example if students have designated

hooks, you may need to include a step where your students find their own hook. When

you have the routine broken into smaller steps you can begin the process of teaching

the routine.

To begin teaching routines you will need to:

a) clearly tell your student what they need to do.

b) use visual supports to help them complete a step/s in a sequence of events.

For example place a picture of a student over a coat hook.

c) demonstrate or offer physical guidance to help them complete a step or task within

a routine.

d) praise your student as they complete the steps.

Most students will learn by repeated practice so it is important to ensure that there is

adequate time set aside to complete classroom routines that are predictable and consistent.

Some students, including those with additional needs may require extra and continued

support. This support might involve breaking down the sequence of a routine further for a

particular student or using extra visual supports such as a ‘first-next’ board or a visual

schedule. For further information please see section 5 of this booklet.

3. Practical strategies on creating sensory friendlyenvironments

Alongside establishing routines and schedules within the infant classroom, taking time

to consider the sensory environment will further enhance learning while also promoting

a sense of calm, safety and security for students.

Listed below are some examples of strategies that may be helpful to create a sensory

friendly classroom environment. The idea here is to incorporate sensory activities in to

lesson planning. In doing so will capture motivation, increase engagement and participation

of your students and also create opportunities for sensory input.


Reading lesson: Incorporate the use of story sacks or puppets and during a handwriting

lesson consider using a programme that has a sensory focus.

Numeracy lesson: Consider using foam numbers, or activities such as tracing numbers

in foam or sand.

Aistear: Include multi-sensory experiences related to your Aistear theme. If your theme

is healthy eating – you can plant different vegetables, or exploring cutting and tasting

different fruits and vegetables.

Other ideas include:

Incorporating movement into your daily routine by planning activities away from the desk

area. For example, activities involving kneeling, standing, lying on the floor or sitting on a

ball. The infant PE curriculum is an excellent source of information for activities based on

movement and incorporating them into your lessons.

Provide opportunities throughout the day for messy play. Examples of these activities

include sand play, water play, shaving foam and pouring activities.

Some students may require further sensory related accommodations due to differences in

how they process sensory information. In general there are two reasons why students may

need additional sensory input, to calm and to alert. Using strategies which either increase

(alerting) or decrease (calming) a student’s arousal level can help increase concentration

and focus.


There are some general strategies to support calming and alerting in the classroom listed

below. Not all the activities listed will suit every student in every situation. Activities

are best chosen in response to each individual student’s needs. If you know from a parent

that a student is attending an Occupational Therapist (OT), it is important that you ask

for consent from the parent for you or the SET teacher to make contact with the OT.

Ensure that any recommendations from the students OT assessment or interventions

that apply to school are included in the student’s ‘Student Support File’.

Some examples of calming strategies for students who are over/hyper-sensitive are

listed below.

• Use low level lighting or dim the lights.

• Offer your student an opportunity to listen to quiet music or stories with headphones.

• Have a quiet relaxation corner where students can go for a break or a rest.

• Provide opportunities for heavy lifting tasks such as carrying books.

Some examples of alerting strategies for students who are under/hypo-sensitive

are listed below.

• Incorporating movement within lessons.

• Provide regular opportunities for movement breaks between tasks, e.g. being a helper,

taking a message to the office etc.

• Singing and clapping hands.

Please refer to the ‘Useful Resources/Links’ section on page 21 of this booklet, for

additional information regarding ideas for sensory strategies.


4. Incorporating elements of emotional literacy into teachingand learning

So far we have talked about the importance of making environmental accommodations,

setting up classroom rules and routines and using reward systems in the promoting of

positive behaviour in the infant classroom. Another important component is to incorporate

emotional literacy in your student’s learning.

What is emotional literacy?

Emotional literacy refers to the ability to identify, understand, manage and appropriately

express one’s feelings. Emotional literacy is centred on 5 key principles:

• self-awareness – the ability to recognise one’s feelings as they happen.

• emotional control – the ability to manage one’s own emotions.

• self-motivation – the ability to be in charge of one’s own emotions, rather than

controlled by them.

• empathy – being able to understand and have an awareness of what another person

is feeling.

• relationship skills – being able to develop relationships with others.

Why teach emotional literacy and emotional regulation skills?

Emotional literacy and the process of regulating ones emotions impacts upon a student’s

perception of experiences and their capacity to learn. Emotions influence our attention,

organisation, problem-solving abilities and affect motivation, thereby influencing a student’s

capacity for participation and engagement in the classroom. Students who learn to manage

their emotions are better able to relate to others, form positive peer relationships, and

engage in positive social interactions. For these reasons, teaching emotional literacy and

emotional regulation skills is important in the infant classroom and beyond.


What does Emotional Regulation look like at the Junior Infant Stage?

Junior Infant students are just beginning to explore the vocabulary of emotions and

emotional expression. It is not expected that a student at this stage has capacity to fully

regulate his or her emotions. Sometimes when students become unsettled in the classroom,

it may be a sign that they are feeling for example, frustrated or overwhelmed and need

support to regulate.

As well-intentioned adults we often use verbal strategies such as, ‘Tell me what’s wrong?’

or ‘how can I help you?’ to try to help our students. However, using verbal strategies that

require the student to listen and process information may be unhelpful when the student

is feeling overwhelmed.

To help our students it may be best to start with an emotional regulation approach,

for example:

a) name the emotion. ‘I see you are frustrated right now’

b) offer the student empathy and support. ‘I know this is very hard for you so I can help’.

c) acknowledge the effort to regulate. ‘I really like the way you have calmed down even

though it’s hard and I know you are disappointed’.

Once the student is calm, regulated and ready to think and listen, it is a good idea

to explicitly teach the student the coping and problem solving skills they need to deal

with difficult situations in the future.


How to teach emotional literacy and emotional regulation skills?

Emotional literacy is a complex concept for young students

and requires a systematic approach to teaching and learning.

In addition to offering support and guidance to a student

who has become unsettled, it is important to adopt

proactive strategies to support them to better understand

and manage their emotional state now and in the future.

Consult the Primary School SPHE Curriculum (see example

in Appendix B) and the Primary Wellbeing Framework to

ensure you set developmentally appropriate learning

objectives for your students.

Here are some ‘top tips’ for teaching emotional literacy

to students:

• Create opportunities to model how you feel in response

to various classroom experiences. Use the ‘thinking out

loud’ approach whilst you problem solve the best way

for you to manage the emotion.

• Use fun resources such as fairytales, clips from movies

and games to explore the vocabulary of emotions and

how the characters deal with a

variety of situations (see Appendix C and Appendix D).

• Label the student’s own emotions with them to help them feel understood and to begin

more explicit teaching on the vocabulary of emotions based on the their own experience.

• Offer support to students if or when they struggle to control their emotions. If a student

becomes distressed, have an area in your classroom where they can go to calm down

or do an activity that you know they find calming.

• Use explicit teaching techniques to support understanding of ways to cope with

different emotions.

What about students with additional needs?

Despite careful planning and systematic teaching of emotional literacy, some students will

need additional support to address more persistent behaviours of concern. The next section

offers advice and guidance on how to find the ‘hidden message’ behind behaviours of

concern that are occurring more frequently in the classroom.

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/462570f8-27cc-4f5b-a13e-d1e2de8c18d2/PSEC06_SPHE_curriculum.pdf

https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/wellbeing-policy-statement-and-framework-for-practice-2018%E2%80%932023.pdf


5. Understanding and planning for behaviours of concernWithin certain parts of this support pack we have used the term ‘behaviours of concern’.

A behaviour of concern may include various instances of acting-out behaviours towards

adults and peers, avoidance of engagement with various activities and or withdrawing

from learning. These behaviours may act as a barrier to learning and may negatively impact

a student’s school experiences, relationships with peers and adults and the development

of social skills.

Why do behaviours of concern occur?

Behaviours of concern are often a form of communication, and will typically have a hidden

message (otherwise known as a function). Although these behaviours can be upsetting,

worrying and challenging – it is important to remember that a student is using these

behaviours as a method to communicate something to you. They may not yet have the

pre-requisite skills to articulate the message to you and so they express this message

in the only way they know how.

Students who are engaging in behaviours of concern are often trying to express how they

feel, what they want, what they need and what they don’t want. Think of the behaviour as

the student’s voice and try to think about what the student is trying to say by ‘tuning in’

to the message they are trying to express. These hidden messages may be the only way the

student can tell you really important things about him/herself such as - ‘I need help’, ‘I need

a break’, ‘I want to play with my friends but don’t know how’, ‘the work is too hard’, ‘I don’t

know what I’m supposed to be doing’, ‘I’m too hot’ or ‘I want my toy back’. Sometimes the

students is so confused and upset that they don’t even know themselves what message

to give you and the behaviours of concern display this confusion and/or upset.

How do I find the hidden message?

To figure out what your student is communicating, it is useful to keep a log of the

circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the behaviour of concern. The most useful way

to do this is by using an ABC observation form. Please see appendix E for an example of this.

As you are doing this, ask yourself:

a) What happened before the behaviour occurred? (When did it occur? who was present?

what was your student doing?)

b) What did the behaviour look like? (Also, was it directed at him/herself, at other students,

at you and/or another adult in the class? Was the behaviour directed at things only, not

people?)

c) What happened after the behaviour? (What did the student get from engaging in the

behaviour? For example, adult/peer interaction, time away from work activities, access

to a favourite item etc.)


When you review your log, you may be able to recognize patterns or similarities within

this ABC framework in the context of when and where the behaviour occurs. This in turn

will help you with identifying what the student is communicating to you. For example,

if the behaviour of concern seems to occur every time you begin a maths lesson, and

results in the student having time away from work, it may suggest that the student is

finding maths difficult and does not know how to ask for help. If, for example a student

is playing roughly with peers at play-time, it may be that they are seeking attention from

their peers, but do not have the pre-requisite play skills to do so in a pro-social way.

Once you have identified a communicative function for the behaviour you can then support

your student by teaching them another, more appropriate way to communicate to you or

their peers what they need or want. For example, if you have identified that your student

is communicating that they need help, teach them another way to ask, such as raising

their hand, or using a picture card with ‘help’ written on it. If you have identified that your

student is struggling socially interacting with their peers, it may be that a more intensive

play/social programme is requires at an individual and a whole class level. Please keep in

mind that these are only examples of possible strategies. Each student is different and a

clear identification of the communicative function of the behaviour will only occur when

you have conducted an objective and comprehensive review of the ABC data.

It is also important to discuss the behaviour with parents and gather additional information

surrounding important aspects of a student’s life such as sleeping patterns, toileting,

feeding, and pain levels. These events could have a big impact on a student’s day and


negatively affect behaviour. A parent may also wish you to know about family changes such

as the illness of a grandparent or a family separation. All of this information will help you

with identifying clues and patterns and enable you to manage or make changes to avoid

similar situations in future.

Once you have established why a behaviour occurs, plan strategies that will support the

communicative function of the behaviour. The priority is to ensure that the student feels

included in all classroom activities and is enabled to express their wants, needs and feelings

more effectively. Teaching replacement behaviours appropriate to the situation will take

time and should be built into the normal routine of a school day. For some students,

it will be important to trial different strategies for this learning to take place.

How do I use proactive strategies to prevent behaviours of concern?

To support your students, particularly those students who engage in ongoing behaviours

of concern, it’s important to use proactive strategies. Below is a list of strategies that may

be effective in the infant classroom.

Visual SupportsTo promote rules and routines, you can use visual supports that will help your students

to predict what is expected of them and what is coming next. This might include:

• Visual schedules to depict the sequence of the day.

• ‘First-next’ boards to promote engagement.

• A visual ‘work system’ that depicts a series of steps involved in a particular task.

Sample Visual Schedule for Students

Wash Hands

Art

MorningGroup

Walk

Messy orStructured play

Wash Hands

Circle-time

Snack


Visual SchedulesUsing a visual representation consistently to demonstrate what is happening throughout the

day can help ease a student’s anxiety. A visual schedule uses clear pictures to outline to your

student the sequence of activities that will happen and the order in which they will occur.

‘First-Next’ boards

Joey’s ScheduleFirst Next

ArtCircle-time

‘First-next’ boards are useful to help your student to understand what they need to do,

and that there is a preferred activity or item on the way. They can be particularly useful

for students who are reluctant to join in with activities or struggle with transitioning from

activity to activity or place to place. They can also help students who want to access a

particular toy or activity right away by helping them understand what they need to do first.

Offering ChoicesFor students who are reluctant to join in activities one strategy may be to create

opportunities for students to make choices within activities. For example, for a student

who is reluctant to participate in circle-time, it may be a good idea to allow them to

choose a song or story that will be shared with the class.

Regular BreaksBe sure to schedule regular breaks for your students throughout the day. For students

who are struggling, you may need to facilitate access to more frequent breaks which will

give them an opportunity to self-regulate and help them reach the ‘calm and alert’ state,

essential for learning.


CountdownUsing visual supports or simple verbal signals like ‘1-2-3, look at me’ gain your student’s

attention and can give them time to process and prepare for a pending change. The

consistent use of countdowns may help to reduce anxiety and increase participation and

engagement in the classroom.

Students in an infant classroom are typically between the ages of 4 and 7 years old. During

this stage of development it is well document that it is often difficult for the young brain to

regulate and remain calm in a busy and demanding environment. With this in mind it is

important that you consider the likelihood that students may engage in behaviours of

concern when unsure or unhappy with an event or may end up in a meltdown when they

become overwhelmed by everything that is going on. It is important to remember that

students are not simply ‘tantruming’ but instead are yet to acquire the stills they need to

flourish and thrive in your classroom.


Useful Resources/LinksNCSE: Emotional Literacy – An Information Booklet for Parents

https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/

strategies-according-to-sense

https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/

practical-tips-for-the-classroom/

The Way I Feel (Janan Cain)

Today I Feel Silly (Jamie Lee Curtis)

The Way to A

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Self-Regulation-Teacher-Booklet.pdf

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sensory-Processing-booklet-for-parents.pdf

ReferencesDepartment of Education and Skills and National Educational Psychological Service (2010).

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties: A Continuum of Support (Guidelines for

Teachers).

Colvin, G., & Sheehan, M. R. (2012). Managing the cycle of meltdowns for students with

autism spectrum disorder. New York: Corwin Press.

Shonkoff, J.P. & Philips, D.A. (Eds). (2000). From Neurons to neighbourhoods: The science

of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Steiner, C. (2003). Emotional Literacy: Intelligence with a Heart. California, USA:

Personhood Press.

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) (2009) Aistear: the Early Childhood

Curriculum Framework. Accessed July 2020 at https://curriculumonline.ie/Early-Childhood/

Department of Education and Skills (2019). Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework

for Practice.

Department of Education and Skills (2017). Guidelines for Primary Schools Supporting

Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools.

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) (1999). Social, Personal

and Health Education for Primary Schools.

https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/strategies-according-to-sense

https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/strategies-according-to-sense

https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/practical-tips-for-the-classroom/

https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/practical-tips-for-the-classroom/

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Self-Regulation-Teacher-Booklet.pdf

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sensory-Processing-booklet-for-parents.pdf

https://curriculumonline.ie/Early-Childhood/


AppendicesA: Checklist of rules and routines for classrooms B: Emotional Literacy in the Curriculum

C: Station Teaching Exemplar

D: Support Emotional Literacy E: Examples of ABC Observation Forms

Appendix AName of routineThese are just a few examples, you may have other routines in your school or class.

Task analysis completed?Y/N, N/A

Picture cues created?Y/N

Skill acquired?Y/NP = Partially

Coming into classroom in the morning

Hanging up coat

Putting away lunch

Storing school bag (e.g. hand bag on back of chair)

Morning activity when students arrive

Going to bathroom

Coming from bathroom

Setting up Aistear

Going to yard

Lining up in yard when bell rings

Coming in from yard

What to do when you take off your jumper or cardigan?

Taking out lunch

Tidying up after lunch

Taking out art materials

Tiding up after art

Taking out maths equipment

Tidying away maths equipment

Sitting on the mat

Giving out copies/ books

Tidying up copies/ books

Packing our schoolbags for home

Carrying our schoolbags out the door to go home

Addressing adults when they come into the room

Moving to the SET room

Moving to the hall

Going to another room

Moving in group time

Using our class/ school library

Showing/ telling work

Giving out and collecting writing materials


Appendix B

Emotional Literacy in the Curriculum

Emotional literacy and oral language (Primary Language Curriculum)

Stage one (infants)

Engagement, listening and attention (1)

Using language with confidence to work collaboratively with others

• Acquisition and use of vocabulary [in this case the vocabulary of emotions] (5,6).

• Demonstration of understanding [in this case the understanding of emotions] (7).

• Requests and questions (8,9) ask and answer a variety of open and closed questions around emotions.Categorisation (10) Name, describe and categorise [emotions] and [emotional] experiences showing.Improved knowledge and understanding.

• Information giving, explanation and justification (13).

Emotional literacy in the SPHE curriculum (1999)

Junior and senior infants

Strand unit: Growing and changing Strand: Feelings and emotions

• Name a variety of feelings and talk about situations where these may be experienced.

• Explore the variety of ways in which feelings are expressed and coped with.

• Begin to be sensitive to the feelings of others and to realise that actions of one individual can affectthe feelings of others.

• Explore and discuss occasions that can promote positive feelings in him/herself.

Strand unit: Relating to others

• Listen and respond to the opinions of others.

• Practise care and consideration, courtesy and good manners when interacting with others.

• Resolve conflicts with others.


Appendix C

Station Teaching Exemplar

Independent Station

Photos (Teacher)

Story (Teacher)

MR. HAPPY

Games (Teacher)or

Independent Station

Which Emotion am I?Exploring Emotions

Guessing Game

Note: You may be able to include an SNA at one of the stations, where the SNA is assisting a child to engage more fully in the activities at each station as per Circular 30/14. You can adjust the number of stations according to the personnel available to you at the time.

Story station Photo station Games station

Tell a story based on the emotion you are focusing on this week.

Find photos of the emotion you are focusing on this week.

Use a mix of emoji, cartoons and real pictures. Emoji are the simplest expression of an emotion. Link any pictures to the story used. Add in more photos of the emotion being explored this week so as to give more chances to discuss it.

Games are based on recognising the emotion explored so ensure that particular emotion is included in the game more than other emotions to give more opportunities to recognise it and discuss it.

Whole class Whole class Whole class

Read the story to the entire class at any point in the day but read it as the opening activity of your emotional literacy session.

Have a display area for photos in your room and add the photos to it after the EL session and refer to it during the week.

Use the photos with closed questions at first and then move to open ended questioning:

• Bingo emotions game

• Emotional literacy worksheets.

(if using games, you may have to pre-teach how to play these games)

Pick games students can play easily in groups like:

• SNAP! (make cards with picturesof emotions on them).

• Guess Who emotions.

• Connect 4 emotions (stick emojisonto discs and they must match4 emotions rather than colours).

• Bingo emotions.

Station teaching Station teaching Station teaching

Teacher reads the story at station. Please see the ‘Picture books for games’ handout for more ideas.

Have a display area for photos in your room and add the photos to it after the EL session and refer to it during the week.

Use the photos with closed questions at first and then move to open ended questioning.

All the above games can be used at stations as well as:

• Imagination or role-playing games.

• Regular board games.

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Picture-books-for-games.pdf

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Picture-books-for-games.pdf


Appendix D

Suggested stories to support exploring emotions through Emotional Literacy

Book Ideas Emotion/emotional competence explored within the books

The Smeds and The Smoos – Julia Donaldson Resilience

Friendship

Love

Kindness

Empathy

Problem-Solving

Acceptance

Anxiety

Separation

Diversity

Conflict Resolution

Support

Emotional Resilience

Worry

Cooperation

Help

Ruby’s Worry – Tom Percival

Perfectly Norman – Tom Percival

Gorilla – Anthony Browne

The Butterfly Dance – Suzanne Barton

The Boy and the Bear – Tracey Corderoy & Sarah Massini

The Dinky Donkey – Craig Smith & Katz Cowley

Owl Babies – Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson

Don’t Worry, Little Crab – Chris Haughton

The Way Back Home – Oliver Jeffers

The Great Paper Caper– Oliver Jeffers

The following are just suggestions of some books that may be of interest, this is not an exhaustive list and there are many other children’s books worth exploring to aid Emotional Literacy.


Appendix E

Examples of ABC Observation FormsPlease note the following are just examples of how to fill in an ABC observation forms. Each student and situation is unique and the information on the form will look differently for everyone.

Antecedent Behaviour Consequence

Individual Student

An antecedent is what happens directly before a behaviour occurs

The behaviour is what the student does (the behaviour should be an observable action)

The consequence is what happens directly after the behaviour, from student’s perspective. What does the student get or avoid?

Date: 23/09/2020 Class completing morning routine

Student stands beside coat hook, with coat on crying

Adult helps student remove and hang-up coat then brings them into classroomTime: 9:05am

Location: Hallway

Date: 23/09/2020 Class were asked to line up to go to yard.

Student stands in the middle of the room and begins crying

Adult takes student’s hand and walks with the student to the yardTime: 10:40am

Location: Classroom

Date: 23/09/2020 Teacher instructed class to pack up for home-time

Student stood by chair and began to cry

Adult comforts student and helps them pack up school bagTime: 1:53pm

Location: Classroom

Date: 24/09/2020 Class are asked to complete their morning routine

Student stands beside coat hook, with coat on crying

Adult helps student remove and hang-up coat on hook

Time: 9:00am

Location: Hallway

Are there common antecedents or “triggers” to the behaviour?

In this example, prior to the behaviour (crying) occurring, the student is asked to complete a classroom routine. Patterns with both the

Antecedent and Consequence sections suggest the student is struggling with completing routines independently and asking for help.

This suggests the student may benefit from extra supports with completing school routines and being taught a way to ask for help such as using a picture card.

Finding patters can help you identify the function, or “hidden message” of a behaviour. Are there patterns with what happens after a behaviour occurs? Does the student consistently get or avoid something?

In this example the function of the student’s behaviour is to access help from an adult to complete routines. The hidden message is “Please help me, I don’t know what to do.”




Whole-Class, Example 1

An antecedent is what happens directly before a behaviour occurs.

The behaviour is what the student does (The behaviour should be an observable action).


Date: 29/09/2020 Bell rings for home time – Class are asked to get ready for home and line up.

Class become noisy and disruptive as – lots of pushing between peers to be closer to the door.

Teacher asks class to be quiet and helps organise them into a line.Time: 2:00pm

Location: Classroom

Date: 29/09/2020 Bell rings for yard time – class are asked to line up to go outside.

Begin lining up – some become unsettled in line with some pushing between peers occurring to be at front of line.

Teacher organises the line and reminds students of the lining up rules.Time: 10:45am

Location: Classroom

Date: 29/09/2020 Class are asked to line up to move to library.

Some students line up, some try to push in between peers to be closer to front of line.

Teacher organises the students into a line and reminds them of the lining up rules.

Time: 9:05am

Location: Classroom

In this example, prior to the behaviour occurring, the class are given a signal to complete a classroom routine.

In this example the function of the class behaviour is to access help from an adult to complete routines. The hidden message is “I don’t know what to do.”

Patterns with both the Antecedent and Consequence sections suggest the class may benefit from being re-taught the classroom routine and rules of lining up and provided with lots of praise when they are completing it successfully.

Additionally, the class may benefit from being taught a system that helps identify who gets to be ‘line-leader’ each day. To ensure everyone gets a chance.




Whole-Class, Example 2

An antecedent is what happens directly before a behaviour occurs.

The behaviour is what the student does (The behaviour should be an observable action).


Date: 28/10/2020 During story time, someone knocks on classroom door and enters. Teacher attention orientates away from class.

Class begin talking amongst themselves and becomes very loud.

Teacher stops talking to the individual and asks the class to be quiet.Time: 10:00am

Location: Classroom

Date: 28/10/2020 During Phonics lesson, someone enters classroom and teacher attention is diverted away from the class.

Class begin talking amongst themselves and becomes very loud, some students get out of their chairs and move around classroom.

Teacher stops talking to the person and asks the class to return to their seats and lower the noise level.

Time: 1:15pm

Location: Classroom

Date: 29/10/2020 During Irish lesson, Older student Knocks on classroom door and enters to deliver a message.

Class begin talking amongst themselves and becomes very loud.

Teacher redirects attention back to class to ask them to speak quieter.Time: 1:19pm

Location: Classroom

In this example, prior to the behaviour occurring, the class is interrupted and the teacher’s attention is diverted away from the class.

In this example each time the behaviour occurs the students get the teacher’s attention back each time.

Patterns with both the Antecedent and Consequence sections suggest the teacher may find it beneficial to teach the class a new routine/rule surrounding what to do if someone enters the classroom.

For example, having the free writing/early reading book basket available to use while the teacher’s attention is diverted. The new routine/rules should be taught so everyone understands and lots of praise should be used when students attempt to follow them.

promoting positive behaviour and learning in the infant

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