Mathematics in Early Childhood (Part 1)

Mathematics in Early Childhood.

According to Howard Gardner, there are eight types of intelligence that people have, one of them being logical-mathematical, which involves reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding patterns (Cherry, 2026). All over the world, mathematics is one of the key domains in the preschool curriculum. In this series of 5 articles, the key Big Ideas of Mathematics will be introduced and elaborated.

Big Ideas of Mathematics

So what is a Big Idea? A Big Idea is used in early childhood years, and it must be about structural mathematical concepts and skills, align with children’s thinking, and enable learners to have foundations in future learning of mathematics (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). These are ideas that focus on the child, and never about what the school priorities are or what the teacher wants to teach. There are nine Big Ideas, namely: Sets, number sense, counting, number operations, pattern, measurement, data analysis, spatial relationships, and shape (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013).

Mathematics in Singapore preschools

In Singapore, preschools typically follow these key learning areas: “Aesthetics and Creative Expression”, “Discovery of the World”, “Health, Safety and Motor Skills Development”, “Language and Literacy”, and “Numeracy” (Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2022). Numeracy is a domain similar to mathematics, though it takes a more practical approach. Numeracy development guides children to learn and use numbers, learn the relationships between numbers, count, and understand patterns and shapes, to help them in their daily lives (Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2022).

Children's way of learning Mathematics

How do children learn Mathematics as they explore the world? Young children are naturally curious about the world around them, and mathematics is a tool they use to make sense of what they observe. Even without formal teaching, children learn math concepts as they engage with people and objects (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). It is a natural learning experience that is both a powerful and easy tool for teachers to use.

A constructivist approach is used in teaching mathematics, the child is regarded as someone who is actively curious to learn about the world and uses prior knowledge to understand concepts and also changes existing ideas to fit new ideas (Chaillé, 2021). Previously, the concept of assimilation and accommodation was covered; this shares some similarities. Imagine a child playing with water bottles of different heights and volumes. A taller bottle may not hold more water than a shorter bottle, and through this organic learning, the child achieves both assimilation and accommodation through play.

The teacher's role in teaching Mathematics

So what does the teacher’s role look like? The teacher is not using direct instruction to teach these mathematical concepts, but by providing a rich learning environment with mathematical materials, ensuring sufficient time for math games for children, and creating projects that encourage learning and application of math concepts (Chaillé, 2021). It is simply not enough to leave a child to explore without providing the necessary materials.

Teachers spend more time teaching literacy than mathematics, with some commenting that they are better at encouraging children to love reading more than math, and the purpose of Big Ideas is about helping children understand that while counting words in order is important, they must also understand amounts (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). Teachers should also reframe their mindset and understand that, though literacy is important, teaching children to problem-solve is also crucial. Teachers should understand that mathematics exists everywhere, especially in what interests children, while provoking and supporting children’s learning (Chaillé, 2021).

Mathematics has been proven to benefit our future, so every learner should be granted the same opportunity in education, and knowledgeable teachers have sufficient resources to grow themselves professionally, while providing a mathematically-rich environment (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000). In the articles that follow, the Big Ideas will be elaborated.

References

Brownell, J., Chen, J.-Q., Ginet, L., & Hynes-Berry, M. (2013). Big Ideas of Early Mathematics. US: Pearson Education.

Chaillé, C. (2021). ECE314 Facilitating children's mathematical thinking (study guide). Singapore: Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Cherry, K. (23 January, 2026). Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved from Verywell Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/gardners-theory-of-multiple-intelligences-2795161

Ministry of Education, Singapore. (2022). Nurturing early learners: A curriculum framework for preschool education in Singapore (NEL Framework 2022_v2). Retrieved from https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/57/bcc520d5-5803-442d-ab8a-88998614e095/NEL%20Framework%202022_v2.pdf

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Executive Summary: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Retrieved from https://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Standards_and_Positions/PSSM_ExecutiveSummary.pdf

 

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Middle & Late Childhood Development: Physical, Cognitive & Socioemotional Changes

Middle & Late Childhood Development: Physical, Cognitive & Socioemotional Changes.

Previously, an infant’s development was discussed, and it was found that they develop in a cephalocaudal pattern, with their heads developing faster than the rest of the body. As they are unable to communicate using words, crying is their main mode of communication. Then, early childhood development was discussed, where young children develop rapidly, and the roles of the educator and parent are vital during this period. Thus, middle and late childhood is the next stage of development.

Middle and late childhood is defined as when a child is between the ages of 6 and 11, where they learn about their bodies and have better movement, with brain development helping them to have flexible and reasoning thought, with peers taking over parents as their influences (Lally, Valentine-French, & Lang, 2020). They are more complicated in their thinking and have shown signs of independence, and though parents seem to take a lesser role in their level of influence over their children, it shall be clear that their role is still equally important.

In this article, the following areas of development will be addressed: Physical, cognitive, and socioemotional.

Physical development of 6 to 11-year-olds

Firstly, physical development will be discussed.

Physical growth is slow, albeit consistent, where a child grows 2 to 3 inches per year while muscle strength and mass slowly increase, with the more prominent changes being higher body height, but seemingly smaller waist and head sizes (Santrock, 2019). The child’s head or waist does not grow smaller, but it may seem smaller because the rest of the body grows rapidly in comparison. This rate of height growth is similar to early childhood, as during early childhood, they grow 2½ inches in height every year.

The prefrontal cortex in the brain develops, which involves attention, reasoning, and cognitive control, while motor skills are smoother and coordinated, and thus they need more physical activities, with boys better at gross motor and girls better at fine motor tasks (Santrock, 2019). Motor skill activities will advance during this stage, as children learn more about the capabilities of their bodies. During this stage, typically, boys participate more in ball games while girls are involved in craft activities. It may also seem likely that during this stage, fights occur more often and injuries are greater.

Cognitive development of 6 to 11-year-olds

Secondly, cognitive development will be assessed.

When children are between 7 and 11, they can do concrete operations, which are mental actions, while long-term memory is boosted, and they develop critical and creative thinking, and also, children are more logical and analytical when they use language (Santrock, 2019). Hence, they are capable of being independent and have their own ways of thinking. Previously, children needed concrete materials to understand concepts. For example, if you ask a 4-year-old to imagine an elephant sitting on a bridge, it may be too difficult. However, a 10-year-old has no issues with using his imagination. Hence, during early childhood, children need concrete learning materials, whereas during middle to late childhood, they can understand concepts through abstract materials like worksheets.

Socioemotional development of 6 to 11-year-olds

Thirdly, socioemotional development is analysed.

Children during this age start to have social comparison as they learn more about themselves, when they improve in taking perspectives to develop both self-concept and self-esteem, whereas self-concept is about domain understanding of themselves, and self-esteem is an overall understanding, and according to Erikson, children at this stage are in the industry versus inferiority stage (Santrock, 2019). Both self-concept and self-esteem may seem to be the same entity, but they are very different in how a child understands himself or herself. Self-concept is when a child knows that he is good at a certain task, such as crafts, but may need more guidance in another task, like cookery. Self-esteem is a more global perception of self, and having poor self-concept could lead to poor self-esteem. The child who is bad at cookery may have self-doubt and start to believe that, therefore, he is bad at everything. Adults need to be present to nurture children.

The Industry vs Inferiority stage is about the individual developing self-confidence in their skills or feeling inferior when they discover that they are not, usually when they start to compare themselves with peers, and adult support is crucial in helping them gain confidence in specific skills (McLeod, 2025). At this stage, children may seem fragile in their confidence, but that is because internally they are always comparing themselves to others. Not only are children constantly juggling between self-concept and self-esteem, but the amount of influence that peers have is so great that they could be affected easily, especially when the need for comparison is there. A child who is not good at cookery will compare himself with others and fall into inferiority if he is not well-supported by nurturing adults.

Therefore, parents are never out of their job in taking care of their children, even when they reach middle or late childhood. Though their influence is lesser compared to their children’s peers, their roles as nurturing parents never truly stop.

 

References

Lally, M., Valentine-French, S., & Lang, D. (2020). Middle and Late Childhood. In D. Lang, Parenting and Family Diversity Issues. Iowa State University Digital Press. doi:https://doi.org/10.31274/isudp.8

McLeod, S. (15 October, 2025). Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. SimplyPsychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/erik-erikson.html

Santrock, J. W. (2019). Life-Span Development: Seventeenth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

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Early Childhood Development: Physical, Cognitive & Sociomotional Growth

Children's Physical, Cognitive & Sociomotional Growth.

The early childhood years are defined as the ages up to 8, where important physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development happens, as a child’s brain is very malleable and responsive to changes through a relationship with genes, environment, and experiences (UNICEF, 2026). Thus, caregivers must be nurturing towards young children as their early years very much shape a child’s life, and in this article, the various areas of development will be understood.

Physical development of young children

Firstly, a child’s physical development will be discussed.

A child grows 2½ inches in height and 5 to 10 pounds in weight every year, while the frontal lobe of the brain grows the fastest, with gross and fine motor skills improving exponentially (Santrock, 2019). To empower children for lifetime success, they need rich early learning experiences, as they help to form new neural connections in the brain when adults are nurturing, and all areas of development are equally important, with changes in one domain affecting other areas, or even show the importance of each area, with an example of how learning to crawl enables a toddler to discover the world (NAEYC, 2026). Thus, parents or teachers should never regard academics as more important than physical or any other areas of development, as they all correlate and enhance each other.

Cognitive development of young children

Secondly, the child’s cognitive development is analysed.

At 2 years old, a child is in the ‘terrible twos’ stage, and at 3 the child is very energetic, then at 4 the child is curious and speaks a lot, and at 5 the child starts feeling responsible, which leads to at 6 the child enjoys learning from reading, storytelling, or from shows like cartoons (SingHealth Group, 2025). A young child has endless potential to learn from the environment.

Young children are in the preoperational stage, so they are unable to do operations, which are reversible mental actions, though they use symbols to understand the world, and they start to ask a lot of questions as they construct knowledge when they interact with people (Santrock, 2019). Children during this stage need more concrete materials as they are unable to imagine concepts in their brains, and they also need nurturing relationships with adults to grow and learn from.

Socioemotional development of young children

Thirdly, a child’s socioemotional development will be discussed.

Erikson explains that early childhood is when the child tries to mediate between initiative versus guilt, as children learn more about themselves in terms of body parts, material objects, and physical activities, and also a deeper understanding of emotions, and parents who are more nurturing will have children who can self-regulate better (Santrock, 2019). It can never be overstated that adults need to be caring towards children, so children never grow up feeling bad about themselves.

Play is crucial for development, in helping imagination, peer relationships, and developing language, motor skills, promotes problem-solving and creates emerging skills (NAEYC, 2026). Hence, play should never be a secondary activity but should be treated equally as important as academics or schoolwork.

Therefore, these areas of development have been discussed: Physical, cognitive, and socioemotional. A common thread that connects all of them is the role of the teacher or parent, whether it is in providing rich learning experiences or being a supportive figure, as they continue to grow and develop into their middle childhood years.

 

References

NAEYC. (2026). Principles of Child Development and Learning and Implications That Inform Practice. Retrieved from NAEYC: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/dap/principles

Santrock, J. W. (2019). Life-Span Development: Seventeenth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

SingHealth Group. (2025). Child Development Milestones: From Newborn to 6 Years Old. Retrieved from HealthXchange: https://www.healthxchange.sg/child-life-stages/child-development-milestones/child-development-milestones-newborn-six

UNICEF. (2026). Early childhood development. Retrieved from UNICEF: https://data.unicef.org/topic/early-childhood-development/overview/

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Infant Development Explained: Physical, Cognitive & Socioemotional Milestones

Infants' physical, cognitive, and socioemotional milestones.

Approximately 370,000 babies are born in the world every day, with about 9,800 just from the United States (Bradley, 2025). Parents and teachers alike can attest to the rapid growth and development of infants into young children, and in this article, infants’ development will be analysed according to physical, cognitive, and socioemotional milestones.

Physical development of infants

Firstly, here is how an infant develops physically.

Infants’ heads are larger than their bodies, and they have necks too weak to hold up their heads, but within 12 months, they start to learn to sit, stand, stoop, climb, and even walk, and in the second year, growth will decelerate, but they start to run or climb (Santrock, 2019). During this crucial period, infants should be handled with extreme care. There have been cases where adults other than then mothers would shake the baby, leading to irreversible consequences to the infant’s development.

Infants sleep most of the time, can lie on their stomachs to raise their head and chest at 3 months, become more vocal and mobile at 6 months, can sit with proper balance at 9 months, and can walk with some help or by themselves at 12 months (SingHealth Group, 2025). Infants also develop with a cephalocaudal pattern, where growth starts from the top, the head, and slowly moves downwards, so the eyes and brain grow faster than the jaw, and growth does not occur in a smooth path, but it is episodic (Santrock, 2019). It is clear that within the span of a year, an infant grows very quickly, and so the legs are usually the last body parts to develop.

Cognitive development of infants

Secondly, the cognitive development of infants will be discussed.

Infants develop gross and fine motor skills along with their nervous systems, so they should have reflexes that may stay for life or disappear after a few months, and Piaget describes cognitive development where children construct their cognitive worlds using schemes to organise knowledge, which are mental representations of concepts, and infant development is balancing sensorial input with motoric activity (Santrock, 2019). When infants are 18 months old, they can stack blocks to form towers (SingHealth Group, 2025). Motor skills develop together with infants’ cognitive abilities, so adults should provide rich learning resources that promote the usage of fine and gross motor skills.

Socioemotional development of infants

Thirdly, infants also have socioemotional development.

Infants use emotions as their first form of communication as they form bonds with their parents, with crying being the most important characteristic, to communicate anger, pain, or basic needs, and experts agree that within the first year, an adult should respond immediately whenever an infant cries, as they are in Erikson’s first stage of trust versus mistrust (Santrock, 2019). Thus, it is pertinent that an infant receives nurture and care during this crucial period, as they develop attachment and learn to have trust in adults, which will help their psychosocial development in early childhood.

Therefore, these are the milestones that an infant should reach at certain points in their development. Fortunately, in our modern age, there are medical professionals available to diagnose and treat any conditions should an infant fail to reach certain milestones. Moreover, in Singapore, every infant born will receive a health booklet that contains essential information and keeps track of every stage of development, including height, weight, developmental milestones, and immunisation records (Ministry of Health Singapore, 2026).

 

References

Bradley, S. (29 September, 2025). How Many Babies Are Born a Day? The Bump. Retrieved from https://www.thebump.com/a/how-many-babies-are-born-a-day

Ministry of Health Singapore. (2026). Child Health Booklet. Retrieved from Health Hub: https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/parent-hub/child-health-booklet

Santrock, J. W. (2019). Life-Span Development: Seventeenth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

SingHealth Group. (2025). Child Development Milestones: From Newborn to 6 Years Old. Retrieved from HealthXchange: https://www.healthxchange.sg/child-life-stages/child-development-milestones/child-development-milestones-newborn-six

 

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Hong Kong vs Singapore Preschools

Singapore vs Hong Kong.

Living in a metropolitan city has its perks: safety, a clean environment, and a higher wage. However, these cities could cause unnecessary stress amongst the working-class folks. In this article, a comparison will be made between two similar cities, Singapore and Hong Kong. Singapore keeps its crown as the most expensive city in the world, with Hong Kong not very far behind at third place (Fonacier, 2025). Similarities will be discussed, followed by the key differences.

The role of academics

Reading proficiency in preschool directly affects children’s reading skills in primary school, and so both Singapore and Hong Kong preschool curricula focus on literacy, and rote learning is often used in Hong Kong when it comes to Chinese characters (Li & Rao, 2005). Both countries are similar in that they are academically driven and understand that a good education guarantees better living conditions.

Declining birth rates

Kindergarten is not as packed as the rest of Hong Kong, with its ever-declining birth rate, with 18 preschools closed and a further 30 more are closing, but some schools aim to overcome this issue with quality programmes (Fong, 2025). Singapore’s birth rate is one of the lowest in the world, with government schemes like the Large Families scheme to encourage Singaporeans to have more babies, but even in 2024, the year of the Dragon, there was not an auspicious increase in babies born, with couples either having babies later or not having them at all (Tan, 2025). Both Singapore and Hong Kong may be facing an ageing population crisis in the near future if these situations continue.

Admission into preschools

Hong Kong toddlers have to go through screening processes, and parents have to fill in detailed forms, and that is because their preschools are private businesses, and thus there is an elitist mindset amongst these schools only to accept gifted children, and this led to tuition centres for babies up to six months old (Fung, 2025). Whereas in Singapore, children do not need to attend preschool, but parents typically do when their child is three, and these schools are regulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) or the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), and there are government subsidies for certain schools (Families for Life, 2026). There is a more difficult standard for preschools in Hong Kong than in Singapore.

Bilingualism: Is that important?

Singapore believes in teaching pre-academic skills, and its main language is English, while the child’s mother tongue is the second language, and teachers in Singapore believe bilingualism is crucial in society (Li & Rao, 2005). In preschools, the teachers speak to the classes in English. There are also plenty of activities where children learn to practise their fine motor skills, to ensure they can write later on.

On the other hand, the Hong Kong government acknowledges that some schools use inappropriate teaching strategies for academic skills, while parents teach both Cantonese and English, which leads to poor execution of both, and Hong Kong teachers do not believe in bilingualism. (Li & Rao, 2005). Hence, there is a poorer standard when it comes to teaching language to children.

Thus, though both countries’ preschools share common similarities, there are also noticeable differences. Singapore and Hong Kong are both expensive cities with high standards for academics, and the cost of living is one key factor as to why there are ageing populations with declining birth rates. However, Singapore triumphs over Hong Kong because its preschools are easy to get into, and it believes in bilingualism.

 

References

Families for Life. (2026). Preschool: How it Works and Why It’s Good. Retrieved from Families for Life: https://familiesforlife.sg/pages/fflparticle/Young-Children-How-Why

Fonacier, K. (22 July, 2025). What it means to live in Singapore and Hong Kong—two of the most expensive cities in the world for luxury living. Tatler. Retrieved from https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/wealth/singapore-hong-kong-most-expensive-cities-julius-baer-2025

Fong, E. (7 January, 2025). Why international kindergartens are bucking the wider trend of school closures in Hong Kong. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3293311/why-international-kindergartens-are-bucking-wider-trend-school-closures-hong-kong?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article

Fung, M. (8 November, 2025). Think S’pore’s education system is competitive? Try Hong Kong’s pre-school admissions interview. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/babies-toddlers-have-to-ace-interviews-to-get-into-pre-school-in-hong-kong-how-do-parents-cope

Li, H., & Rao, N. (2005). Curricular and instructional influences on early literacy attainment: evidence from Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. International Journal of Early Years Education(3), 235-253. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760500295870

Tan, T. (19 January, 2025). S’pore sees no baby boom in Year of the Dragon despite slight rise in births in 2024. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/spore-sees-no-baby-boom-in-year-of-the-dragon-despite-slight-rise-in-births-in-2024

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Punishment vs Discipline: What Actually Works

Punishment vs Discipline.

Behaviour guidance isn’t about control; it is about connection and skill-building.

What is discipline?

Parents struggle with being too firm or too lenient on their children, or that the children refuse to listen, but discipline is not behavioural correction but guiding the child to understand how to manoeuvre in the world with the right values, and it fosters mutual respect between child and parent while allowing children to have intrinsic motivation to do right, with problem-solving skills and a sense of security (W, 2025). After disciplining a child, the parent and child should grow closer together while the child gains new skills.

Rewards and punishment?

Rewards and punishment are traditional methods of teaching that are deeply ingrained in society’s collective mindset, but children need discipline instead for guidance and direction, as punishment causes children to remember the consequences more than their actions, leading to lies, and if children feel they are bad, then the more they will do bad things (Taprell, 2020). Children can become resentful of adults or ashamed of their actions, which will not produce desirable behaviour. A child should be allowed to feel confident and safe, and not be afraid of punishment for wrong behaviour.

The role of punishment is to decrease behaviour, whereby positive punishment is to give an adverse consequence, and negative punishment is to take away something good (Tan Meng Yin, 2020). Two examples would be removing a child’s play time because he hit his brother, or scolding the child for touching a hot oven. Sometimes, due to safety concerns, a punishment can be necessary, but it is not a long-term solution compared to discipline.

The role of adults

Discipline is about adults understanding children, offering logical consequences to teach children about responsibility, and fostering parent-child relationships (Taprell, 2020). Adults are crucial in guiding children correctly, while teaching responsibility along with the skills. Children can also learn from their actions about what consequences can occur. If a child were to damage a toy due to anger, the consequence is that the toy must be thrown away or repaired.

Positive expectations

By having positive expectations from the start, teachers can empower children to have skills to prevent behavioural or school troubles, as children do not lack motivation but skills for success, and also external rewards like token systems may not work because intrinsic motivation for success can decrease or cause children to learn that if they do not do well, it means they are not trying (Parrish, 2025). Teachers may tend to fall into a spiral of negativity due to past experiences, but they should always think of the best in children. Also, while there is nothing fundamentally wrong with reward charts, the main focus should always be on helping children to be self-motivated when doing good.

Therefore, these are the solutions for guiding children’s behaviour. Teachers can be more empathetic and understanding, to understand their issues, offer a listening ear to their troubles, and work together with them to create solutions (Parrish, 2025).

 

References

Parrish, N. (21 August, 2025). A Collaborative Approach to Skill Building Helps Address Challenging Behavior. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/addressing-challenging-behavior-school-skill-building/

Tan Meng Yin, E. (2020). SPE105 Management of behaviour in special education (study guide). Singapore: Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Taprell, K. (13 August, 2020). Why Punishment Doesn't Work and What Does. The Therapist Parent. Retrieved from https://www.thetherapistparent.com/post/why-punishment-doesn-t-work-and-what-does

W, L. (28 April, 2025). What Effective Discipline Really Looks Like: What If Discipline Wasn’t About Control But Connection. Utah State University. Retrieved from https://extension.usu.edu/strongermarriage/blog/discipline-strategies-that-work-how-to-build-respect-responsibility-and-resilience-in-your-child

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Preventing Behaviour Problems Before They Start

Preventing Behaviour Problems Before They Start.

Many behavioural issues can be resolved even before they start, and that comes from an understanding of child development. Teachers and parents can implement these strategies to help manage their children’s behaviour. In this article, the following effective methods will be described: setting up the physical environment, maintaining a consistent routine, setting clear expectations, and guiding children through transitions.  

Shaping the classroom environment

Firstly, challenging behaviour can be managed by changing the classroom environment, and because open spaces encourage children to run so furniture can be used to break up space while still being functional, or work spaces can be adjusted so children’s backs are facing the wall to allow for teacher facilitation, and lastly allow for independence by having schedules and other work materials in the work space (Autism Classroom Resources, 2026). The Reggio Emilia approach believes that the learning environment is the third teacher, and thus, teachers can save much time and effort just by spending some thought into their classrooms.

Have a consistent classroom routine

Secondly, routines are also vital to classroom management, as it helps children feel safe and confident to learn, for them to understand consistency in the daily schedule, which helps in emotional regulation, independence, and task concentration, while reducing negative behaviour (Leapfrogs, 2025). Children need to know what to expect after every activity in school. Teachers and adults should never make random changes throughout the day to confuse them, though if changes are needed, always communicate with the children. This applies not just to special needs but to every child.

Set clear expectations

Thirdly, when adults have clear expectations, children can avoid confusion and anxiety, so they know about the boundaries, and adults can do so by being specific, using positive language, staying consistent with consequences, allowing the child to set expectations, segmenting the task, and using lists or charts (Dynamics Therapy Group, 2024). If something is not allowed, it should not be allowed, regardless of the situation. However, phrase expectations with a positive tone, such as saying, “We love our teachers and friends, so we will use kind language to each other.”

Guiding children with transitions

Fourthly, children struggle with transitions, especially when everything is new, be it the environment or routines, so transitions may become triggers for negative reactions, because children lack the understanding of time and thus will need predictability to guide them, and teachers can use auditory stimuli like a bell or visual schedule, and even fun activities like singing songs to ease children through every activity of the day (Brightwheel, 2025). Even adults sometimes struggle with going from one activity to another, so children should be given the time and space to understand and not be rushed through everything.

Therefore, these are the strategies to help guide children’s behaviour. Above all, consistency is key to guiding children’s behaviour and with nurturing adults in the learning environment, the likelihood of negative behaviours occurring should be kept at a minimum.

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References

Autism Classroom Resources. (2026). 3 Ways to Adjust the Physical Space to Prevent Challenging Behavior. Retrieved from Autism Classroom Resources: https://autismclassroomresources.com/3-ways-to-adjust-physical-space-to/

Brightwheel. (31 March, 2025). 7 Fun and Engaging Transition Activities for Preschoolers. Brightwheel. Retrieved from https://mybrightwheel.com/blog/7-fun-and-engaging-transition-activities-for-preschoolers

Dynamics Therapy Group. (September, 2024). The Power of Clear Expectations in Parenting. Dynamics Therapy Group. Retrieved from https://www.dynamics.com.sg/edm/newsletter/2024/sep/index.html

Leapfrogs. (2025). How to Help Your Children Thrive by Establishing a Predictable Routine? Retrieved from Leapfrogs: https://www.leap-frogs.com/how-to-help-your-children-thrive-by-establishing-a-predictable-routine/

 

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