Friday, November 12, 2010

This for that - Redirection

I confess, saying "no thank you," "don't touch," "get down," does not always work on the very young. For some, they need something in place of of what is being taken away, they need a permissible action/behavior in exchange for the action/behavior you are trying to correct. In my class, I have a very lively bunch who love to climb on their tables. I can't tell you how many times I have told the to get down, feet on the ground, you are going to hurt yourself......! Only to turn around a minute later and they are at it again. I also have a little one who is fascinated by all the contraptions on teacher's desk. She is finally just tall enough to touch the key board and mouse or other item that are to close to the edge. Grrrrrr! She is constantly pulling things down! Well, about a week ago i got my aha! moment. I don't know why it took me this long, but I'm really excited. For the climbers, I not only tell the to get down, but I tell them where they CAN climb. They not only get down but they stay down (for a lot longer than before.) for the reachers, I found a high cabinet that I pit a bunch of books and fun item on, now, when they/she reaches up on my desk, I tell her/them to go to their "desk" to reach up on. So fr so good. They all immediately respond to the redirection when given an equally fun alternative.