Bring the class together on the first day of school and create a poster of your own class rules. Discuss rules the students think should be on the poster and include these. Talk about expectations for behavior as well as consequences if children decide to act out. Creating their own rules not only helps children understand the rules better but also gives them pride and ownership in the expectations. This, in turn, makes them more likely to adhere to these established guidelines.
Any change in routine can lead to behavior issues. Therefore, make transitions easier for your early childhood students by preparing them for the end of a lesson or activity with simple verbal warnings of the amount of time left to complete the activity. Teach your students a transition song that you sing each time an activity ends. This not only gives your students time to adjust to the changing activity but keeps them focused on the song rather than allowing for possible behavior problems.
If a child feels responsible for his peers, she is less likely to misbehave in the first place. If, however, a young child does act out, it is appropriate, even at this young age, to teach children accountability to one other. If a student sees another student breaking a class rule, it is appropriate for him to point this out to the student and ask him to stop. If this is unsuccessful, the student should come to the teacher to intervene. Teach this concept to your students and practice this with them on a daily basis until they have mastered it.
Despite all efforts, there are times your early childhood students need behavior correction. This should be not only age-appropriate but also serve the purpose of teaching the child the correct behavior for the next time he encounters that situation. For example, if the child is rude to another classmate, his consequence might be to apologize to that child and explain to you what he should have said in that scenario.