There are two main approaches that can be taken to fostering the moral, social and emotional development of young children:
* 'outside in' - where adults manage, control and shape the behaviour of children through extrinsic rewards, incentives and punishments. The idea is that shaping behaviour means children behave without having to understand abstract concepts such as helpfulness.
* 'making the inner outer, and the outer inner' - where adults help children to develop self-discipline by discussing the consequences of people's actions, including the children's own. The idea is that learning to see the consequences of what they and others do helps children to be thoughtful of others, and abstract ideas such as helpfulness slowly become understood.
I support the latter approach.
Manage and control
When adults manage, control and shape the behaviour of children (working from the outside in), we find: 1 Golden rules The setting introduces rules of behaviour, which adults in authority then model, such as being gentle, kind and helpful.
2 Copying The children are encouraged to copy the adult's modelled behaviour. The thinking behind this is that good behaviour becomes a habit, which does not require understanding.
3 Rewards, incentives and punishments Certificates, trophies, badges, stickers and stamps used to brand children's hands are all examples of the incentives that reward 'good' behaviour.
Golden Time is an example of using incentives and punishing behaviour that adults don't want to see. Under this system, children failing to keep the Golden Rules are deprived of Golden Time, when special 'treat' activities are allowed (see box).
Develop self-discipline
When adults help children to develop self-discipline (making the inner outer, and the outer inner), we find:
1. An appreciation of consequences
With growing self-discipline, children can see the consequences of their actions on themselves, on others and on the material world, indoors and outdoors.
In the case of Max, deprived of Golden Time treats (see box), the adult could have explained that a consequence of his not helping was less time for stories and music, which he enjoys. He needs help to see the connection, as time is an abstract concept for a three-year-old. A picture of a burst balloon takes his attention away from what is important about his behaviour and his developing understanding of what being helpful means in the deeper sense.
2. Clear, consistent boundaries
Children need clear and consistent boundaries. An example of a firm boundary is not allowing any damage to people, materials and equipment.
Children also need a predictable environment giving a rough shape to their day. For example, they need to have an idea that lunch comes after storytime.
However, inflexible rules, with little purpose or unintended consequences (as in the case of Jack and Max - see box below), have no place in a nursery if children are to be treated as feeling, thinking people.
3. Self-esteem and well-being
Self-esteem and well-being are central to the development of self-discipline. Adults never humiliate or make fun of a child, or allow other children to do so.
Some children taunted Max, because by putting a picture of a burst balloon on his peg, the adults were, in effect, role-modelling that it is all right to humiliate children who disobey adults' rules (see box).
Humiliation is a damaging feeling. It can make some children withdrawn, but others angry. Adults keen to develop self-discipline always help the children to analyse their actions and consider how they might respond differently in future, and support the children next time.
4. A sense of self
Having a strong sense of self stems from children knowing their physical selves and being able to control their bodies. As they dance, sing finger rhymes and action songs, climb, run, jump or cycle, they learn the effect of hitting out, stamping, stroking, squeezing and how to move and act appropriately in different situations. Children begin, quite literally, to set physical boundaries around themselves, to feel in control.
Children should not be sitting still for periods longer than five or ten minutes, as this requires intense effort and body co-ordination. Herding children into large groups is problematic. The large numbers in reception classes mean that children find it hard to be themselves, and act instead as a herd. They often become less thoughtful of others, and 'crowd behaviour' begins to erupt.
Play-punching in a scenario involving goodies and baddies is only possible if children have appropriate learning environments, indoors and outdoors.
The outdoor learning environment is central to the development of self-discipline. Children who have plenty of freedom of movement, fresh air and drinking water behave better and concentrate when looking at book, listening to stories or cooking from a recipe.
5. Space and choice
Children, like all of us, need personal space in which to make choices and reach decisions. Many children now spend much of their day in group care.
They need opportunities to initiate their own ideas, rather than constantly following adult-directed activities.
Instead of carrying out low-level activities, such as colouring and gluing screwed-up tissue paper to templates, children need to be offered choices of high-quality open-ended experiences, such as sand, clay, paint and water play. Bored children, or children frustrated by their failure to complete an adult-set task, are badly behaved.
Giving children opportunities to make choices has a deep impact on their ability to develop self-discipline and to control their behaviour, rather than being controlled through external rules and incentives. Children who feel they have some control over their lives are more resilient, and more thoughtful and caring of others. If adults help children to follow their interests, value their ideas and respect their feelings and needs, they are more likely to respond in this way to other people.
6. The child's level
It is always important to get down to the child's level. Children do not respond well when you tower above them, or shout at them. Such behaviour puts them in survival mode. They are then on 'alert' and they resist interacting positively with adults. Children appreciate adults who speak naturally to them.
Most importantly, be on the child's side. We all behave better when we feel someone will help our efforts, value and believe in us. NW Tina Bruce is a professor at Roehampton University, London It is important that they have high well-being and a sense of pride in their efforts. Hugging rather than squeezing and hurting, leaping and landing next to someone rather than on top of them.
Further reading
* DfES Early Years Foundation Stage see www.dfes.gov.uk
* Tina Bruce and Carolyn Meggitt, (2006, 4th edition) Childcare and Education, Hodder Arnold: London.
* Vivian Gussin-Paley, (1988) Bad Guys Don't Have Birthdays, University of Chicago Press: Chicago, London
OUTSIDE IN, INSIDE OUT
Golden Time - working from the outside in
Referring to the Golden Rules of being kind and helpful, the adult asks a group of two-, three- and four-year-olds to lend a hand with tidying up.
The willing are given a picture of an inflated golden balloon on their peg.
The reluctant are warned that if they don't help, they will be punished with no Golden Time, and a picture of a golden balloon, not yet inflated, is placed on their peg. Unco-operative children are given a picture of a burst balloon on their peg. Only children with inflated golden balloons on their pegs are allowed Golden Time. The others have to sit and watch for part of the time.
Three-year-old Jack has a golden balloon on his peg, but decides not to take his Golden Time. He wants to stay with his friend, Max, who has a burst balloon on his peg and is, therefore, having to sit and watch the Golden Time activities. Seeing them together, the adult tells Jack not to talk to Max and insists that he take his Golden Time. Some of the other children taunt Max because he has a burst balloon and can't join in with the Golden Time treats.
Consequences - working from the inside out
Adults show children the consequences of their actions. For example: 'I think Jade is feeling sad, Leanne, because you pushed her. Pushing knocks people over, and that hurts. Perhaps that is why Jade is crying. Were you feeling cross because she took your red paint? Next time, you could explain to her that you haven't finished using the red paint yet. Jade, you could tell Leanne you need to use the red paint, and ask if you could use it after her?'
Children who are helped to analyse what went wrong, and what to do next time are much more thoughtful of others, while maintaining a strong sense of self and well-being. They see adults who help them, rather than adults who judge, reward or punish them.
