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Moving Right Along . . .

Planning Transitions to Prevent Challenging Behavior

Over tbe past decade, there has been a significant rise in the number of children in group care settings, including child care. Head Start, and public and private preschool (U.S. Department of Education 2007). Along with this trend, programs face increased pres- sure to document children's academic and social out- comes (Shonkoff & Phillips 2000). As teachers work toward these outcomes, they have become more concerned about children with challenging behaviors and the effects of those behaviors on others in the classroom.

Within most preschool settings, there are likely to be only a few children with persistent challenging behavior. On any given day, however, there may be a number of children who engage in some form of challenging behavior. These behaviors are often related to issues such as being in a group care setting for the first time, not knowing the expectations for a setting, not having the social skills to engage in more appropriate behaviors, being bored, and not knowing how to communicate emo- tions in appropriate ways. Transitions from one activity to another are times when children are more likely to engage in challenging behavior.

There is guidance in the field for teachers about plan- ning and implementing transitions. NAEYC emphasizes the importance of predictable, structured daily routines in which children feel secure and teachers seek opportunities to expand on children's ideas and interests (Bredekamp & Copple 1997). The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children emphasizes that transi- tions should be structured to promote interaction, com- munication, and learning (Sandall et al. 2005). Here we offer a discussion of why challenging behavior occurs during transitions, strategies for planning and implementing more effective transitions, ideas for using transitions to teach social skills and emotional competencies, and a planning process for working with children who continue to have difficulty during transitions.

Mary Louise Hemmeter, Michaelene M. Ostrosky, Kathleen M. Artman, and Kiersten A. Kinder

© Diane Greenseid

Transitions: What are they and why does chaiienging behavior occur?

Within early childhood contexts, transitions are the times in the day when children move or change from one activity to another. Typically, these include arriving in the class- room, moving from morning meeting to centers, cleaning up after center time to get ready for outdoor play, snack or nap times, and preparing to go home. Children's challeng- ing behavior during transitions may be related to how pro- gram staff structure, schedule, and implement transitions. Challenging behavior is more likely to occur when there are too many transitions, when all the children transition at the same time in the same way, when transitions are too long and children spend too much time waiting with nothing to do, and when there are not clear instructions.

Children may engage in challenging behavior when they do not understand the expectations for the transition. Perhaps it is a child's first experience in a group setting

1,3,4

18 Voung Children • May 2008

Chiidren's chaiienging behavior during transitions may be reiated to how program staff structure, schedule, and implement transitions.

or the classroom rules and routines are different than at home. Additionally, the program may be only one of several places where the child spends time each day (for example. Head Start, child care, relative care), and there may be dif- ferent expectations in each setting. It is possible that at one site children must remain seated during snack until all children are finished eating and at another site individ- ual children may leave the table and look at a book while other children finish. Children also may not understand what to do when program staff implement routines differ- ently on different days (for example, on some days children wash their hands, then get their placemats for snack; and on other days they get their placements first and then wash).

Some children may have a difficult time with transitions due to disabilities (difficulty with change is a characteristic of autism, for example) or limited communication, social- emotional, or cognitive skills. For example, some children may take longer to process directions. If adults give too many directions at once or give oral directions without cues, such as holding up a backpack to signal that it is time to go home, these children may not know what to do. In these situations, teachers may view the child as engaging in challenging behavior rather then recognizing that the child needs to learn a skill or receive additional cues to under- stand the direction.

Mary Louise Hemmeter, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the director of the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning and faculty on the Technical Assistance Center for Social Emotional Interven- tions. [email protected]

Michaelene M. Ostrosky, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also a faculty member on the Center on the Social Emo- tional Foundations for Early Learning, [email protected]

Kathleen M. Artman, MEd, is a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University. She has taught young children with multiple dis- abilities in inclusive early childhood settings and is working on projects related to professional development around challenging behavior. [email protected]

Kiersten A. Kinder, MEd, is a doctoral student in early childhood special education at Vanderbilt University. She has nine years of teaching experience in inclusive preschool classrooms and is working on developing effective professional development and ongoing support for teachers, [email protected].

This article is available online in Beyond the Journal, May 2008, at www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200805.

Finally, some children may engage in challenging behav- ior during transitions because they do not want to stop what they are doing, they do not want or need to go to the next activity, or the transition occurs without warning. Consider a child who is making a block structure when the teacher says it is time to line up and go to the bathroom or children who are looking at books when the teacher announces it is snack time. These situations often result in chaiienging behavior because the children are not moti- vated for, in need of, or interested in the next activity.

Sometimes teachers may not realize why chiidren are having challenging behavior and may assume that a child is having a bad day. is ignoring the teacher, or is stubborn, when in fact the child may not know what to do. It is impor- tant to consider all the possible reasons a child is having a difficult time and then identify strategies to support the child during transitions. In the next section, we provide ideas and strategies for planning, designing, and imple- menting transitions to support all children and to decrease the likelihood that challenging behavior will occur.

Plan for success

Designing a schedule that minimizes transitions and maximizes the time children spend engaged in developmen- tally appropriate activities is the first step in decreasing challenging behavior. Schedules in which children engage in planned activities or projects for significant periods of

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Original Schedule Revised Schedule

8:15-8:25 Arrival/hand washing

8:15-8:45 Free play

8:45-9:15 Calendar, weather, and lesson

9:15-10:00 Centers/small groups—CMdren ro(afe every 15 minutes between three small group activities or play in a designated center

10:00-10:15 Hand washing/snack

10:15-10:30 Music

10:30-10:40 Book time—Evefyone is d/sm/ssed from circle at the same time to put on coats.

10:40-11:00 Outdoor time

11:00 Dismissal—C/7//dren wait for families or bus to pick them up.

8:15-8:45 Arrival/hand washing/table to^s—Children have a choice of table activities, sucf) as playdough. cutting scraps, or manipulatives. allowing easy entry after finishing arrival routine.

8:45-9:00 Large group—,^ few routine activities, plus review of the day's schedule and center time plans.

9:00-10:20 Center time/hand washing/snack

—Teachers support play and teach skills in small groups or with individual children.

— Snack is a center choice, allowing varied lengths of time to eat.

10:20-10:40 Book time and music

— Chiidren finish cleaning up, then choose a book to read.

—A few children at a time are dismissed to get coats while the other children continue singing.

10:40-11:00 Outdoor time

11:00 Dismissal—C/ass sings good-bye song and plays waiting games until arrival of families or bus.

time, spend little time in transitions, or seldom spend time waiting with nothing to do decrease the likelihood of chal- lenging behavior. The schedule above was modified to limit the number of transitions. The revised schedule has several advantages, including (a) fewer times when ai! children have to transition at the same time; (b) less time in large groups and more time in child-directed activities; (c) longer center time so adults have more time to work with small groups or Individual children; and (d) inclusion o( snack as a part of center time so children can eat when they are hungry. Implementing the revised schedule increases the likelihood that children will be engaged and decreases the likelihood that challenging behavior will occur.

The following questions and strategies can guide teach- ers in planning and implementing more successful transi- tions (Ostrosky, Jung, & Hemmeter 2002).

What is happening during transitions? Many class- rooms post a schedule that includes times and activities, but what really happens day to day in the classroom may be very different. Because transition times can be busy, it is easy for teachers to miss events or interactions that can

Designing a schedule that minimizes transitions and maximizes the time chil- dren spend engaged in developmentally appropriate activities is the first step in decreasing challenging behavior.

cause challenging behavior. To better understand poten- tial triggers for challenging behavior, classroom staff can observe and take notes for several days on when each tran- sition starts and stops, what adults and children are actu- ally doing during transitions, and the number and types of challenging behaviors that occur. The team can then look critically at the information and design a transition plan that includes (1) assigned roles and responsibilities before transitions (for example, designating one teacber to prepare the materials for center time); (2) strategic place- ment of adults during transitions (for example, having one teacher stand at the door to engage children in an activity as they line up): and (3) identification of children who need individual supports, such as an individualized reminder before the transition or the use of a visual schedule.

Can any transitions be eliminated? Teachers can plan ways to minimize daiiy transitions, especially those that require all children to move at the same time. By reviewing the schedule, teachers can omit unnecessary transitions. For example, teachers might schedule longer center times during wbicb they can focus on goals with small groups of children. This change gives children more time to be engaged with materials and the teacber more time to work with individual children as well as more flexibility to bring small groups together based on their interests or needs.

It is important to note that a longer center time can also lead to challenging behavior if the teacher does not plan engaging activities, support children's engagement in those activities, individualize that support, and ensure that activi- ties are individualized to reflect a range of difficulty and interests.

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Do children have something to do whlie waiting for the next activity? After observing and recording what happens during transitions, teachers can modify them so children move in small groups or design activities for children to do while they wait. While one teacher calls a few children at a time to wash their hands, another teacher could lead an activity that allows for children to flow in and out easily, like singing songs or reading familiar books. Such transitions also encourage social interactions ("When you are finished washing your hands, tap a friend to take your place").

Interactive songs and games can help make transitions engaging, teach children what to do, and introduce new skills. For example, the cleanup song "Clean up. clean up everybody everywhere ..."' serves as a cue that one activ- ity is ending and another is about to begin. Children can

sing while they transition. When waiting for other children during a transition, children can play simple games such as "Guess What Is in My Bag," in which a teacher or child puts something in a bag and children take turns asking ques- tions and guessing what it is. The goal is to keep children engaged, thus preventing challenging behavior (see "Daily Transition Tips" for additional ideas).

Teach children the expectations for transitions

Often children do not know what to do during transitions. Consider a transition that happens every day, washing hands. Some children may be learning the hand-washing process and how to do it in a new setting. There are usually

Daily Transition Tips

Arrival/hand washing/ table toys

Large group

Center time/hand washing/snack

Book time and music

Gross motor

Dismissal

Have children move their picture or name from "home" to "school" on an Arrival Chart. Make a feelings poster with pictures of faces showing different emotions (happy, shy, sleepy, excited, frustrated, sad, and so on). When they arrive, children place clothes- pins labeled with their names on the "feeling faces" that best represent their emotional state at that time.

Ask children to come to circle as if they were moving through peanut butter, wiggling through Jello, in a marching band, a plane flying to the airport, a car driving on a road, a bird flying to its nest, and so on.

Hang a chart on the wall. Children write their name under "Yes, I ate snack today" or "No, thank you, I'm not eating snack today."

' Make a snack menu providing visual directions of what to eat ("Take two apple slices

and three pieces of cheese, please").

' Have one child wear a hard hat and inspect each center during cleanup to see if it is picked up. If it is, the child makes an X over a picture list of all the centers. If not, he recruits some helpers!

• Sing the expectations of the transition: "If you're finished cleaning up, please choose a book" (tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It").

' Create a basket of easily accessible {class-made, repetitive text) favorite books that work well for independent reading.

• Draw pairs of different colored shapes on the end of wooden craft sticks. Give each child a stick and then call a shape. Matching pairs line up together Collect the sticks as a ticket to the next activity.

• Tape cardboard cutouts of feet (or other shapes) on the floor to indicate where children will line up. Change these to introduce new vocabulary (ladybug, butterfly, cricket) or work on concepts {patterns, emotion faces, colors, shapes, letters).

» Use a fun, simple song to remind children about the expectations for walking in the hallway: "We're walking in a line, . . . one in front and one behind, we're walking in a line" {tune: "Farmer in the Dell").

• Take turns creating body patterns (for example, clap, touch head, clap, touch head).

• Hide an item in a bag and give clues to help children identify it.

Young C/)//dfen*May 2008 21

procedures to follow, such as how much soap to use, what to do when it is not your turn, and how many paper towels are needed. When a child does not follow the steps for hand washing (or any other transition), teachers should deter- mine if the child understands the expectations and steps.

For children to learn the expectations associated with any transition, teachers need to explain or model expectations multiple times in multiple ways (Sandall & Schwartz 2002). One way to accomplish this is to describe the steps using pictures and then role-play each step during group time. After a few days, mix up the photos showing the steps and recruit chiidren to rearrange them. Place the pictures near the area where the transition is going to occur and model the expectations while referring to the pictures. This shows the children how to use the visual supports on their own.

Children also can be models for their peers. One child can demonstrate while the teacher narrates. For example, Ms. Lin might say. "Let's watch Noel at the sink. First, she turns the handles a bit. What does she need next? That's right, soap! She pumps once because that is all she needs! Now she is rinsing off the bubbles and is ready for her paper towel. How many pulls does she need? Let's say it together—1. 2, that will do!" (Such rhymes are a fun and easy way to help children remember transition expectations. Another example is to have children chant, "1, 2, 3. save some for me!" to keep the line moving when getting water.)

Visual cues or representations (for example, photo- graphs, clip art) assist children in understanding expecta- tions, anticipating the transition, and knowing what to do. Post a visual schedule with removable pieces that each rep- resent activities. As the class completes activities, children remove the corresponding pieces from the schedule. This

will help children learn the order of activities across the day, prepare for what is going to happen next, and antici- pate transitions between activities. Teachers can place visual reminders strategically throughout the classroom. For example, laminated pictures on the floor cue children about where to line up; a paper strip with photos of the cleanup routine can remind children what to do after snack; and a stop sign on the daily calendar can cue children that something different is happening that day.

Use transition times to teach sodai skitis and foster emotionai deveiopment

Transitions provide opportunities for supporting social skills and emotional competencies. Teachers can encour- age children to work together and can provide descriptive feedback when they do so ("Look at all of you cleaning up!" "Wow, you have your coat on already? That was fast! Can you help Michael get his coat on?"). Promoting friendship skills can make transitions easier for children: have children find a buddy to sit with, walk down the hall in pairs, work with a friend to clean up, choose a friend to play with, and so on.

Acknowledging a child's feelings validates emotions, teaches emotion words, and helps chiidren learn to handle their feelings appropriately. When a child shows frustra- tion, anger, or sadness at the end of an activity, the teacher can use this as a teachable moment. Acknowledge the emo- tion ("Caleb, it s hard to clean up. I can tell you're worried about leaving your castle"); engage the child in problem solving ("What can we do? Would you like to take a picture? Save it on my desk?"); and help the child follow through

on a solution ("Let's save it on a shelf for tomorrow and go over to snack"). By labeling emotions and finding a solution, teachers help children transition while simultane- ously teaching appropriate ways to respond to difficult situations.

When some chiidren stili have difficuity: individuaiizing transition strategies

Even when teachers plan transi- tions, use visual schedules, and create interactive activities, some children may have a difficult time. Teachers can give 5- or 10-minute warnings prior to transitions, use visual cues, and provide prompts to help all children; but when some

2 2 Ybung Children'May 2008

children continue to have challenging behavior during tran- sitions, an individualized problem-solving process may be needed. Teachers should address four questions in creating individual plans: Why is the behavior occurring? How can it be prevented? How can I respond if the behavior occurs? and What new skills should I teach the child? (Lentini, Vaughn, & Fox 2004).

Consider the case of 3-year-old David, who has trouble responding to classwide transition strategies. David enters the classroom crying and clinging to his mom. He resists washing his hands, putting toys away, and joining group activities. When the rest of the class begins transitioning to large group, David throws himself on the floor and screams. When adults attempt to redirect him, he hits, kicks, and

screams. During centers, David wanders around the room without engaging in an activity. At afternoon pickup, he refuses to put on his backpack and cries.

Ms. Maggie already uses a classwide visual schedule, structures the day so children have choices, and imple- ments strategies to engage children during transitions. Although a few chiidren occasionally have difficulties, most of the children transition easily. However, David's chal- lenging behavior continues to escalate. Ms. Maggie asks herself a series of questions about David's behavior and collects data on David's behavior during transitions. Based on her observations, she comes up with some solutions and puts individualized supports in place for David (see "Individualized Transition Strategies for David").

Individuaiized Transition Strategies for David

Targeted transition

Cleanup (moving from cen-

ters to large

group)

Why does the behavior occur?

D does not want to leave the activity

How can I prevent the problem?

• Give D a signal before the tran- sition {"Two more minutes" or "Three more blocks")

• After the class cue, go over to D and cue him

• Model and take turns cleaning up ("First 1 put a block away. Then you put a block away.")

How can 1 respond to the problem?

• Ignore inappropriate behavior

• Immediately praise D for cleaning up

• Use "First. Then" statements

• Redirect and model turn taking

What skill(s) should 1 teach David?

• How to clean up using turn taking

Arrival and dismissal

D does not want to leave his mother

Going to centers

D does not know what to do next

• Use a photo board to show the "First, Then" actions modeled above

• Use a story about what happens at school

• Allow D to carry his blanket in the morning

• Provide a fun job for D at arrival

• Have a peer buddy greet D and invite him to play

• Use a visual schedule with a photo of D's mother

• Prepare the next activity before signaling for transition

• Give D an individualized choice card

• Allow D to play with a small item while waiting

• Cue D to look at a visual schedule

' Help D wave and say good-bye to his mother

' Read a comforting story about school

Use visual cues to redirect D to the next activity

Model the expectations

Point out peer models

How to ask for a hug or comfort item

How to use a visual schedule

How to say good-bye

• How to use the visual schedule

• How to imitate peers

• How to choose a transition activity (books, puzzles) during wait time

Based on Lentini. Vaughn. & Fox (2004).

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Conclusion

Some children find it difficult to cope with transitions,

and this can lead to challenging behavior. When several

children have difficulty with transitions, there may be

issues with the way the program plans or implements tran-

sitions. In such cases, teachers can evaluate the schedule

in terms of the number and length of transitions and what

children are expected to do during

transitions. This information can be

used to modify transitions in order to

better support children, likely lead-

ing to fewer challenging behaviors. If

an individual child continues to have

ongoing challenging behavior, it may

be necessary to develop an individual-

ized plan for that child.

When teachers have evaluated

transitions, put strategies in place to

help children transition more easily,

and implemented individualized plans

for those who need them, transitions

can be fun and successful times for

children and teachers alike.

Later this month join authors Mary Louise Hemmeter

and Michaelene Ostrosky for a special distance learn-

ing opportunity based on this article. Send your questions

related to routines, transitions, and positive guidance to jill.

[email protected]. The authors will respond to them

as a part of their presentation. Look for details at

http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200805.

References

Breclekamp, S,, & C. Copple. eds. 1997. Devel- opmenlally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. Rev ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Lentini. R., B.J. Vaughn, & L, Fnx, 2004. Rou- line-based support guide for young children wilh challenging behavior. Tampa, FL: Uni- versity of South Florida. Early Intervention Positive Behavior Support.

O.strosky. M.M., E.Y. Jung. & M.L. Hemmeter. 2002. Helping children make transitions between activities, www.vanderbilt.edu/ csefei/briefs/wwb4.pdf

Sandall. S.R.. M.L. Hemmeter. B.J. Smith, & M.E. McLean. 2005, DEC recommended prac- tices. A comprehensive guide. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

Sandall. S,R.. & l.S. Schwartz. 2002. Building blocks for teaching preschoolers with special needs. Baltimore: Brookes.

Shonkoff. J.P.. & D.A. Phillips, eds. 2000. From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 2007. The condi- tion of education 2007 (NCES 2007-064). http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/piibsinfo. asp?piib!d=2007064

Copyright © 2008 by the National Association for the Education

of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at

www. j ournal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp.

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