When a child behaves inappropriately, chastising her for her actions isn't enough to modify her behavior. You need to define the specific behavior you want the child to use in place of her unacceptable behavior. Demonstrate the behavior you want your student to employ, and have the child demonstrate that she's learned the alternative behavior by acting it out for you, according to the book "Responding to Problem Behavior in Schools. You also need to explain which behaviors are appropriate for different settings within your preschool. For example, shouting, running and other exuberant behavior is appropriate on the playground, but not in the classroom.
There are five types of reinforcers to encourage good behavior, according to the book "Designing Preschool Interventions: A Practitioner's Guide." These range from tangible reinforcers, such as a favorite toy or a comforting object, to social reinforcers, which include physical attention and verbal recognition. Teachers can modify behavior by providing the reinforcer as a reward, or removing the reinforcer when the child engages in unacceptable behavior. Knowing which type of reinforcer to use requires talking to a child's parents and observing her classroom behavior.
An adult's immediate response to a child's behavior it is crucial in shaping her future behavior, according to the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. Responding to a child's behavior after several minutes have passed doesn't create an association between your praise or disapproval and her actions, so she won't find an incentive to either modify or repeat her behavior.
Preschoolers are naturally self-centered, seeking out almost any kind of individual attention. This makes it difficult to respond appropriately to disruptive behavior, since a student may regard even scolding or shouting as positive reinforcement and repeat her inappropriate behavior to gain more attention. Keep your facial expression and tone of voice neutral when you have to discipline a student. If the preschooler doesn't receive the emotional response she seeks, she will less likely to repeat the behavior.