Covenant College

Young children learn best in a warm and secure environment and thus it is vital to set rules and standards for behaviour within the Kindergarten. This will help the children to learn the need for limits for their own behaviour. It is important that clear and simple rules are set which the children can understand and carry out. These limits will enable each child to respect others as well as themselves and also to have a respect for belongings in the way they use the materials within the Kindergarten.

As much as possible, the children are to be involved in the process of establishing the classroom rules. This will help to stimulate their thinking and get them to see the need for a rule and the reasoning behind it.

If a child is disruptive, disregarding behavioural standards and instructions repeatedly without responding to direction, he/she may need to be taken out of the group situation for a little time (but never left on their own). Wherever possible the method of managing the situation should encourage the child to see the necessity and the means of restoring positive relationships, thus enabling him/her to rejoin the group. Behaviour management should always be appropriate to the individual child and situation.
Children are encouraged to demonstrate and amend their actions by saying sorry, shaking hands, hugging.
A physical action followed immediately after unacceptable behaviour reinforces the child’s understanding of what they’ve done and why it is unacceptable.