Set up the childcare facility into child-friendly centers. The best designed facilities have designated wet areas for painting, eating and messy science projects. They set aside quiet spaces like loft spaces for the children to look at books and cuddle in pillows, and a large rug is used for circle time activities. Creating the best possible environment promotes friendly behavior among all the children.
Explain the philosophy and rules of the childcare facility to parents before their children begin attending the class. Tell parents what is expected of them and their children, such as no hitting or biting, and describe how teachers handle the situations. Parents who understand their roles help their children be on their best behavior.
Place one adult per five children if the childcare has mostly children under the age of five. This ratio helps young children get all the attention they need. Behavior problems such as yelling or hitting often happen because young children cannot communicate their feelings verbally so they demonstrate them physically. The extra adults can be assistants or volunteers.
Arrange the day into a curriculum that fosters learning while understanding how children behave. For example, start the day with free play as children arrive and then start a circle time activity with music and dance. Then take the children outside after a snack. Keep each activity short for short attention spans and understand the normal development of children.
Speak clearly to the children using descriptive language they can easily understand. For example, if you are reading a book to the class and a child is talking to a friend, ask for her "listening ears" rather than saying "stop talking." Often children listen better to positive descriptive language rather than negative language.
Teach the children conflict resolution skills to help them communicate their feelings to others. For example, teach children "I feel" statements. Instruct them through activities to say how they feel when something happens to them, such as "I feel bad when you take my toy." These statements help solve conflict rather than escalate them.
Identify children who need extra attention and tend to act out more than others. Give them special jobs, such as passing out materials or sweeping the patio near the playground. The jobs are serve as a way for the children to burn off extra energy or focus on an important role. These children may also need an adult to give them extra attention.
Praise children for good behavior. Tell the entire class when they are working and learning in harmony. The group can be rewarded with an extra book or an extra activity such as water play or crafts. Recognizing good behavior promotes the kind of behavior you expect from the group rather than always paying attention to bad behavior.
Speak to a child who is being disruptive to the rest of the class in a calm and normal tone. Acting angry usually does not help the situation. Try to find out the context and reasons for the behaviors. Explain the rules that everyone in the class must abide by. If the behavior is persistent, ask the school's director to speak to the child.
Speak to parents when a child is consistently being disruptive. Biting, hitting and taking toys away from other children is completely normal for children under five, but if one child is always acting out, schedule a conference with the child's parents to discuss reasons for his behavior. It may be that the child needs to learn how to behave and self-monitor, or she may be experiencing problems at home.