Behavior Guidance
How adults respond to a child’s behavior can have an impact not only directly on that specific behavior, but also on a child’s long-term critical thinking skills and self-esteem.
Best practices and the related resources in this section focus on giving effective directions; providing positive, descriptive comments; and never humiliating children.
Best Practices
Select each best practices below to see related resources.
“Directions are worded positively and clearly stated to ensure children’s understanding.”
Communication is Key
Summary: Practical tips and examples on how to communicate expectations and redirect young children effectively and with kindness.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/communication_is_key.pdf
Effective Instructions
Summary: Find video lessons by scrolling down. Further still are printable resources such as a child care provider guide, family guide (English and Spanish), and handout for specific examples on how to communicate and model directions clearly.
Source: ECE Resource Hub by the University of Virginia
Access: https://eceresourcehub.org/ece-resource-hub/strategy-library/effective-instruction/
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the social emotional assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills: Teacher-Child Relationship
Summary: Multiple materials that can guide classroom practice, including information on positive communication and positive descriptive feedback, relationship-building strategies, re-teaching skills and routines after breaks, and individualizing approaches.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Interventions
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/implementation/classroom/practical-strategies/#teacherChild
Teaching Tools for Young Children: Using Function-Informed Support to Address Challenging Behavior within Routines
Summary: This resource provides practitioners and coaches with practical, step-by-step strategies to help children who struggle with challenging behaviors during routines and activities, supporting their successful engagement.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ttyc_guide.pdf
Tips for Giving Directions
Summary: Resources designed for providers of 2-to 4-year-olds on giving clear directions that empower children and promote positive interactions.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/parenting-toddlers/directions/index.html
Using Cues and Visuals
Summary: Video lessons on increasing inclusivity and avoiding humiliating children by using cues and visuals. Find by found by scrolling down. Further still are printable resources such as a child care provider guide, family guide (English and Spanish), handout for specific examples on using cues and visuals, and using cues and visuals to support children with disabilities.
Source: ECE Resource Hub by the University of Virginia
Access: https://eceresourcehub.org/ece-resource-hub/strategy-library/cues-and-visuals/
“Children receive more positive attention and descriptive comments than redirection.”
A-to-Z’s of Early Childhood
Summary: Short videos, quick tips, and printable tip sheets on how to strengthen children’s development can be found under each letter of the alphabet. See “B” for Behavior, “D” for Disciple, “E” for Everyday Learning Opportunities and how to support them with positive attention, and “S” for Social and Emotional Development and Learning.
Source: University of Florida Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
Behavioral Expectations and Positive Guidance
Summary: Age-appropriate positive guidance from birth to age 12.
Source: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Access: https://dlbc.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Behavior-Expectations.pdf
Behavior Interventions and Positive Behavior Support
Summary: Guides, tools, training materials, and more regarding appropriately addressing challenging behaviors in young children.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/pyramid-model/behavior-intervention/resources/
Classroom Strategies
Summary: Resource library on building core social emotional skills, including relationship building, self-regulation, and communication. Resources under each strategy may include videos, podcasts, and brief downloadable/printable guides.
Source: ECE Resource Hub by the University of Virginia
Access: https://eceresourcehub.org/ece-resource-hub/strategy-library/strategies/
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the social emotional assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/
Practical Strategies for Teachers and Caregivers
Summary: Under the section “Tools for Working on “Building Relationships””, see Some Starters for Giving Positive Feedback and Encouragement, available in both English and Spanish.
Source: Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
Access: https://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html
Recommendations and Considerations for Positive Descriptive Feedback
Summary: Practical tips on how to give culturally and age-appropriate positive descriptive feedback.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://challengingbehavior.org/docs/positive-feedback.pdf
Skill Building Opportunities
Summary: 1-page guides for parents and professionals to help them turn common behavioral issues into opportunities to promote life skills in children. Browse all of the resources available in both English and Spanish, or filter by skill or age.
Source: Mind in the Making
Access: https://www.familiesandwork.org/skill-building-opportunities/
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills: Teacher-Child Relationship
Summary: Multiple materials that can guide classroom practice, including information on positive communication and positive descriptive feedback, relationship-building strategies, re-teaching skills and routines after breaks, and individualizing approaches.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Interventions
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/implementation/classroom/practical-strategies/#teacherChild
Using Cues and Visuals
Summary: Video lessons on increasing inclusivity and avoiding humiliating children by using cues and visuals. Find by found by scrolling down. Further still are printable resources such as a child care provider guide, family guide (English and Spanish), handout for specific examples on using cues and visuals, and using cues and visuals to support children with disabilities.
Source: ECE Resource Hub by the University of Virginia
Access: https://eceresourcehub.org/ece-resource-hub/strategy-library/cues-and-visuals/
“At the program, emotional humiliation is never used by anyone in contact with the children.”
Behavioral Expectations and Positive Guidance
Summary: Age-appropriate positive guidance from birth to age 12.
Source: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Access: https://dlbc.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Behavior-Expectations.pdf
Behavior Interventions and Positive Behavior Support
Summary: Guides, tools, training materials, and more regarding appropriately addressing challenging behaviors in young children in partnership with families.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/pyramid-model/behavior-intervention/resources/
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings. See a list of prohibited teacher and caregiver behaviors in discipline on page 19 of this document.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Communication is Key
Summary: Practical tips and examples on how to communicate expectations and redirect young children.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/communication_is_key.pdf
Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers
Summary: Designed for parents of 2-to 4-year-olds, resources focus on encouraging good behavior and decreasing misbehavior using proven strategies like positive communication, structure and rules, clear directions, and consistent discipline and consequences. Find articles with a variety of skills, tips, and techniques; videos featuring parents, children, and parenting experts who demonstrate and discuss skills; and free print resources like chore charts and daily schedules.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/parenting-toddlers/site.html
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the social emotional assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills: Teacher-Child Relationship
Summary: Find multiple materials that can guide classroom practice, including information on positive communication and positive descriptive feedback, relationship-building strategies, re-teaching skills and routines after breaks, and individualizing approaches. See tracking guides for accessing your program’s use of positive communication and positive discipline.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Interventions
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/implementation/classroom/practical-strategies/#teacherChild
Teaching Tools for Young Children: Using Function-Informed Support to Address Challenging Behavior within Routines
Summary: This resource provides practitioners and coaches with practical, step-by-step strategies to help children who struggle with challenging behaviors during routines and activities, supporting their successful engagement.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ttyc_guide.pdf
Using Cues and Visuals
Summary: Video lessons on increasing inclusivity and avoiding humiliating children by using cues and visuals. Find by found by scrolling down. Further still are printable resources such as a child care provider guide, family guide (English and Spanish), handout for specific examples on using cues and visuals, and using cues and visuals to support children with disabilities.
Source: ECE Resource Hub by the University of Virginia
Access: https://eceresourcehub.org/ece-resource-hub/strategy-library/cues-and-visuals/
“At the program, physical punishment is never used by anyone in contact with the children.”
Behavioral Expectations and Positive Guidance
Summary: Age-appropriate positive guidance from birth to age 12.
Source: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Access: https://dlbc.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Behavior-Expectations.pdf
Behavior Interventions and Positive Behavior Support
Summary: Guides, tools, training materials, and more regarding appropriately addressing challenging behaviors in young children in partnership with families.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/pyramid-model/behavior-intervention/resources/
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings. To see a list of prohibited teacher and caregiver behaviors in regards to disciple, see page 19 of this document.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance for Children and Families
Communication is Key
Summary: Practical tips and examples on how to communicate expectations and redirect young children.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/communication_is_key.pdf
Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers
Summary: Designed for parents of 2-to 4-year-olds, resources focus on encouraging good behavior and decreasing misbehavior using proven strategies like positive communication, structure and rules, clear directions, and consistent discipline and consequences. Find articles with a variety of skills, tips, and techniques; videos featuring parents, children, and parenting experts who demonstrate and discuss skills, and free print resources like chore charts and daily schedules.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/parenting-toddlers/site.html
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the social emotional assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills: Teacher-Child Relationship
Summary: Multiple materials that can guide classroom practice, including information on positive communication and positive descriptive feedback, relationship-building strategies, re-teaching skills and routines after breaks, and individualizing approaches. See tracking guides for accessing your program’s use of positive communication and positive discipline.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Interventions
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/implementation/classroom/practical-strategies/#teacherChild
Teaching Tools for Young Children: Using Function-Informed Support to Address Challenging Behavior within Routines
Summary: This resource provides practitioners and coaches with practical, step-by-step strategies to help children who struggle with challenging behaviors during routines and activities, supporting their successful engagement.
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Access: https://www.challengingbehavior.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ttyc_guide.pdf
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