2-2: Component Coordination Log (Part 1)”

Think back over the past month about the times you worked with another component to
complete a task or to do something for a child or family. Record these examples on the
format below. Examples are provided for each component. After you have noted several

examples, discuss your “log”

” with your classroom team.

What Disabilities
Component Did

What You Did

How You Followed Up

Example:

At my request, observed child
who seems to have developmental
delays. Suggested strategies to
foster the child’s development.

Implemented suggestions and
observed the child several times
in the next week.

Let coordinator know how the
child was progressing.

57



ines and-Trans

As a classroom team select a routine (e.g., eating, brushing teeth) or transition (getting
ready to go home, coming in from outdoors, getting ready for naps) to focus on for the
next week. Observe how different children react to the way you handle this routine or
transition. At the end of the week review your notes with team members and discuss how
the children respond to your approach. Use the format provided to plan ways to adapt the
routine or transition to address the needs of all children. Discuss this activity with
component coordinators, consultants, and other staff, as appropriate.

Routine or Transition:

Dates:

How we handle it now:

How children respond to what we do now:

How we can change what we do:



Session 5
The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions

Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

* Develop and follow a balanced schedule with consistent routines and
well-planned transitions.

¢ Adapt the daily schedule and transitions to meet the special needs of
children who are highly stressed.

Materials and Equipment

¢ Flip chart, markers, and tape
* Daily schedules on flip chart paper (Session 4 Follow-Up Activity)
* Reading
5: The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions
* Handouts
5-1: Handling Routines and Transitions
5-2: Suggestions for Handling Routines and Transitions
* Follow-Up Activities
5-1: Adapting the Schedule
5-2: Adapting Routines and Transitions

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 4 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 4 Follow-Up Activities, reinforce the following:
¢ With careful planning, the environment can address a wide range of
interests, skills, and needs.
* Changes in the environment should be made gradually so children won't
be confused or overwhelmed.

Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.



Think of the same child and family and make a list of their strengths. For example, “He
teally enjoys the block area.” or “She comes to all the parent workshops.” The lists don’t
need to be long—two or three items are sufficient.

2, What are the strengths of this child and family?

Think of your own strengths and how they could be applied to working with this child
and family.

3. What are some of your own strengths?

4, How do you plan to use your own strengths as you work with this child and
family?

This activity is a first step in learning to accept rather than
judge children and families.

171



Showing respect for their viewpoints, even when you do not
agree, can help parents feel competent in their parenting

skills,
How can Head Start staff In addition to providing a respite, there are many things
support parents? classroom teams and other Head Start staff can do to

support parents. The following examples can be adapted to
accommodate your program’s needs.

* Give parents frequent updates on their children’s
favorite activities and examples of how they are
growing and developing. Updates can occur during
drop-off and pick-up times or in short notes home or
tape recordings about a child’s activities.

Arrange for transportation to parent meetings. In
some areas there is no public transportation or it is
unsafe to use in the evenings when meetings often
occur. If this is not possible, encourage parents to

arrange car pools.

.

Provide enough food at snack and meal times to feed
parent volunteers. Parents may come to the program
hungry. Homeless families usually eat at the shelter
and aren’t allowed to take food out of the dining
room. Invite parents to participate at Head Start in
family-style meals with their children.

Provide a comfortable, pleasant place where parents
can relax, drink a cup of coffee or juice, eat a healthy
snack, and talk with each other. Furnish it with adult-
sized tables and chairs and stock the area with books
and articles on parenting; a typewriter, paper, enve-
lopes, and other writing materials; information on
community resources; bus schedules; grocery cou-
pons; newspapers; and whatever else would be of
interest to parents.

Provide access to a telephone (local calls only).
Families may not have telephones, so use of a tele-
phone at the center will help thei take care of tasks
such as making a medical appointment, reporting a
broken appliance to a landlord, and finding a new
apartment.

Include money in the budget for cameras, film, and
photo processing so you can take pictures of the
children engaged in indoor and outdoor activities and
pictures of parents and children together. Give copics
of the photographs to parents.

164

dos



Administration for Children and Familles
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Head Start Bureau

RS
& U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

received from the person or organization

1D Minor changes have been made to
improvo reproduction quality

ED 399 008

© Pouats of view or opinions stated in this
document do not recessanly represent
official OEAI positon or policy

| Responding to Children Under

A skill-based training guide for classroom teams —

PS 024290

BEST COPY AVAALABLE

)
na



Your group probably came up with some excellent suggestions for helping children in the
following situations handle routines and transitions. Here are some more ideas. Are they
similar to the ones you discussed?

Arrival

Situation

What You Can Do

Gina and Ms. Davis had a very hectic
morning and it was a long ride to the
center from Grandma’s where they have
been staying since Ms. Davis lost her job.
Gina’s mom is worried about saving
enough money for the security deposit on a
new apartment, staying out of her mother’s
way, and going on a job interview. Gina
likes being with her Grandma, but she is
worried about her mother. There wasn’t
time to have breakfast this morning so
Gina is hungry. She asks, “What time is
lunch?” She’s tired too, because she had
to sleep with her mother, who watched
television until midnight. She is sucking
her thumb and twirling her hair.

Greet Gina and her mother warmly.
Notice that Ms. Davis is dressed up and
tell her that she looks very nice. When
Ms. Davis says she is going to an
interview, wish her luck.

After her mom leaves, reassure Gina that
she will be okay and Mom will be okay.

When Gina asks you when it will be time
for lunch, offer her some fruit and cereal.
When you see Gina sucking her thumb and
twirling her hair, ask her if she would like
to curl up in the quiet corner for a while.

Ask the Social Services Coordinator to
check with Ms. Davis about her job
situation.

Ending one activity ai

ind starting another

Situation

What You Can Do

Troy has a hard time deciding what to do
during free play. He wanders around the
room—stopping in the block corner for a
minute, putting on a firefighter’s hat,
looking at the covers of the books—for a
long time until he picks an activity. When
it is time to end one activity and start a
new one, often he is not ready to stop what
he is doing and get ready for the next part
of the day, for example, lunch or outdoor
play. He often refuses to put his things
away at clean up time.

Give plenty of notice that play time is
ending, “Troy, you have enough time to
finish that painting, but not enough time to
start another one.” Stay with Troy until he
finishes the painting and help him with
clean up.

Be flexible. If Troy is very involved in his
painting and needs extra time to finish, or
if he needs to do a second picture, let him.

Ask the Mental Health Consultant to
observe Troy at play in the classroom.

127



Ill. Closing (5 minutes)

* Each person will share something learned during this session that can be used
next week with children.

* Complete Follow-Up Activity 3-1: Encouraging a Child’s Development and/or
3-2: Getting to Know an Individual Child (Part 2) before your next meeting.
They will be discussed at the beginning of the next session.

¢ The group will agree on when and where you will meet for the next session
and listen to a brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

Ve

69


Handout 7-1: Effective Parent Edi

The following are based on true stories from the experiences of Head Start teacher Anna
Clarke-Brown. Read each one and discuss your reactions with your classroom team.

Sarah and Her Mother

Sarah, a child in my class, seemed to constantly hit and pinch the other children
without provocation. When Sarah’s mother volunteered in the classroom I
noticed her hit Sarah. I explained to her that we do not allow spanking in Head
Start and that there were other alternatives for discipline. I suggested several
positive discipline techniques. When we planned a puppet show about how we
use our words, we invited parents to attend. I extended a personal invitation to
Sarah’s mother. Sarah’s mother seemed to enjoy volunteering, and she and Sarah
both had some really great times together in the classroom. The hitting behavior
soon diminished.

Polly and Her Parents

Polly used a lot of swear words towards adults and children. I told her that I like
her, and that I did not like the words that she was using. One day I heard her
parents in the hallway having an argument. They used a lot of profanities. Next
day in circle time I told a story about a little girl whose parents were fighting a lot.
The little girl thought it was her fault, but it was not. I explained that it was okay
to talk about feelings. We identified different kinds of feelings and talked about
appropriate ways to express them. Polly soon stopped using profane language.
Her parents came to class and said Polly had told them that instead of swearing
they needed to say, “I’m mad at you!”

Carlos and His Mother

Carlos was learning to assert himself verbally with his friends. One day his
mother came to me and said, “Carlos keeps telling me to use my ‘inside’ voice
when I yell at him. Did he learn that here? And when I spanked him, he said,
‘Stop it, Mommy. I don’t like that. You need to use your words!’” This was a
great opportunity to talk with Carlos’ mother about how to teach children to use
words instead of hitting. I also gave her a pamphlet on positive guidance
techniques that help children develop self-discipline.

Next, think of a story based on your team’s experiences working with children and
parents. Be prepared to share your classroom team’s story with the full group.

2 Based with permission on Children's Services Department, Santa Clara County Office of Education, A
Guide to Provide Comprehensive and Quality Services to Homeless Children and Their Families (San Jose,
CA: Santa Clara County Office of Education, nd) p. 18-19,

15i:



Children who live in multistressed environments might
receive their primary care from adults who do not have the
time, energy, patience, or understanding to listen to and
respond to children’s questions, read to them, or encourage
their problem solving skills.

Preschool children who feel safe, who have established an
appropriate amount of independence, and who feel
competent in initiating activities usually develop physical
skills—all the gross and fine motor skills that they will
have in their adult lives. They confidently use these skills,
have dexterity and strength, and coordinate eye and hand
(and other body part) movements. They also use all their
senses to learn more about their world.

Children who live in multistressed environments may
have had few opportunities to play outdoors where they
can run, jump, climb and otherwise develop their gross
motor skills, For some children, low self-esteem prevents
them from attempting physical activities because they fear
that they will fail.

Classroom teams can try the following suggestions for
helping children develop tieir cognitive abilities.

¢ Spend 5-10 minutes every day with each child in
need of special attention. Use this one-on-one time
to help him or her complete a project, to ask open-
ended questions, and to praise the child’s efforts and
successes.

Invite children to use materials that promote
exploration and problem solving. Encourage
collecting and sorting items such as recks, pebbles,
and buttons, guessing what will sink and float in
water, creating a city with roads and buildings in the
block comer.

.

Read to one or two children at a time, in addition
to regu‘ar story time. Each: ..id can ask questions
and talk about the book without having to share your
attention.

Classroom teams can help children develop physical skills
by the following:

* Make sure tired children are reste before
outdoor play time. Children need to have energy
for climbing, running, throwing and catching balls,
and other physical activities.

ioe)

How can classroom
teams help children
develop cognitive skills?

Hew can classroom
teams help children
develop physical skills?

81



Record participants’ responses on the left side of a flip chart. For each one, ask whether
it was a challenge or a threat. You will use the right side later in this session.

What are some of the ways that adults respond to stress?

As you discuss the examples of ways adults respond to stress, explain that these are
normal responses to stress and generally are temporary. They do not render people
helpiess to cope with their stress, nor do they make them unable to cope with the rest of
their lives. They are presented here to help participants recognize how they may respond
to the stress in their own lives. However, when these responses continue over a long
period of time, the individual probably is not coping with the stress in a healthy way.

What are some things you do to handle stress?

As you review healthy and unhealthy ways to handle stress, be aware that many people
do respond to stress in “unhealthy” ways. Encourage participants to try the “healthy”
techniques because they are generally more effective and really do relieve tension.

What are some things you can do when stress becomes overwhelming?

Review the lists of sources of stress on and off the job recorded on a flip chart earlier in
this session. For each source of stress, ask participants for suggestions of healthy ways to
handle the stress. List these in the right column on the flip chart sheets.

Conclude this segment by acknowledging that the stress Head Start staff feel is very real
and can be frustrating. It is important to use healthy techniques to handle stress so that it
does not lead to burn-out.

B. Living in Multistressed Environments (45 minutes)

Lead a discussion on the sources of stress that are prevalent in contemporary society —
particularly for Head Start families who are already dealing with the effects of poverty.
Discuss how the societal sources of stress found in multistressed environments differ
from the kinds of stress discussed in the first part of this session.

What sources of long-term significant stress might be experienced by Head Start families?
The reading provides examples of long-term significant stress. Tailor this discussion to
address the types of stress prevalent in the community served by your Head Start
program. Add to the list examples that are specific to your community.

What are some of the effects of living in a multistressed environment?

Note a few of these for participants. Tell them that they will focus on these effects in a
later session.



How can classroom As you think of ways to help individual children learn to

teams help children tearn cope, it may help to focus on the following principles:

positive ways to cope

with stress? ¢ There are reasons for all behavior and it is helpful
to know these reasons. The Social Services Coordi-
nator told the teacher that Lien Tran sometimes gets
frightened when she hears a fire engine because last
year there was a fire next door to her home. This
information helps the teacher know how to respond
on a neighborhood walk when a fire engine drives by
and Lien Tran sobs uncontrollably.

Children can learn positive ways to behave even if
the reasons for their misbehavior are not apparent
or are not addressed easily. Luis’ teacher does not
know why he has tantrums. She is working with the
Mental Health Specialist to help him learn acceptable
ways to cope with frustration.

Some children have difficulty expressing their
feelings using words. Teachers can “give” children
the words they need to express themselves. “Tell
him, ‘I don’t like it when you take my toy.”” “Ask
her, ‘Would you like to play with me?”

Some children are eager to talk about their experi-
ences. Teachers can be good listeners. Many children
need to talk about what’s going on in their lives and
they may not have anyone in their family who has the
time and patience to listen.

Often children don’t know why they feel angry or
frustrated. Soothing activities such as water play
help release anger end frustration even if the child
doesn’t know the reasons for these feelings.

Children’s behaviors may be expressing several
different feelings. Classroom teams can help children
identify and label their feelings. “I wonder if you are
feeling sad today because you miss your mommy. I
think you may feel angry because she wouldn't take
you with her.”

.

A child’s behavior may appear to be in response to
a specific situation, when in fact, the child is
reacting to a number of frustrating events, Class-
room teams can try to understand that the most recent
situation put the child over the limits of what he or she
could handle,

Aen
140 ade


146

“Alexandra, I cannot let you hurt people. I won’t let
you hurt others and I won’t allow anyone in the group
to hurt you. You can use your words to say what you
want. If you feel angry you can punch the pillows or
do some hammering.” You may need to hold the
child until he or she calms down. Your firm arms can
help the child feel that someone is in control. It may
take a few minutes, but the child will quiet down and
you will be able to discuss what happened: “Do you
want to talk about what made you feel so angry? I
could see that you were having a hard time.”

Reassure the child that you understand and want to listen to

his or her feelings.

It is usually best to let the child recover before discussing
alternative ways to handle anger and frustration. You might
want to do this during a quiet, one-to-one moment later in
the day: .

“This moming, when you felt badly you hit Dianté.
Next time you feel badly, what could you do in-
stead?”

This discussion can serve as a rehearsal so that the next time
the child begins to lose self-control. there will be an alterna-
tive to lashing out at someone else.

“That sounds like a good plan. You could use the
punching pillow to help you feel better.”

Later, when the child has finished punching the pillow, be
sure to offer support.

“I noticed that you were using the pillow to help you
feel better. Do you want to talk about it?”

One of the most emotionally charged challenging behaviors
is biting. Adults have very strong reactions to biting and
may overreact. The parent of the child who has been bitten
is likely to be horrified, and afraid that the child is not safe
at Head Start. The parent of the child who did the biting
may be embarrassed, ashamed, defensive, and unsure of
how to handle the situation. Classroom teams need to
understand what may cause a child to bite, and how to
respond to stop this unacceptable behavior. It helps to
remember that biting may be a child’s response to frustra-
tion when he or she does not yet have the language skills
needed to express feelings verbally.

If a preschool-age child bites, there is likely to be something
in the child’s life that is causing this behavior. When one
child bites another, the adult should respond first by clearly
stating that biting is not allowed and comforting the child



How Children
Develop Self-Esteem

Why is self-esteem
so important?

How do children develop
self-esteem?

How do infants develop
a sense of trust?

76

Adults and children with self-esteem know what they
are capable of doing and feel good about themselves.
They know that they are respected and valued by others.
Development of a sense of self begins in infancy and
continues throughout life. It is determined and
influenced by daily experiences and interactions with
the important people in our lives.

Self-esteem affects children’s ability to play, to relate to
others, to grow, and to develop. When children have
low self-esteem they may not like themselves, they
frequently are unwilling to try new activities, and they
may feel as though they aren’t valued by others. Chil-
dren express their negative feelings about themselves in
a variety of ways, including being aggressive or very
withdrawn.

Erik Erikson identified critical stages in the child’s
development of self-esteem. Three of these stages
occur during early childhood. When development
occurs at a normal pace, trust develops in infancy,
autonomy in toddlerhood, and initiative during the
preschool years.

Many children have not passed completely through the
stages defined by Erikson. They will have residual
needs from earlier stages still to be met.

Infants develop a sense of trust when the adults who
care for them let them know that they are valued huinan
beings. Infants develop a sense of trust when their
parents and other caregivers:

* feed them when they are hungry;

* hold and feed them often, not just when they are
crying;

* change them promptly after they are wet or soiled,
and talk and play with them as they change their
diapers;

* respond to their cries quickly and warmly;

* talk to them in caring and soft tones;

* provide a comfortable place to sleep when they
are tired;

* give them interesting things to look at, listen to,
and play with; and

* provide a safe environment so infants can move
and use their senses to explore.

A sense of trust allows infants to explore the environ-
ment, try new activities, develop new skills, and lear
how to interact with other children and adults,

rR)


Session’ 7
Supporting Parents

Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

* Describe how parents are involved in the Head Start program.
¢ Implement strategies for supporting parents.
¢ Accept children and families without passing judgment.

Materials and Equipment

¢ Flip chart, markers, and tape
¢ Reading
7: Supporting Parents
* Handouts
7-1: Effective Parent Education Techniques
7-2: Accepting Families
Follow Up Activity
7: Maintaining Strong Partnerships

Agenda
1, Discussion of Session 6 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 6 Follow-Up Activities, reinforce the following:
¢ The behaviors children use to cope are signs of their stress.
* Classroom teams may not be able to address the sources of children’s
stress but they can help them learn acceptable ways to cope.
* Using positive guidance will help children develop self-discipline, which
allows children to have a sense of control over their lives.
Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.
il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. The Role of Parents in Head Start (15 minutes)

As you review the role of parents, provide several examples of how the Health, Social
Services, and Parent Involvement Components in your program support parents.



Limited, Simple Wall Decorations

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make
Soft Music
What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Space for Indoor Gross Motor Activities

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Space for Outdoor Gross Motor Activities

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

bes

108,


+ Classroom teams will work together during the sessions and to complete
follow-up activities.

* Handout 1-1; Responding to Children Under Stress—Session Overviews
provides a brief summary of each two-hour session.

¢ You can ask questions and/or voice your concerns before each session
begins.

ll. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Your Own Experiences With Stress (1 hour)

First, the group will discuss stress: the kinds you experience, how you cope, what you do
to minimize sources of stress, and what happens when it gets out of control. It is
important to recognize your own responses to stress and to learn how to handle it
effectively because your job (working with children and families) can be very
demanding. Think about the question: What is stress? The definition in the reading may
get you started.

What are some sources of stress in your life outside of work?

Your trainer wil! write down the sources of stress suggested by you and the other
participants on the left side of a flip chart. Think about whether you perceived the stress
as a challenge or a threat. You will use the right side of the flip chart later in this session.

What are some sources of stress that take place at work?

Your trainer will write down the work-related sources of stress suggested by you and the
other participants on the left side of a clean sheet of flip chart paper. Think about
whether you perceived the stress as a challenge or a threat. You will use the right side of
the flip chart later in this session,

What are some of the ways that adults respond to stress?

Most of the ways adults respond to stress are normal and generally are temporary. They
do not render people helpless to cope with their stress, nor do they make them unable to
cope with the rest of their lives. They are presented in the reading to help you recognize
how you may respond to the stress in your own life.

What are some things you do to handle stress?

As you review healthy and unhealthy ways to handle stress, be aware that many people
respond to stress in “unhealthy” ways. Try to use the “healthy” techniques because they
are generally more effective and really do relieve tension.

What are some things you can you do when stress becomes overwhelming?

The group will review the lists of sources of stress on and off the job recorded on a flip
chart earlier in this session. For each source of stress, you and the other participants can

suggest healthy ways to handle the stress. These will be listed in the right column on the
flip chart.

43

34



/ Obtain Information from the Child’s Family

Try to meet with the family to discuss the child’s behavior at the program and at home.
Also, talk with the Social Services and Parent Involvement Coordinators to learn more
about what might be taking place in the child’s life. Look for answers to the following
questions:

1. Is anything happening at home that might be causing the behavior? Have there
been any changes in the home environment?

2. What can the family do at home to address the problem? (Focus on realistic
changes.)

Identify the Way You Respond to the Behavior

Think about what you and your colleagues do in response to the child’s behavior. Are
your strategies helping the child?

1. How do you feel when the child behaves this way?

2. What do you usually say or do? How does the child respond?

3. Do the strategies you use now work?

182 103

oO



Follow-Up Activi inati g (Part'2)

During the next week continue to note the times you work with another component to
complete a task or to do something for a child or family. Record these examples on
Handout 2-2: Component Coordination Log. At the end of the week, discuss your “log”
with your classroom team.

f 5

63



parents may need to spend time getting used to the class-
room. They may relieve their own stress by getting in-
volved in activities—making collages or using playdough.
They may want to observe their child and others in the
classroom or outdoors. When parents seem ready to do
more, ask them what they would like to do or suggest a
variety of tasks from which they can choose—from making
name tags for a field trip to reading to one or two children.
(Do not ask parents to read unless you are positive that they
know how. It is a mistake to assume that all parents can
tead. Those who cannot may feel embarrassed to tell you
and may not return to volunteer.) Remember, it is never
appropriate to make parents feel that they have to volunteer.
Some parents fee] too overwhelmed by what is going on in
their lives to volunteer in the program.

Home visits give parents a sense of the program’s concern
for them and their children. Head Start staff may be the
only people who visit the parents in their home; most
parents perceive them as helpful and nonthreatening. In
addition, home visits allow classroom teams to learn things
about a child and family that might take much longer to
learn in other ways. For example, during a home visit a
teacher might observe that a child seems to have a positive
relationship with his grandmother. The teacher could let the
parent know that she and her mother are both welcome to
participate in Head Start—in the classroom or in other
parent involvement activities.

Sometimes staff are reluctant to make home visits because
they believe that the surrounding community is unsafe,
particularly for strangers. In these instances, alternative
home visiting practices are needed. Head Start programs
could arrange for a community leader to escort staff con-
ducting home visits, encourage parents to meet visiting staff
in the lobby of a high-rise building, or set up space at the
program where teachers and parents could meet to talk and
share information and ideas. The latter suggestion does not
permit staff to view the home environment first-hand;
however, teachers and parents can use the time to discuss
the child’s progress and make plans for continuing to
support his or her development, at home and at the program.

The greatest support staff can give parents is to accept them,
without passing judgment on their life styles or situations.
Families coping with multiple sources of stress may need
many things (e.g., housing, jobs, training, health care,
counseling, substance abuse treatment). But what they need
most is to feel that they can function as independent, com-
petent adults. Staff can show warmth, friendliness, and
concern, and listen to parents’ thoughts and feelings.

152

Why are home visits
important?

What is the greatest
support staff can
give parents?

163



Session 8 pe
“An Approach to Problem sbiving

Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

Use problem solving techniques to develop strategies for helping
individual children,
¢ Establish ongoing support groups.

Materials and Equipment

¢ Flip chart, markers, and tape
¢ Reading

8: An Approach to Problem Solving
* Handouts

8-1; Problem Solving Format

8-2; Support Groups

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 7 Follow Up Activities (10 minutes)
Use the discussion to reinforce the following:

* Maintaining strong partnerships between parents and staff benefits
everyone, especially the children.

* The Education Services Component can support parents so that they will
feel like competent, independent adults.

Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.
ll. Discussion Topics and Activities

A. Using Problem Solving to Identify and Address Children’s Needs
(1 hour)

Reading 8: An Approach to Problem Solving shows how a classroom team examiued the
reasons for a child’s behavior and developed strategies for helping the child. The
example introduces the steps in problem solving. Participants can use the reading to
follow along during the discussion. Be sure to point out that some families are so
stressed that they cannot deal with the questions posed by well-intentioned program staff.
Talk about how to proceed in these situations. Also distribute Handout 8-1: Problem
Solving Format, which is a blank form participants can use in the future.

Ce

od


ll. Discussion Topics and Activities

A. How Children Are Affected by Living in Multistressed Environments
(35 minutes)

As you participate in the discussion, you can share your own thoughts and feelings about
children’s home and community environments. Also, you can discuss your own
experiences working with children who exhibit behaviors similar to the ones in the
examples.

B. How Children Develop Self-Esteem (10 minutes)

This discussion focuses on the importance of self-esteem for sound development and
learning. During this discussion you can offer examples from your own experiences of
how children develop self-esteem.

C. Helping Children Learn to Trust (10 minutes)

Participants discuss how children begin developing trust as they learn to rely on an adult
such as a parent, caretaker, or teacher. Their feelings of trust grow as they develop
friendships with other children.

D. Helping Children Develop Autonomy (10 minutes)

Children who are affected by high levels of stress may have had few opportunities to
develop self-help skills, or, conversely, they may have been forced to do too much for
themselves, with few opportunities to play. In either case, classroom teams can help
children develop autonomy.

E. Helping Children Develop In Other Domains (10 minutes)

The group will review and discuss strategies for helping children develop cognitive and
physical skills. You can share examples from your own experiences with children.

F. Conducting Observations to Get to Know Individual Children
(30 minutes)

This training segment begins by reviewing the purposes of observation and suggested
strategies for recording observation notes. With your classroom team think of a child you
would like to know more about. Next, record what you already know about the child on
Handout 3: Getting to Know an Individual Child. Then meet with your team to discuss
the similarities and differences in your recordings.

74

68


Materials That Allow Children to Make Simple, But Limited, Choices

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Open-ended Materials

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Toys and Materials that are Appropriate for Younger Children

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Materials that Allow Children to Express Themselves and Release Tension

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make



The purpose of a support group is to bring together people who are experiencing a similar
stress. The group provides a chance to exchange and process information. It can help
classroom teams:

¢ feel less isolated and part of a team;

¢ reduce stress by talking about how to address the needs of children and their
families;

* enhance observation and problem solving skills;

* identify resources within Head Start and the community; and

* get new ideas from other people.

The group members select the topics to be discussed and decide when and how to
conduct sessions. Several types of meetings are possible:

+ Specific topic—for example, the group focuses on children who are
easily distracted, or ways to adapt the classroom environment to meet
the needs of all children.

* Diagnostic—the group focuses on an individual child and develops
strategies to address the child’s needs. The Mental Health Specialist and
other consultants (speech therapist, for example) may wish to attend this
type of meeting.

¢ Open-ended—the group talks about what has happened to them and to
the children since the last meeting; there is no set agenda or topics of
discussion.

You may want to begin with meetings that have a specific topic. As members learn more
about how the group works, you can move into open-ended discussions.

General guidelines includes:

* Participants sit in a circle.

* Meetings are held weekly, if possible, at the same time of day.
* Everyone who wants to has a chance to participate.

* There are no right or wrong answers or suggestions.
Participants try to stay focused on the question or topic.

The facilitator’s role includes:

’ * Reminding participants of guidelines.
* Providing direction when needed.
* Offering suggestions if appropriate.
* Evaluating the process and suggest changes if needed.

171

‘YW US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: t994~ 515-032 /03010 185



Ul. Closing (5 minutes)

* Participants are asked to share an example of something they learned in this
session that they can use to help a child learn to cope.

* Complete Follow-Up Activity 6: Using Positive Guidance Techniques before
you meet again. It will be discussed at the beginning of the next session.

* Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session and listen to a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

134



The following are examples of sources of long-term,
significant stress that might be experienced by Head Start
families. There may be other sources that are specific to
your community.

* Unemployment and other economic needs. Parents
may be unemployed, underemployed, or lack the
education and skills to find work.

Lack of necessities. Families may have insufficient
food, clothing, shelter, or medical care; or Jack
transportation to work, a training program, or a health
clinic.

Exposure to violence. Adults and children may be
exposed to violence in the home (such as spouse
abuse) or in the community.

Homelessness. A family might live in a shelter or
other temporary housing situation,

Overcrowded or inadequate housing. A large
family may have to share a small living space. It may
be difficult to find a place to get away to when an
individual needs some time alone. A family may live
in a home without facilities necessary for basic needs,
or, the home may be unsafe.

Disability of a child or other family member.
Families may not have access to needed services or

support.

Substance abuse. A parent, family member, or other
person living in the household might use or sell illegal
substances. Alcohol abuse may be a problem for a
family member. Substance abuse in the community at
large also can affect the family, even though no one in
the immediate family is directly involved with sub-
stance abuse.

Chronic illness (including HIV infection). One or
more members of the family may be chronically ill.

Abuse and neglect. The child may be a victim of
one or more form of abuse’(physical, emotional,
sexual) or neglect. Parents may be recovering from
abuse or neglect experienced when they were chil-
dren.

Depression and other mental illness. Parents may
suffer from depression or other mental illness.

What sources of
long-term, significant
stress might be
experienced by

Head Start families?

41



As a classroom team, think of a child who needs help developing trust, autonomy, and/or
cognitive and physical skills. Each of you will keep a daily log of the times you step in to
provide extra support for this chiid.

The examples below are followed by a blank daily log. Record the child’s name, the area
of development on which you will focus, your actions, and the child’s responses. If you
prefer, you can use a daily log of your own design. At the end of each day compare your

notes and discuss the child’s response to the team’s support.

Examples

What You Did

Child’s Response

Developing Trust
I noticed Jill sitting by herself, sucking her thumb.
Lasked her to help Michael set the table for lunch.

Developing Autonomy

Terry was having trouble getting his coat on. 1
showed him how to lay his coat on the floor and flip
it over, and then put it on.

Developing Cognitive and/or Physical Skills
Ramon was playing with some cups and bottles at
the water table. He picked up the baster but wasn't
able to make it fill up with water. I picked up
another baster and used it to fill several containers.

Jill said she didn’t know how to set the table.
Michael and I showed her how. Later I saw her
playing next to Michael at the water table.

When Terry's mom came to pick him up he showed
her that he could put his coat on without any help.

Ramon watched intently. He tried it himself and
was successful. He used the baster to fill up all the
cups.

OL

91



ional Resources———

Materials Developed by the Head Start Bureau

Chalufour, Ingrid, et. al., As 7Am, U. £. Department of Health and Human Services,
Office of Human Development Services, Head Start Bureau, Washington, DC, 1988.

Collins, Raymond C., and Penny R. Anderson, Head Start Substance Abuse Guide,
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families,
Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Head Start Bureau, Washington, DC,
1991.

Hansen, Kirsten A., and Janet S. Martner, Mental Health in Head Start: A Wellness

Approach, Georgetown University, Child Development Center, Head Start Mental Health
Project, Washington, DC, 1991.

Head Start Bureau, Head Start Demonstration Projects to Serve Homeless Families,
Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and
Families, Head Start Bureau, Washington, DC, forthcoming.

Head Start Bureau, Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs, Administration
for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Head Start
Bureau, Washington, DC, 1992.

Materials Developed by Head Start Agencies and Early Childhood
Programs

Cole et.. '., for Los Angeles Unified School District, Division of Special Education,
Prenatally Exposed to Drugs (PED) Program, “Today’s Challenge: Teaching Strategies

for Working with Young Children At Risk Due to Prenatal Substance Exposure,” July,
1990.

North Shore Community Action Program, Inc. (NSCAP) Head Start, “Head Start Helps
the Homeless: A Manual for Creating a Head Start Homeless Classroom,” no date.

Parry, Anne, Melissa Walker, and Chris Heim, Choosing Nonviolence, Rainbow
House/Arco Iris, Chicago, IL, February, 1991.

Santa Clara County Office of Education, A Guide to Provide Comprehensive and Quality
Services to Homeless Children and their Families, San Jose, CA., nd.

Journal Articles
Bassuk, Ellen L., “Homeless Families,” Scientific American, December 1991.

Bassuk, Ellen L. and Ellen M. Gallagher, “The Impact of Homelessness on Children,”
Child and Youth Services, 14 (1), 1990.

Bassuk, Ellen L., Lenore Rubin and Alison S. Lauriat, “Characteristics of Sheltered
Homeless Families,” American Journal of Public Health, 76 (9), September 1986,



Introduction for Trainers

The Purpose of this Skill-Based Training Program
Content of the Training Sessions
Definitions of Terms Used in the Training Guide .
Format of the Training Guide

Implementing the Training Program
Additional Resources



* Model developmentally appropriate ways to talk
and play with children. Explain to parents what you
are doing and why. For example, a parent might hear
a teacher say to a child, “Please walk inside.” The
teacher could explain that this helped the child learn
what to do, rather than what not to do—“Don’t run.”

.

Help parents have successful interactions with
their children. Step in and help when a parent seems
to be getting upset. “Let me hold the baby for a
minute while you help Rhonda put on her shoes.”

Provide written information in the parents’ pri-
mary language. Try to find volunteer translators
within the Head Start program or from other commu-
nity groups.

Focus on the future and how the program can work
with parents to counteract the effects of a child’s
developmental lags. Parents often feel that they don’t
know how to help their children and worry that their
child will have problems in school. They usually are
relieved to hear of the many ways that they can
contribute to their child’s development.

Provide information on child development and
parenting through spontancous conversations and
scheduled workshops. Be sure that workshops use an
interactive, hands-on format and provide opportuni-
ties for parents to talk to and learn from each other.
Parent education can help parents understand the
reasons for their children’s behavior and learn ways to
encourage their children’s self-discipline.

Head Start classroom teams are hard-working, dedicated,
and caring individuals who have the skills, interest, and
knowledge to promote children’s growth and development.
At times, however, staff may be frustrated and over-
whclmed when they feel that there is nothing they can do to
help a child cope with stress. They may feel angry with the
family, pass judgment on a parent’s actions, blame the
parents for the conditions that are resulting in their child’s
high level of stress, or disapprove of the family’s values or
life style. As callous as they may sound, these kinds of
thoughts can result when classroom teams feel that their
efforts are not making a difference in the lives of children
and families.

It is important to acknowledge negative feelings when they
do occur and to yet the support you need to “get t “ck on
track.” If you find yourself “blaming” families for condi-
tions that are beyond their control or passing judgments
regarding the decisions or choices that families make, you

Acknowledging
Your Feelings



Some sources of stress have relatively short-term effects:

* being caught in traffic on the way to work;

* finding something to wear to church;

+ having a disagreement with a spouse or child;

* getting ready for a party;

* running out of an ingredient needed to cook
dinner; or

* getting caught in a rain storm.

Other sources of stress have more long-term effects:

+ living on a strict budget;

* getting divorced;

* being the parent of a child with a disability;

* getting married;

* being evicted;

« making funeral arrangements for a close friend or
relative;

* returning to college;

* losing a job; or

* caring for a family member during a long-term

illness.
What are some sources Stress on the job is a normal part of daily life for many
of stress that take place people. Work-related stress might be due to a variety of
at work? situations such as:

* disagreeing with a colleague or supervisor;

* running out of materials in the middle of an
activity;

* handling a child who is having a tantrum;

* caring for children who have many problems in
their lives; or

* working with a parent whose problems are
over-whelming.

Not everyone is affected by the same sources of stress, nor
What are some of the do we react to stress in the same ways. Stress can bring on

ways that adults reactions such as the following:
respond to stress?

* Socio-emotional responses:
~ feeling inadequate;
- lowered self-esteem,
- anger directed at self and/or others;
- sadness, mild depression;
- impatience;
- fear of losing control;
~ clinging to others;
- withdrawal from others; and
- mood swings.

38 40



Andrew often wakes up with nightmares. Once he wakes
up he has a hard time getting back to sleep.

2. What can the family do at home to address the prob-
lem? (Focus on realistic changes.)

Andrew's mom will ask the aunt to make sure Andrew
gets to sleep earlier. Andrew will sleep in his mom’s bed
until she gets home. When she gets home she will move
him to his own bed.

His mom will try to figure out what's causing the night-
mares. We will continue observing him to see if there are
any clues about why he’s having nightmares.

Think about what you and your colleagues do in response to Identify the Way
the child’s behavior. Are your strategies helping the child? You Respond to

1. How do you feel when the child behaves this way? the Behavior

Andrew’s behavior makes us uneasy because we don’t
know which he needs more—to sleep or to participate in
activities. Some of us feel confused and irritated.

2. What do you usually say or do? How does the child
respond?

We usually say, “You need to wake up” or, “It isn't nap
time, don’t you want to play?”

He gets worse when we wake him up. He cries and
fusses and we can't get him involved in anything. One
team member spends so much time with him that she has
no time to spend with other children.

3. Do the strategies you use now work?

No, they just make Andrew and us feel worse.

Consider whether each of the following program elements Evaluate
is developmentally appropriate. Your Program

1. Do you need to adapt the environment?
This doesn't seem to be part of the problem.
2. Do you need to adapt the daily schedule?

Yes, we could be flexible so Andrew could have an
uninterrupted nap period when he needs it. The reality is
that Andrew isn’t getting enough sleep at home. Until his
family is able to work through the problem, he needs to
sleep for part of his time at Head Start.

165 "9



+ Interactions with other children

~ Intrudes in other children’s play.
Two children are pushing cars up and down a
bridge they made with blocks. Mark grabs
several cars and takes them to a nearby table.
When the other children try to get them back,
Mark throws the cars across the room. The
teacher takes Mark aside and tells him that it is
not okay to throw things. She helps him find
something else to do.

Has trouble reading social cues from peers.

Rudy is sitting on her carpet square. Nancy tries
to sit on the same square. Rudy gets up and
moves to another square. The teacher steps in
and asks Rudy to use her words to let Nancy know
that she doesn’t want her to sit so close. She tells
Nancy that there are enough carpet squares for
each child to have his or her own.

'

Has difficulty playing and negotiating with peers.
Three children are playing “beauty parlor.” Lani
tries to join in, but the children tell her to go
away. The teacher gives Lani an old hair dryer
and offers to sit in the beauty parlor to have her
hair done.

¢ Behavior issues

- Acts out to seek attention.
Luis knocks over his block tower and throws the
blocks around the room. His teacher reminds him
that blocks are for building with. She helps him
clean up, then gets him involved in water play.

Displays aggressive behaviors.

Amber refuses to go outside and kicks her
teacher. The teacher asks Amber to come with
her to the kitchen to get some ice for her sore leg.
On the way she tells Amber that it is not okay to
kick people. She says, “Use your words to tell me
why you don't want to go outside.”

Extremely withdrawn or quiet.

Perry plays alone and rarely speaks to his teach-
ers and classmates. His teacher spends time with
him each day, to let Perry know that she cares
about him.

70

15



Handout 3: Getting to Know an ividual: Child

With your classroom team, think of a child you would like to know more about. Record on
this observation summary what you already know about the child. Then, discuss with your
classroom team the information each of you recorded about the child. Are your responses
similar or very different? What can you learn from each other about this child? You will
also use this observation summary in a follow-up activity.

Observation Summary
Child: Date:

Socio-Emotional Development

Self-help skills (toileting, dressing, using utensils, brushing teeth, combing hair,
participating in clean up and other classroom chores)

What can this child do alone?

What can this child do with adult assistance?

What does this child need to learn to do?

What else can this child do?

Interactions with other children

How does this child play with others—along side, with one or two , or in small
groups?

Does he or she suggest the play, or join in existing activities?

How does the child handle disagreements?

Can the child identify and express him or herself in socially acceptable ways?

How else does this child interact with children?

85



DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 399 008 PS 024 290

TITLE Responding to Children under Stress: A Skill~Based
Training Guide for Classroom Teams.

INSTITUTION Administration for Children, Youth, and Families
(DHHS), Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

PUB DATE 94

NOTE 171p.

PUB TYPE Books (010) -- Guides - Classroom Use - Teaching
Guides (For Teacher) (052)

EDRS PRICE MFO1/PCO7 Plus Postage.

DESCRIPTORS Child Development; Disadvantaged Environment;

Inservice Education; Parent Role; Preschool
Education; Problem Solving; “Program Development;
*Staff Development; Stress Management; “Stress
Variables

IDENTIFIERS Project Head Start

ABSTRACT

In a multi-stressed environment children and families
are affected by one or more sources of significant stress--for
example, homelessness, substance abuse, or lack of basic necessities.
Living with high levels of stress can take a toll on young children's
development. This skill-based staff development program was developed
to help classroom teams address the needs of children and families
from multi-stressed environments. The program has two purposes: (1)
to suggest practical strategies for working with children who live in
multistressed environments; and (2) to provide ongoing support for
classroom teams. Following an introduction for the trainer, the guide
is divided into two parts: "Trainer's Notes" and "Participants'
Materials." The "Trainer's Notes" are designed to assist trainers in
understanding the purposes of each training session. Both parts have
the following eight chapters: (1) “Responding to Stress"; (2) "Head
Start's Response"; (3) "Characteristics of Children Living in
Multistressed Environments"; (4) "The Learning Environment"; (5) "The
Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions"; (6) "Helping Children
Cop: with Stress"; (7) "Supporting Parents"; and (8) "An Approach to
Problem Solving." An agenda, a list of discussion topics and
activities are provided in each session. Contains 45 references.
(MOK)

IPA THIS AACS ATA ES IO III IAAI IT ATI IAI IS III II OSI SIN

* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *

from the original document. *
Jdnitiodidet olin indicat icine iniiiint igi iiiiotiniiniot foicnisnsiiiniicioiiidoliobieciscise

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handled it. Your trainer will ask for volunteers to share their responses. These will be
recorded on a flip chart.

Next, participants will share examples of how different children might respond when
their home or classroom schedules, routines, or transitions are disrupted.

B. The Daily Schedule (20 minutes)

The group will review the purpose of the daily schedule and characteristics of a well-
planned schedule that supports children. You will discuss why large group activities can
be particularly stressful for some children. What happens in your classroom when
children are gathered in a large group? Does your daily schedule allow children to be in
small groups for most of the day?

Next, classroom teams will share with the group their own daily schedules—recorded on

flip chart paper for a Session 4 Follow-Up Assignment. Each team will discuss the
following:

¢ what takes place during the day;
* how the schedule includes the characteristics described above;
how the schedule helps children develop a sense of security;
¢ what happens when you change the schedule to take advantage of
special events, “teachable moments,” or emergencies;
¢ how you help children understand the order of daily events; and
how the schedule provides opportunities for using and developing skills. .

C. Routines (20 minutes)

The group will discuss what children gain from participating in routines and why it is
important to handle them thoughtfully. Your trainer will lead you in brainstorming to
suggest what classroom teams can do to help children during routines. There are
additional ideas in the reading.

D. Transitions (20 minutes)

Children who live in multistressed environments may need extra attention during
transitions from one activity to the next. Your trainer will lead you in brainstorming to
suggest what classroom teams can do to help children during transitions. There are
additional ideas in the reading.

E. Handling Routines and Transitions (30 minutes)

Handout 5-1: Handling Routines and Transitions describes 6 situations in which children
are having difficulty handling transitions. You will work in small groups (3 or 6,
depending on how many participants are in attendance). Each group will address | or 2
situations. Small groups will read and discuss the situations and develop strategies to
help the children.

Handout 5-2: Suggestions for Handling Routines and Transitions includes some
suggested strategies. These may repeat or be in addition to the strategies developed by
the small groups. The group will review the new suggestions and determine whether they
could be used in your program.

114



level. Children feel a sense of accomplishment and
success when they use materials and engage in activi-
ties that are interesting and challenging, but do not
require skills that they have not yet developed. For
example, a child may not yet have developed the fine
motor skills needed to thread beads on a string.
Teachers can encourage her to use toys with larger
pieces that are easier to hold and manipulate. It is
important to offer developmentally appropriate
materials and activities and to change these as
children gain new skills.

They are seeking more control of the situation.
Some children have very few opportunities to make
decisions or have control over their lives. The Head
Start program may have too many rules and too few
opportunities for them to choose what they want to
do. Young children like and are able to do things for
themselves and are capable of making simple deci-
sions. This heljzs them feel as though they have some
control over their activities and helps them develop
self-discipline.

They are feeling bored or confined. Children need
consistency to develop feelings of security, but. they
also need new materials and activities that respond to
their growing skills and changing interests. In addi-
tion, children need opportunities every day to use
their gross motor skills—both indoors and outdoors.
It is important to create an environment that provides
a secure, familiar framework, yet also is varied and

interesting.
All children need the help of adults to learn appropriate and Using Positive
acceptable behaviors. Effective discipline helps children Guidance to Promote

develop self-discipline and self-esteem. Punishment,
however, teaches children to behave out of fear and may
reinforce their bad feelings about themselves.
Understanding typical preschool behavior can prepare
classroom teams for handling most of the situations that
arise. Because the social skills of children who live in
multistressed environments may be more characteristic of
an earlier stage of development, classroom teams also will
find it helpful to learn about typical toddler behavior.

Self-Discipline

In addition to knowing what the normal ranges of behavior

are for young children, classroom teams should address

children’s individual differences—strengths, interests,

needs, temperament, and ability to cope with stress. Infor- ‘
mation gained from observation notes (as discussed in

Session 3) can help classroom teams get to know each

child,

143



. Reading 8: An Approach to Problem Solving

To plan a program that addresses children’s needs, adults
need more than good instincts and intentions. They need
time and encouragement to develop thoughtful strategies,
try them, and evaluate to determine what works for a child
and what does not. Problem solving skills can help class-
room teams identify and address children’s needs.

Observations of individual children and of the entire group
are an important part of problem solving. When trying to
develop effective strategies to solve a problem or address an
individual child’s needs, classroom teams may find it
helpful to have another adult (a team member, a parent, the
Education Coordinator, or another Coordinator) conduct an
observation. The two sets of observation notes can be
compared and the adults can work together to develop
strategies.

The following example shows how a classroom team used a
series of problem solving steps to examine the reasons for a
child’s behavior and to develop strategies fur helping the
child.

Andrew

Three-year-old Andrew often falls asleep at storytime,
which is before lunch and nap time. When I wake
him for lunch he is cranky and doesn’t eat much. It
takes him a long time to settle down for nap. It is
almost impossible to awaken him when nap is over.
When he does wake up, he is irritable and hungry. He
asks me for something to eat.

Observe the child for several days, compare your notes, and
answer the following questions.

1, What does the child do that concerns you?

He falls asleep before lunch and nap time. He
misses free play and outdoor time and he doesn’t
eat much lunch. When he does wake up he's
hungry, but lunch is over.

1b.

Identify the Problem

177



Contents

Page
Introduction for Trainers ............:ccscuecesseseeseesesecesen resented
Trainers’ Notes .....sccssessseessseesssesseesseesneesnsssessnesseeesssesssssesenessese 1

Session 1:
Session 2:
Session 3:

Session 4:
Session 5:

Session 6:
Session 7:
Session 8:

Participants’ Materials ...........

Session 1:
Session 2:
Session 3:

Session 4:
Session 5:

Session 6:
Session 7:
Session 8:

Responding to Stress
Head Start’s Respons

Characteristics of Children Living in
Multistressed Environment ........sesssesseeesseenes 11

The Learning Erivironment

The Daily Schedule, Routines,
and Transitions

Helping Children Cope with Stre:
Supporting Parents

An Approach to Problem Solving

Responding to Stress ........cccsseeseeneeeee 3S
Head Start’s Reponse ......... « 53

Characteristics of Children Living in
Multistressed Environments

The Learning Environment.

The Daily Schedule, Routines,
and Transitions .

Helping Children Cope with Stres:
Supporting Parents..............

113
135
157
175

An Approach to Problem Solving



Ill. Closing (5 minutes)

* Based on what they learned in this session, participants will be asked to
share something they plan to do differently in their classroom schedule,
routine, or transitions.

* Complete Follow-Up Activity 5-1: Adapting the Schedule and/or
5-2: Adapting Routines and Transitions before you meet again. They
will be discussed at the beginning of the next session.

* The group will agree on when and where you will meet for the next
session and listen to a bricf overview of the topics to be addressed.



* How do the children in your classroom cope with different kinds of stress?
¢ How can you help children learn to cope?
¢ What can you do to help children learn “acceptable” coping mechanisms?

Next, review the important principles related to helping children learn to cope included in
the reading (page 2-3) and record them on the flip chart. Then ask classroom teams to
work together to come up with examples from their own classrooms of when they applied
these principles. Ask classroom teams to share their examples.

Distribute Handout 6-1: Helping Orlando Learn to Cope. Ask participants to work in
pairs to read and discuss this example of how a teacher helped a child learn to use
appropriate coping skills. With the full group discuss the following:

* How do teachers know when to relax the rules to help a child cope?
« What goals did the teachers have for Orlando?
* What might happen if teachers don’t help children like Orlando?

Review the information in the reading about how teachers model coping skills. As you
discuss each example, ask the group for examples of modeling this coping skill.

B. The Reasons for Children’s Behavior (20 minutes)

In this activity, classroom teams will work together to analyze what children might be
trying to communicate through their behavior. First, teams will read the vignette on
Handout 6-2: The Meaning Behind Children’s Behavior, and answer the questions that
follow. Next, they will describe a behavior of a child in their class and analyze possible
reasons for this child’s behavior.

Ask participants to share what they think are the reasons for Janine’s behavior. Reasons
might include the following:

+ “I don’t know how to use a pitcher.”

“T am afraid that I will get in trouble for spilling the milk.”

“T need to comfort myself, because I am scared.”

“T hope you will hear my crying and help me feel better.”

“T’ve had a really hard day. Spilling my milk pushed me over the edge.”

Discuss what participants might do to help Janine cope with the situation. Ask
participants to share their examples of children’s behavior and what children may be
trying to communicate.

C. Using Positive Guidance to Promote Self-Discipline (30 minutes)

In this discussion, emphasize that effective discipline helps children develop self-
discipline, is individualized, and is based on realistic expectations for children's behavior.

As you review the positive guidance techniques described in the reading, ask participants

to provide examples of when they used the technique or a similar one and how a child
responded. Encourage participants to share their own ideas for positive guidance.

22



What You Did

Child's Response

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

93


Cognitive Development

Language skills

Does this child speak in sentences?

Does this child speak clearly and can he or she be understood?

Does this child taik about feelings, needs, ideas, and opinions?

Can this child listen to a story?

Does this child follow directions?

What else can this child do?

Understanding concepts

Is this child aware of the daily schedule?

Does this child show interest in cause and effect?

Is he or she curious about how things work or what goes on in the environment?

Can this child solve problems in his or her head or think before acting?

How does this child use materiais?

Does this child ask questions?

Does this child notice how things are alike and different?

Does this child use classification skills?

What else can this child do?



Trainers’ Notes

Session I:
Session 2:
Session 3:

Session 4:
Session 5:
Session 6:
Session 7:
Session 8:

Responding to Stress
Head Start’s Response........

Characteristics of Children Living in
Multistressed Environments ..

The Learning Environment

The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions ....
Helping Children Cope with Stress
Supporting Parents ..

An Approach to Problem Solving .......ccssseseseene 29

17

Lv



Select a child and family you think might be living in a multistressed environment and
answer the questions below.

1. What sources of stress do you think this family is experiencing?

2. What are the strengths of this child and family?

3. What might be the effects of these sources of stress on the child(ren) in this family?

4. What might be the effects of these sources of stress on the adults in the family?

5. What can your classroom team do to assist this child and family?

Discuss your responses with the classroom team. Children and
families respond to high levels of stress in different ways. It is
important to identify and support thelr inc‘Idual strengths.

to Sl
ou



Materials That Allow
Children to Make
Simple, But Limited,
Choices

100

building. Be sure that all children who need to or want to
participate have an opportunity.

Hallways are perfect for riding tricycles, rolling balls,
tossing bean bags into baskets, relay games, building
with large blocks, marching to music, and bowling
(use plastic milk containers as pins). Consider this
like any other interest area, limited to several children
at a time,

¢ A loft in the classroom can provide many opportuni-
ties for physical play. Children can climb up and
down stairs or a rope ladder, slide down a pole, swing
(these can be hung on hooks when not in use), or
jump off a low platform.

* Move aside furniture to make room for music and
movement activities. Put down mats for tumbling.
Lead the group in aerobics, exercises, and cooperative
games using props such as hula hoops, streamers,
parachutes, and large balls.

¢ Offer music and movement activities to encourage
children to express their feelings: walk in an angry
way, move in a shy way, jump in an excited way.
Encourage children to move to the music in the way
that they now feel and suggest other movements.

Why is this important? Children who live in multistressed
environments can be overwhelmed by the quantity and
variety of materials present in a typical preschool room.
They may have had little experience playing with toys and
other materials.

How can Head Start provide this? Offer a large amount
of one kind of material (e.g., a container of large beads and
laces) rather than a wide variety of options (several kinds of
beads, Legos®, sewing cards, table blocks, and pegboards).
Classrooms that include children who are highly stressed
need to meet a wide range of needs. While some children
need limited choices, others need a variety. Here are
examples of how to adapt the environment to provide both
limited and varied choices:

* Divide the shelves in the table toy area in half. On
one side provide several dishpans full of the large size
of Legos®. On the other side provide several contain-
ers, each containing a different kind of manipulative.
Help children choose the materials that are most
appropriate for their stage of development.



Preschool-age children who have not developed a sense of
uust might behave as follows:

* Sara follows Bonnie around the room all day. When
Bonnie leaves an activity, Sara follows her to the next
one. Sara doesn’t talk to or play with Bonnie, she just
wants to follow her around,

Kim spends much of the day worrying about her
belongings. Her teacher insists that she keep her
backpack in her cubby, but several times a day Kim
goes to the cubby to get it out. If she leaves her
blanket at home, she is unable to sleep or participate
in activities.

A sense of trust is essential to the development of
autonomy, which generally occurs during toddlerhood.

A sense of autonomy allows toddlers to be independent, do
things for themselves, make decisions, and explore the
world. Their sense of trust (in their parents or other adults)
allows them to feel safe enough to try new things. They
may say “no” a lot, but this is a way to test limits, rather
than intentional misbehavior. Toddlers are struggling with
their conflicting needs to be cared for and to do things for
themselves. Toddlers develop a sense of autonomy when
their parents and other caregivers:

* help them learn how to control their own behavior,

* respond quickly and calmly to their cries;

* allow them to make decisions (what color socks to
wear, an apple or a banana for snack);

* provide a safe environment for exploration;

* allow them to make mistakes when they are learning
to do things for themselves (such as using the toilet);
and

* continue providing lots of support, while at the same
time allowing for toddlers’ need to do things for
themselves.

Preschool-age children who have not developed a sense of
autonomy may be confused about their own abilities. They
tend to lack confidence and have low self-esteem. Their
behavior may go from one extreme to another. Such a child
might behave as follows:

* Amy never asks for help with routines such as wash-
ing her hands or tying her shoes. At times she helps
other children with their self-help routines. She won't
try the new puzzles, however. She says that she
knows they are too hard for her.

How do toddlers develop
a sense of autonomy?



B. Establishing an Ongoing Support Group (50 minutes)

Use Handout 8-2: Support Groups and the questions below to discuss whether to
continue meeting as an ongoing support group, facilitated by the Education Coordinator
and/or the Mental Health Specialist (or other component coordinator as appropriate in
your program). Emphasize that the facilitator’s role would be to guide the discussions
and contribute ideas based on classroom observations. Participants would serve as
resources to each other.

¢ Were the problem solving strategies presented in this session useful?

* Would you like to continue meeting as a support group to brainstorm
other problems or discuss individual children’s behaviors and needs?

« What format would you suggest for future meetings? Meetings could
focus on a: pecific topic, the needs of individual children, or be open-
ended.

If you decide to continue meeting you will need to agree on when, for how long, how
frequently, and where. At your first meeting, you can review the ground rules and
logistics.

If you decide not to continue meeting, congratulate the classroom teams for their hard
work in these sessions and let them know that you will continue to be available as a
resource. (You might want to provide certificates or other concrete evidence of their
accomplishments.) Remind them that they also can refer to the readings, handouts, and
follow-up activities used in the sessions.


7. Supporting Parents reviews the role of parents in Head Start and offers examples of
how staff can support parents. The importance of accepting parents without passing
judgment is emphasized. Classroom teams read and discuss “stories” based on the
experiences of a Head Start teacher.

8. An Approach to Problem Solving provides a format for analyzing and developing

strategies for addressing specific problems. This session also is the planning meeting
for defining the goals and format for an ongoing support group.

ag

nn
te



Meals and snacks

Situation What You Can Do

Antonio is always very hungry and
anxious right before meals and snacks. He
worries that there won’t be enough to eat.
It is hard for him to wait until the serving
bowls come to his end of the table.
Sometimes he eats so quickly that he
chokes on his food. The end of the meal is
also hard for Antonio, who seems to be
always hungry and unsure when he will
have another meal.

Playing outdoors

Situation What You Can Do

At home Michael docs not have a safe
place to play outdoors. His family feels
that it is not safe for him to be outdoors,
and these worries have been passed on to
Michael. When his class goes outside to
play he worries about being left behind
when the group goes inside. He is often
the last child to be ready to go outdoors.

124 dey



Child's Need

What You Did

What Happened

Day Five

support each other.

At the end of the week discuss what each member of the team
can do to promote the child's crowth and development and

1

yu



‘Handout 6- @ Meaning Behind Children’s Behavior

Work with your classroom team to analyze what Janine might be trying to communicate
through her behavior. Answer the questions that follow, then describe a behavior of a
child in your class and analyze possible reasons for his or her behavior.

Janine

Janine is sitting at the lunch table with the other children. When the milk pitcher
is passed to her she grabs it with both hands and tries to pour milk in her cup.
Some milk gets in the cup, but a lot of milk spills on Janine and on the floor.
Janine pushes herself away from the table and runs to her cubby to get her
blanket. She carries the blanket to a corner, where she sits down, rocks back and
forth, and cries loudly.

What might be the reason for Janine’s behavior? (This will have to be your best
“guess.” You don’t have enough information to know exactly what is causing the
behavior.)

What might Janine’s teacher do to help her feel better and deal with the situation?

a?
ea

151



In this activity, classroom teams will work together to conduct role plays of a parent-
teacher conference. Below is a description of “Frankie,” a child who shows signs of
being affected by multiple sources of stress. The second page, “Laurie Jackson,”
describes his mother's feelings on her way to the conference. The third page, “Ms.
Reed,” expresses the teacher's feelings as she waits for Laurie.

Each member of the team will assume a different role: Ms. Jackson, Ms. Reed, or an
observer. Ms. Jackson and Ms. Reed will conduct a role play of the conference while the
observer watches, listens, and takes notes. After the role play, share your reactions to the
conference with your classroom team. Switch roles and repeat the role play twice so that
each person can have a turn playing the three roles.

Frankie

Frankie (4 years old) has been in your class for about two months. During this time he
has had a difficult time adjusting to the adults and children. He plays alone most of the
time, and speaks only when spoken to. When he does speak it’s hard to understand what
he's saying. He’s so quiet that sometimes the classroom team forgets he’s there. One of
his favorite acti is painting at the easel. He will spend a long time painting circles
and squiggles. Frankie has difficulty using materials that require fine motor skills. For
example, he can’t put Legos® together or get the top off the toothpaste. His gross motor
skills also are poorly developed. He likes to ride a tricycle by pushing with his feet, but
he cannot pedal. Frankie's screening results indicated the need for a thorough
assessment, but it hasn't taken place yet due to scheduling problems. Each time it has
been scheduled, Frankie has been absent.

Frankie's mother is 19. He calls her by her first name, Laurie, and calls his grandmother
Momma. When Frankie was born, Laurie dropped out of school and went on welfare.
For a while Frankie and his mom had their own apartment; then they moved in with
Laurie's boyfriend, Troy. Troy got into some drug-related trouble and moved away.
Laurie and Frankie now live in “Momma's” two-bedroom apartment. Other members of
the household include Laurie’s-sister, Kate, and Kate's two children (a baby and a 3-year-
old). Frankie is very attached to his cousin, who also is enrolled in Head Start. The three
children share one room, Momma has the other, and Laurie and Kate sleep in the living
room, Uncle Jake sets up a cot in the hall. This arrangement works well because Laurie
and Kate like to go out at night and come back pretty late. To be safe from stray bullets,
sometimes the children sleep in the bathroom.

Recently, Laurie began volunteering in the classroom. She noticed that Frankie doesn’t
play with the other children and that there are others his age who can pedal the tricycles,
cut with scissors, pretend to be firefighters, and so on. Yesterday Laurie asked Ms. Reed.
one of the teachers, “What's wrong with Frankie? He's so clumsy and he’s always by
himself." Ms, Reed offered to meet with Laurie to discuss her concerns about her son.
They agreed on today at 3:30 p.m. as a good time for a conference.

It's 4:00 and Laurie just showed up.



Helping Children
Develop in
Other Domains

80

* Provide open-ended activities that involve no
beginning or end, and no right or wrong way to do
them. For example, children can decide when to join
in and leave sand and water play, and that there is no
right or wrong way to play with these materials.

Provide opportunities for children to release
tension. Highly repetitive activities such as punching
holes in paper, tearing paper, or squishing playdough
can be very comforting. Blowing bubbles, sand and
water play, painting, and scribbling also are opportu-
nities to release pent-up feelings.

.

Show children what to do, to encourage develop-
ment of self-help skills. Children may not know how
to hold utensils, set a table, squeeze toothpaste. A
caring teacher can teach the child how to do the
routine and do it with him or her until it is mastered.
Teaching can be direct or through modeling, role
playing, or dramatic play.

Preschool children develop their cognitive abilities best in
an environment in which they have made positive strides in
developing trust, autonomy, and initiative. When children
feel good about themselves and comfortable with their place
in the world, they can:

« Ask and respond to questions;

* Observe, explore, experiment, and discover the world
around them;

* Think of several solutions to a problem;

* Succeed often and handle failure;

* Assimilate and use new information;

* Complete tasks and projects in which they are
interested;

* Discriminate between similar objects;

* Classify objects by physical characteristics and
function;

* Create patterns and designs with various objects; and

* Use concepts of measurement.

Children who engage in these activities are developing
cognitive abilities appropriate for their age—abilities that
form the foundation for later literacy and numeracy.

Children who live in multistressed environments might
spend a lot of time in homes or shelters that are too noisy,
hectic, or crowded for them to engage in problem-solving
activities such as puzzle play, looking through picture
books, sorting collections of bottle caps, and so on.

Se



Child:

Daily Log

Date:

Focus:

What You Did

Child’s Response

Day One

Day Two



* Physical responses:
~ increased pulse, racing heart;
- increased or decreased appetite;
- excitability, hyperactivity;
- always feeling tired;
- unable to relax, trouble sleeping; and
- unable to stay awake.

* Cognitive responses:
- racing thoughts;
- unable to solve simple problems;
- have to think about performing routine tasks
(e.g., getting ready for work in the morning);
- forgetfulness; and
- unable to stick to a task.

When these responses continue over a long period of time,
the individual probably is not coping with the stress. For
example, if a person has mood swings for a few days while
handling a difficult situation, there is no cause for alarm. If,
however, the mood swings continue for weeks or months,
the individual may need more help in coping with stress.

It’s almost impossible to eliminate all of the sources of What are some things you
stress in our lives. Instead, we need to learn how to cope in can do to handle stress?
healthy ways so the stress does not lead to “burn-out.”

Some examples of unhealthy and healthy ways to handle

stress follow:

* Unhealthy ways to handle stress include:

- Eating salty, fat-filled, or sugary snacks;

~ Taking out frustration by mistreating friends,
family members, or colleagues;

- Worrying;

- Spending too much money;

- Sleeping more than is needed;

- Throwing, kicking, or breaking things;

- Abusing alcohol or other drugs;

- Withdrawing; and

- Trying to solve all of the problems faced by a
child or family, rather than participating as
part of a team to support families as they work
towards self-sufficiency.

Healthy ways to handle stress include:
- Exercising—take a walk, go for a bike ride,
do aerobics;
- Taking a shower or bath;
- Pampering yourself;
- Listening to music;
- Talking to someone about your feelings;

fee
te
39

BEST COPY AVAILABLE



» Withdrawn children may need as much atten-
tion as those who are aggressive. Classroom
teams can observe to make sure that withdrawn
children—those who do not participate in the
activities or play with others—are making
progress. When a child begins to test the limits by
acting out, this can be a sign that the child is
beginning to develop a sense of trust.

What works for one child may or may not
work for another. In addition, a strategy that was
effective one day, with one child, may not work
the next time you try it. If an approach or strategy
does not work, try to figure out why and then try
something else.

One way children learn coping skills is by watching How can adults model
adults mode] them in the classroom. Some examples coping skills?
include:

Stay calm in emergencies. When a child gets hurt or
when there is a fire drill, use a calm, reassuring tone
of voice.

Be flexible when unexpected things occur. If lunch
is late, talk about it with the children, then read
another story or sing a song. If you have some
crackers on hand, pass them out so the children who
are very hungry can have something to tide them over
until lunch arrives. If the paint spills all over the
table, hand out sponges and make clean-up the
activity.

When appropriate, defuse tense situations with
humor. For example, if a child has built a tall block
tower and another child knocks it down, you could
say, “A big wind knocked down that tower.” Encour-
age the children to work together to rebuild it. Ifa
child who dropped the juice pitcher is about to cry,
say, “Wow, that sure made a loud noise when it fell!
Let’s see how many sponges it takes to wipe up all
that juice!” (It may be difficult to use humor skill-
fully. Be careful that it does not become sarcasm. If
you are not comfortable with this technique try
something else that better meets your teaching style.)

Children misbehave for many different reasons. They may The Reasons for
be at a developmental stage where they need to test the Children’s Behavior
limits of their own control. They may be forced into an



Routines! Routines are the activities that take place every day such as
snack, lunch, going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, and so
on. Children feel secure when routines are performed in the
same way each day. For example, as children finish lunch
they go to the sink to brush their teeth and wash their hands,
then get their blankets from their cubbies and go to their
cots. Rituals and routines provide continuity and reliability.
Over time, these strategies strengthen a child’s self-control
and sense of mastery over the environment.

Predictable, consistent routines are especially important for
children who live in multistressed environments for the
following reasons:

* Consistent routines reassure children. Children
who experience a lot of stress may be worried about
many things in their lives. For example, they are
comforted by knowing that every day lunch will be
served family-style so they can serve themselves.

Predictable routines build a sense of trust and
security.

Children who live in chaotic environments may not
have consistency in their home routines. One night it
may be easy to fall asleep; another night noise from
the street or the next room may keep a child awake.

How can classroom Classroom teams can try the following suggestions to help
teams help children children during routines:
during routines?

* Encourage children to serve themselves; however,
be alert so that hungry children do not put too much
on their plates (leaving little for the others in the
group). Say, “You can put one spoonful on your plate
now. If you are still hungry when you finish that
spoonful you can serve yourself another one.”

Reassure children that there is plenty of food at
the program and they will not have to be hungry
later. If children hoard food, putting it in their pockets
or hiding it in their cubbies, tell them they don’t have
to do this because they can have a snack whenever
they are hungry.

Provide extra attention at rest time. Rub children’s
backs, sing soft songs or play soft music, let children

sleep on the same cot in the same place each day, and
allow plenty of time for children to fall asleep. Don’t

1 Same of the suggestions in this section are based on Tovah Klein, Calley Bittel,
and Janice Molnar, “No Place to Call Home: Supporting the Needs of Homeless
Children in the Early Childhood Classroom,” Young Children (Washington, DC:
National Association for the Education of Young Children, in press).

120


‘Adapting.the Schedule

_ Follow-Up.Activity 5-

As a team, select a child to focus on during the next week. Conduct individual
observations of the child several times during the week at different times of the day and
in different settings. At the end of the week review your observation notes with your
team and discuss how your daily schedule supports and/or hinders this child’s
involvement in activities. Use the format provided to make plans for adapting the
schedule to better meet the child’s needs. There is room to record your schedule for the
first and second halves of the day. Discuss this activity with component coordinators,
consultants, and other staff, as appropriate.

Child: Date:

Schedule for First Half of the Day

Child’s Response to What We Do Now Changes We Can Make

Schedule for Second Half of the Day

Child’s Response to What We Do Now Changes We Can Make



Reading 6: Helping Children Cope With Stress

All preschool children have to cope with some stress as they Helping Individual
participate in child development programs such as Head Children Cope

Start. For example, children must:

with Stress

* get used to an unfamiliar environment,

© share the staff with other children;

* wait for a tum to participate in favorite activities; and

¢ deal with other children who won’t let them join in
their play.

Children who live in multistressed environments must cope
with these “normal” situations along with the ongoing,
pervasive sources of stress that make up their daily lives.
For example, children may:

* not get enough sleep at night;

« live in a homeless shelter or in overcrowded housing;

* come to the program hungry;

* worry about a parent; and

* worry about violence in their home and
neighborhood.

Many children who live in multistressed environments What negative behaviors
come to Head Start lacking self-esteem and self-discipline. do some children use to
They may express their feelings through aggressive or cope with stress?
withdrawn behaviors because they do not feel safe and do

not trust adults to look after them. Some of the coping

skills children develop are not productive classroom behav-

iors. For example:

« Some coping mechanisms make it difficult to get
involved in play and participate in the day’s activities.
Children may:

~ remove themselves from group activities;
~ carry around blankets (often twisting or

manipulating them),

- tap their fingers;
~ jiggle their feet; or
- suck their thumbs.

* Some coping mechanisms involve acting out or
becoming aggressive, making it difficult to interact
positively with adults and other children. Children

may:

intrude in other children’s play;
lash out at children and adults;
damage toys and materials; or
have tantrums.

14; 139



may need some help to reduce your own stress and to
identify the many positive contributions you make to Head
Start children and families. When classroom team mem-
bers do not deal with their negative feelings, children and
families do not receive the support they need and the team
members may become “burned out.”

Sometimes staff feel so eager to assist a family that they
think that through their efforts alone a family can be “res-
cued” from a multistressed environment. Staff may try to
do too much for families, without allowing families to use
their own strengths to develop coping skills. This approach
is not only inappropriate, it is generally totally ineffective.
Both the staff and the families end up disappointed.


Follow-Up Activity

Below you will find several suggested strategies for maintaining strong partnerships with
parents. During the next week try some of these suggestions as you work with children
and their families. Record your experiences—what you did and the parents’ response. At
the end of the week meet as a classroom team to discuss the effectiveness of these
strategies and what else you can do to support parents.

Dates:

1. Respond to parents’ concerns or questions even though they may seem trivial.

2. Try parents’ suggestions, unless you think they will hurt the child, even when they
differ from what you would do.

3. Help children and families feel good about belonging to the same family.

4, Tell parents about the good things that happen at Head Start each day.



Responding to Children Under Stress

A Skill-Based Training Guide for Classroom Teams

Prepared for
The Head Start Bureau by
DGK & Co.



I. Closing (5 minutes)

* Ask participants to share something they plan to do to support parents.

* Complete Follow-Up Activity 7: Maintaining Strong Partnerships before
you meet again. It will be discussed at the beginning of the next session.

* Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session and listen
to a brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

di



The Daily.Schedule

With your classroom team, record your daily schedule on a large piece of paper. You
will use this in the next session,



Session3. 9.
Characteristics of Children Liv

ing
in(Multistressed Environments ~ -

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

¢ Identify typical classroom behaviors that may indicate children are living in
multistressed environments.

* Help children develop self-esteem.
« Encourage children’s cognitive and physical development.

Materials

¢ Reading

3: Characteristics of Children Living in Multistressed Environments
¢ Handout

3: Getting to Know an Individual Child (Part 1)
+ Follow-Up Activities

3-1: Encouraging a Child's Development

3-2: Getting to Know an Individual Child (Part 2)

ee
Agenda
1. Discussion of Session 2 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 2 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:
¢ Head Start component staff can work together to successfully address the
needs of families affected by multiple sources of stress.
Each corr ponent can make a unique contribution in working with families.
* Classroom teams can make a big difference in a child’s life when they work
together to identify and respond positively to a child’s needs.

You can ask questions and/or voice concerns before the session begins.

=}

67



Child’s Need

What You Did

What Happened

Day Three

Day Four

48



~ Follow-Up Activity 4

Adapting the Environment (Part 2)

In this session you developed plans for making one area of the room more appropriate for
one of the children in your group. During the next week implement the plan end

encourage the child to get involved in this area. Take notes on how the chiid uses the
new materials.

Child: Date:

Area to be Adapted:

Toys and materials added to the area to encourage this child to play there:

How this area was rearranged to encourage this child to play there:

How the child responded to these changes:

1 a Qo 105



ll. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Handling Disruptions in Our Lives (15 minutes)

Ask participants to think about a time during the past week when their schedules,
routines, or transitions were disrupted and write down what happened, how they felt, and
how they handled it. If needed, you can use the examples provided as prompters.

Draw three columns on a flip chart: What Happened?, How Did I Feel?, and How Did I
Handle It? Ask participants to volunteer to share their responses to these three questions.

Ask participants what they do to minimize the stress brought on by disruptions. Do they
make changes to avoid them in the future?

Next, ask participants to share examples from their work of how different children might
respond when their home or classroom schedules, routines, or transitions are disrupted. If
participants can’t think of any examples, you can use the questions in the reading to
stimulate discussion or make up some of your own.

Explain that disruptions to the daily schedule, routines, and transitions can be very
disturbing for children who live in multistressed environments because they tend to have
great needs for consistency and predictability in their lives. It is important to understand
these needs and anticipate and plan for the times when children may have difficulty
coping with changes in the day’s events.

B. The Daily Schedule (20 minutes)

Review the purpose of the daily schedule and the characteristics of a well-planned
schedule that supports children. You may want to write these characteristics on a flip
chart.

Spend a few minutes discussing why large group activities can be particularly stressful
for some children. Ask teams to describe what happens in their classrooms when
children are gathered in a large group. Encourage them to plan daily schedules that allow
children to be in small groups for most of the day.

Also, emphasize how important it is for children to have lots of time to play. For children
with high levels of stress, play can be an important outlet and a way to try to make sensé
of what is going on in their lives.

Ask classroom teamis to share with the group their own daily schedules, as recorded on
flip chart paper. (This was a Session 4 Follow-Up Assignment.) Each team should
discuss the following:

* What takes place during the day.

* How the schedule includes the characteristics described above.

* How the schedule helps children develop a sense of security.

« What happens when they change the schedule to take advantage of
special events, “teachable moments,” or emergencies.

* How they help children understand the order of daily events.

* How the schedule provides opportunities for using and developing skills.



D. Helping Children Develop Autonomy (10 minutes)

Ask participants to offer examples of how they help children develop and use self-help
skills and how they help children who need to relax and explore their interests and skills.

E. Helping Children Develop In Other Domains (10 minutes)

Ask participants to share examples of what they do to promote cognitive and physical
development.

F. Conducting Observations to Get to Know Individual Children
(30 minutes)

Begin this training segment by reviewing the purposes of observation and suggested
strategies for recording observation notes, (The amount of time you spend on this
segment will depend on the skill levels of participants.) The bibliography in the
Introdgaction for Trainers includes several resoutces on observing children’s
development.

Next, ask classroom teams to think of a child they would like to know more about.
Individual team members will use Handout 3: Getting to Know an Individual Child

(Part 1) to record what they already know about the child. (They will observe this child
to learn more about his or her development as a follow-up activity for this session.) After
reviewing this information ask classroom teams to discuss with each other what they have
recorded on the handout. Are their responses similar or very different? What can they
jearn from each other about an individual child?

Explain that there are many more suggestions for meeting the needs of children who live
in multistressed environments during the rest of these sessions. Note that as children
grow and mature—gain self-esteem, use a variety of cognitive abilities, practice newly
acquired motor skills—they are challenged. This challenge creates stress—the kind of
stress that we normally think of as healthy. Children who live in multistressed
environments need help from classroom teams to learn ways to cope with stress. How to
provide this support will be discussed throughout these sessions.

lll. Closing (5 minutes)

+ Ask participants to share something learned during this session that can
be used next week with children.

“e Distribute and review Follow-Up Activities that are to be completed
before you meet again. They will be discussed at the beginning of the
next session.

+ Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session. Give a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

wo
aU


Consistent Elements that Do Not Change
What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Remember, changes should be made gradually, over time, so
that children won’t be overwhelmed by too many changes at
once.

110 1 iw)



3. Do you need to change the way you handle routines
and transitions?

We can adapt the routines so Andrew can have lunch
after his nap. Rest is so important for Andrew that it’s
best for him to be awake and alert for part of the day,
instead of irritable and uncooperative for most of the
day.

4, Do you need to change the way you interact with this
child?

This doesn't seem to be part of the problem.

5. Are your expectations for this child’s behavior and
abilities appropriate?

This doesn’t seem to be part of the problem.

Develop Strategies Review the information you collected about this child and
his or her family. Develop several strategies to help the
child.

We will let Andrew sleep when he first arrives in the
morning.

We will put down a mat in a corner of the classroom and
tell him that when he is tired, that’s where he can rest.

We will accept that it is better to have him awake and
participating for part of the day, rather than tired and
irritable for the entire day.

Implement Strategies Try out your strategies for a week or more. Allow enough
time for change to take place. Ask another classroom team
member to observe the child, then discuss what you each
have seen. Bring questions to staff meetings.

Andrew took morning naps on his mat for about a week.
By then the changes his mother made at home took effect
and he started coming to the program awake and ready

to play.
Evaluate and If your strategies are effective, continue to use them. If not,
Refine Strategies look for other ways to achieve the same goal. For some

children, even if the program is developmentally appropri-
ate and you have made adaptations, it will not “solve” their
problem. Change can be slow for many children—it is
important to set realistic, short-term goals

180



Evaluate Your Program

Consider whether each of the following program elements is developmentally
appropriate.

1. Do you need to adapt the environment?

2. Do you need to adapt the daily schedule?

3. Do you need to change the way you handle routines and transitions?

4, Do you need to change the way you interact with this child?

5. Are your expectations for this child’s behavior and abilities appropriate?

16g

183



£. Accepting Families (25 minutes)

Ideally this activity will be conducted by the Mental Health Specialist, who may want to
adapt it to reflect the program’s needs and characteristics. On a national level, 35 percent
of Head Start staff are former Head Start parents. In some program,, many staff live in
the same community as Head Start families. These characteristics can lead staff to be
very empathetic towards families. On the other hand, staff may have strong feelings
about what they think Head Start parents should do, It can be helpful to explore these
feelings.

Handout 7-2: Accepting Families is used for this activity. Ask participants to think of a
child and family whom they find difficult to accept. Tell them to write down all of their
negative feelings toward this family. For example, “He only wants to do what he wants
to do.” “She ran out of money before the end of the month, again, so her daughter comes
to Head Start hungry.” Assure the group that nobody will see their papers and after they
are finished they can throw them away.

Now, ask participants to think of the same child and family and make a list of their
strengths. For example, “He really enjoys the block area,” or “She comes to all the parent
workshops.” Some people may find this to be a difficult task, so offer lots of support and
encouragement. The lists don’t need to be long—two or three items are sufficient. You
might want to ask staff to think of their own strengths and how they can be applied to
working with this child and family.

Finally, participants should plan ways to use the strengths as they work with the child and
family. Ask for volunteers to share their plans. If there are no volunteers continue with
the agenda. Participants may not want to share their feelings openly.

Explain to participants that this exercise is a first step in learning to accept children and
families. It can take a long time to learn to accept rather than to judge.

lll. Closing (5 minutes)
* Ask participants to share something they plan to do to support parents.
* Distribute and review the Follow-Up Activity that is to be completed
before you meet again. It will be discussed at the beginning of the next

session.

* Remind participants of when and where you will meet for the next
session. Give a brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

sw)
i



122

Allow plenty of time for transitions such as clean up,
going outdoors, meal and snack times, rest time, and
departure.

Have one adult available to provide one-on-one
attention to individual children at key transition
times such as arrival and departure.

Offer ways to save and protect projects so children
can work on them later or have a concrete way to
remember them. Photographs of a special block
structure will help children feel good about their hard
work. Cloths or boxes can be used to cover smaller
projects or they can be stored on a high shelf out of
harm’s way.


The Messages While you are responding to children who use inappropriate

You Send coping strategies or exhibit challenging behaviors, the other
children in the group are watching and learning from your
actions. It is important to avoid giving them the message
that the way to get attention from adults if to misbehave.
Classroom teams need to be sure they pay attention to
children who are easily integrated into the group, generally
follow the classroom rules, are developing self-discipline,
and are able to control their own behavior. Make sure that
these children know that you value their positive behaviors.

148



3. What other components might be involved in responding to the need?

4. What action might each component take?

5. How would component staff follow up with each other?

6. If referrals are needed, who will make them and who will follow up to find out
what services were provided?

7. What changes would you make in the system your program currently follows for
component coordination?

56 6.2



A pictorial representation of the schedule helps children
actually see the order of daily events. This can be done
using drawings or photographs. For example, a series of
photographs could show children arriving in the moming,
playing at the interest centers, getting ready to go outdoors,
playing outside, and so on. This can be particularly helpful
for children who have very little consistency in their lives
and do not have a sense of control over what takes place.
When they first enter the program, children might need
reminders of what happens during the day. For example,
“During free play we usually stay indoors. We'll go outside
after snack.” Children will feel empowered when they can
state with accuracy what will take place next, “First I eat
lunch. Then I brush my teeth.”

While allowing for individual differences among children,
the daily schedule should incorporate many opportunities
for children to develop skills such as these:

* Language skills that develop whenever children talk
with each other and with adults, and when adults talk
to children about what they are doing. For example,
children use their language skills during dramatic
play, water and sand play, art experiences, block play,
and music and movement activities.

Physical skills that develop as children use
manipulatives and art materials, climb to the top of
the loft, jump in a pile of pillows, ride a tricycle, pull
a wagon, build with blocks, and play catch with a
friend or teacher.

Social skills that grow as children spend the day
interacting with others. They learn to make friends,
negotiate, handle disagreements, and feel and express
empathy for others, Classroom teams can help
children develop social skills by asking two children
to help each other, inviting a child to enter a dramatic
play theme, or modeling social skills by joining in
children’s play.

Cognitive skills that develop as children explore the
materials in the water table to see what floats or sinks,
build a complex block structure, combine paint colors
at the easel, and figure out a way to take tums carry-
ing a favorite pocketbook.

Self-help skills that grow as children put on and take
off dress-up clothes, set the table in the house corner,
and select and put away toys.

Coping skills that develop as children learn to deal
with frustration when a puzzle piece won’t fit or
another child took the last empty swing.

is.

How can you heip
children understand the
daily schedule?



How do children
develop initiative?

B

* Gerald’s first reaction when asked, “Would you
like to ...?” always is, “No.” He does respond,
however, when offered a choice such as, “Would
you like to ride a tricycle or play on the swings.”

A sense of autonomy is essential to the development of
initiative, which generally occurs during the preschool
years.

Initiative describes the active, talkative, and creative life
of preschoolers. They develop initiative as they use
their rapidly expanding social, physical, and cognitive
skills to build, draw, mold, paint, climb, swing, and so
on. Preschoolers develop a sense of initiative when
their parents and other caregivers:

* listen patiently as children express their thoughts
and feelings,

. provide many opportunities for learning through
play;

* encourage them to do many things for themselves
(dressing, washing face and hands, cleaning up,
helping with chores, selecting what toys to use);

* give them many opportunities to solve problems,
make decisions, and succeed and fail at tasks; and

¢ allow children to pursue their interests at their
own pace without pushing them to learn academ-
ics such as arithmetic and reading.

Preschool age children who have not developed a sense
of initiative have difficulty getting involved in the daily
activities in the classroom. Such a child might behave
as follows:

* Daniel is overwhelmed by all of the choices in the
classroom. He usually spends just a few minutes
in haphazard play in a learning center, being
easily distracted by children near him. He quickly
moves from one activity to the next without
getting involved in using the toys and materials.

Barbara plays with the playdough every day. She
is most comfortable using the same props with the
playdough. When offered new props she shows
no interest in trying them.

oO



Il. Closing (5 minutes)

+ Ask participants to share something they plan to do differently in their
classroom schedule, routine, or transitions, based on what they learned
in this session,

+ Distribute and review the Follow-Up Activities that are to be completed

before you meet again. They will be discussed at the beginning of the
next session.

* Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session. Give a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

Qo
a
20


Personal Spaces Where
Children Can Be Alone
for a While

Personal Belongings
and Places to Store Them

Home-like Materials

98

letting them know that they will be safe. An environment
that helps reduce stress includes the following elements.

Why is this important? Most preschoolers need to get
away from the group at times, so all classrooms should
include private areas. Children who live in multistressed
environments may reside in overcrowded homes where
there are few places to take a break from other people.
They can benefit from being able to control inputs from the
outside world by being in a place where they can withdraw
physically and psychologically. Personal spaces allow
children to develop self-regulation skills. A child can
withdraw from the group to regain control of her emotions
and actions. This may prevent the child from completely
losing control and acting out in aggressive or other inappro-
priate ways.

How can Head Start provide this? Personal spaces can be
a large cardboard carton, a pile of soft pillows in a comer, a
small desk or table with room for only one child, or a sheet
draped over three sides of a table. Some classrooms may
need to set up several personal spaces. Some personal
spaces can be part of the permanent room arrangement;
others can be set up temporarily as the need arises.

Why is this important? Children who live in multistressed
environments may have few possessions. They may not yet
have developed a sense of ownership and are not ready to
share. Children may also want privacy for using the bath-
room, washing up, or other personal hygiene activities.

How can Head Start provide this? Most classrooms have
private cubbies where children can safely store their posses-
sions. Other ways to create a serise of ownership include
providing new individual boxes of markers and crayons,
decorating cubbies with photographs of children and their
families, making individual place mats for mealtimes,
assigning individual floor mats for eacli child to use at circle
time or in the reading area, designating a special place on
the wall for hanging each child’s art work, and decorating
shoe boxes for each child to store “prized possessions.”

Why is this important? A home-like atmosphere is gener-
ally associated with programs for infants and toddlers
because it supports the development of trust and autonomy.
A home-like atmosphere can help children feel secure,
which tends to enable children to take part in the program’s
activities.

Gs
Go.


Bassuk, Ellen L, and Lenore Rubin, “Homeless Children: A Neglected Population,”
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57 (2), April 1987,

Cole, Carol K., Mary Jones, and Gayle Sudofsky, “Working with Children At Risk Due
to Prenatal Substance Exposure,” Pennsylvania Resources and Information Center for
Special Education, Vol. 21, No. 5, June 1990.

Crittenden, Patricia, “Teaching Maltreated Children in the Preschool,” Topics in Early
Childhood Special Education, (2), 16-32, 1989.

Edelman, Marian Wright, and Lisa Mihaly, “Homeless Families aud the Housing Crisis
in the United States,” Children and Youth Services Review, 11 (1), 1989.

Gewirtzman, Rena and Iris Fodor, “The Homeless Child At School: From Welfare Hotel
to Classroom,” Child Welfare, LXVI (3), 1987.

Grant, Roy, “The Special Needs of Homeless Children: Early Intervention at a Welfare

Hotel,” Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, Intervention in Home Settings, 10
(4), Winter 1991. °

Honig, Alice S., “Stress and Coping in Children (Part 2), Interpersonal Family
Relationships,” Young Children, July 1986.

Howard, Judy, et. al., “The Development of Young Children of Substance-Abusing
Parents: Insights from Seven Years of Intervention and Research,” Zero to Three, 1X (5),
June 1989,

Kaplan-Sanoff, M. and E. F. Kletter, “The Developmental Needs of Abused Children:
Classroom Strategies,” Beginnings, Fall 1985.

Klein, Tovah, Calley Bittel, and Janice Molnar, “No Place to Call Home: Supporting the
Needs of Homeless Children in the Early Childhood Classroom,” Young Children,
September 1993.

McCormick, Linda and Rita Holden, “Homeless Children: A Special Challenge,” Young
Children, September 1992.

Neiman, Laura, “A Critical Review of Resiliency Literature and its Relevance to
Homeless Children,” Children’s Environment Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 1, Spring 1988.

Poulson, Marie K., “The Impact of Substance Abuse on Child Care: Challenges for
Today, Hopes for Tomorrow,” Journal of the National Head Start Association, Spring
1991.

Rafferty, Yvonne, and Marybeth Shinn, “The Impact of Homelessness on Children,”
American Psychologist, Vol. 46 No. 11, November 1991.

Rivlin, Leanne G., “Home and Homelessness in the Lives of Children,” Child and Youth
Services. 14 (1), 1990.

Roscoe, Bruce, “Sexual Abuse: The Educator’s Role in Idemification and Interaction
with Abuse Victims,” Education, 105 (1), 1984.

13


Children may not respond at first to your caring behaviors. Helping Children
They may be hostile, aggressive, or withdrawn. Over time Learn to Trust
the children learn that you can be trusted and may begin

feeling secure enough to explore the environment, get

involved in activities, and play with other children. When a

once withdrawn child begins acting out, you may be frus-

trated and confused. In fact, the child is making progress.

The child’s newly developed sense of trust allows her to test

the rules and boundaries of the classroom. Classroom

teams need to continue supporting the child so she will

learn that adults will continue to care for her even when she

misbehaves.

There are many strategies classroom teams can use to help
children learn to trust. Some examples appear below:

* Let the child know in advance if the daily schedule
is changed for a special event (for example, a field
trip) and make it clear that you will return to the
regular schedule the next day. While taking advan-
tage of “teachable moments,” give extra attention to
children who seem frustrated or confused by the
change.

Help a child learn to trust by holding a hand while
he or she climbs the ladder to the slide, or by keeping
a promise: to push a child on a swing no higher than
he or she wants to go.

Respond to a child’s cries even when the child is
crying to get attention. A teacher’s quick and
consistent response will help the child learn that his or
her needs are important and will be addressed.

Set up opportunities for children to cooperate with
others. Two children can carry equipment outdoors
or set the table for lunch. Successful experiences
working alongside other children will eventually lead
to successful experiences playing together.

Provide many opportunities for dramatic play.
Suggest that the child be the baby. He or she will feel
cared for as the other children provide blankets,
bottles, and attention.

Children who have had few opportunities to do things for Helping Children
themselves necd to learn self-help skills. Conversely, Develop Autonomy
children who have been forced to develop too many
skills too soon need to relax and explore their real
interests and skills. Classroom teams can try the follow-
ing suggestions for helping children develop autonomy:

G 79



Interactions with adults

How and when does this child ask for help?

How does this child identify and express needs and feelings?

How does this child respond to requests?

How does this child seek comfort when worried or afraid?

How does this child share the teacher’s time and attention with other children?

How else does this child interact with adults?

Self-esteem

How does this child approach new materials or situations?

What does the child do when a new person comes in the room—seek attention or
continue to play?

Does the child usually seek independence or want to be cared for?

Does the child choose an activity or toy to play with?

How does the child talk about him or herself?

Does the child stick to a new task until he or she masters it, or give up after a few
tries?

86 87



lead the sessions. Content for each session is included in the readings, as described

below.

The Participants’ Materials include for each session a Summary for Classroom Teams
which present the session objectives, materials needed by participants, and the agenda.
The agenda describes the topics and activities and what participants will be doing in the
sessions. Also included in this section are readings, handouts, and follov -up activities.
The Reading provides the content for the session. It is used by trainers during the
session and by participants as a professional resource. The Handouts describe learning
activities conducted during the session. The Follow-Up Activities are used by classroom
teams between sessions to apply and further develop skills and knowledge.

Implementing the Training Program

Ideally, the program’s Education Coordinator and Mental Health Specialist will work
together to lead the sessions, with other coordinators involved as appropriate. Your
program might want to utilize mental health providers in your community as trainers and
tesources. Some suggested training approaches and issues to consider follow.

Training Approaches

Issues to Consider

Education Coordinator &
Mental Health Specialist
(counselor, therapist, early
intervention) serve as co-
facilitators of sessions.

This approach takes advantage of each trainer’s expertise and
skills. The Education Coordinator understands the program
and classroom practices. The Mental Health Specialist
understands the effects of high levels of stress on children
and families. Heor she can also support staff if they become
overwhelmed by the challenges of their jobs.

The Mental Health Specialist may need an orientation to the
program and classroom practices.

If the Education Coordinator supervises classroom teams,
she or he may need to emphasize that the training is being
provided to support staff, not to judge or evaluate them.

Education Coordinator works
with other coordinators and/or
Head Start Director as co-
facilitators of sessions.

This approach takes advantage of the Education Coordinator’s
knowledge and emphasizes Head Start's “team” approach.

The coordinators and/or the director should acknowledge
classroom team’s problem solving skills, but encourage them
to seek support from other components when needed.

Lead teacher facilitates
sessions. Lead teachers could
take turns being trainer.

This approach gives lead teachers responsibility and
encourages classroom teams to buiid on their own strengths.
Programs need to be sure that this extra responsibility does
not place a burden on lead teachers.

Programs may want to invite “guest” trainers from the
community to provide new ideas and perspectives.

vi



The Daily Schedule

118

understand these needs and anticipate and plan for the times
when children may have difficulty coping with changes in
the day’s events.

The daily schedule states the sequence of the day’s activities
and tells when they will occur and for how long. When the
schedule is very predictable and consistent, children tend to
feel more secure. The schedule should be posted on the

wall or bulletin board where parents, staff, and children can
see it.

The following are characteristics of a well-planned sched-
ule. These elements support all children; however, they are
particularly important for children who live in multistressed
environments.

+ The day is balanced between:

- Active and quiet times;

- Large group, small group, and individual
activities;

- Child-initiated and adult-directed activities; and

- Indoor and outdoor play.

¢ There is sufficient time for transitions so children
don’t have to hurry.

* There is a long block of time for free play when
children can choose their own activities and pursue
their own interests.

* Outdoor play is planned for at least 45 minutes.
Programs operating for four or more hours have
outdoor play twice a day.

* Children spend very little time in large group
activities.

- Many children are not ready for large group
activities such as circle time. When faced with
highly structured, adult-directed activities they
may become frustrated and cope by acting out
or becoming withdrawn.

Some children may not have the social skills for
even small group experiences. At first, they will
be most successful playing alone. Adults can
help by providing materials and activities

+ designed for use by two children. This will help
achild learn to make a friend. When children
have had many opportunities to relate to and
play with another child, to share a little and talk
about how they feel, they will be more ready to
play with a group of three or four children.

Lio



* To evaluate the effects of the environment and the
program’s activities. “Let's review our observations
of this month’s art activities so we can see what we
might want to add to this area to respond to children’s
interests and to keep it challenging.”

¢ To plan a program based on the interests, strengths,
and needs of each child. “Mariah hasn't been able to
do the 12 piece puzzles. We can put out some with
fewer pieces and encourage her to try them.”

Here are some suggestions for recording your observations.> What are some tips for

recording observations?
* Have a reason for observing each child, for example,

to find out how this child participates in routines or
how long this child stays involved in an activity. This
will help you focus your observation.

* Include the following facts before you begin:

- the child’s name and age,

- the date of the observation,

- the setting (where the activity is taking place and
who is involved—for example, “Ms. Jenkins and
Bianca sit under the loft looking at books”), and

~ the observer’s name.

* Write what you see and hear, not what you think is
happening.

* Describe how a child is doing or saying something.

* Jot notes frequently. Carry a pad or index cards and
pencil with you.

* Write in short phrases rather than complete sentences.

* Try to abbreviate and shorten what a child said—don’t
try to write all the words; summarize what was said.

* Develop a system of abbreviations or initials for
materials and equipment; for instance, for different
areas use ar-art, bl-blocks, sb-sandbox and so on.

¢ Use arrows to indicate movement.

* Make diagrams of the environment showing the child
in relation to the setting, other children, and adults.

* Underline words to indicate a particular intensity (for
instance, “said loudly”).

3 Adapted from materials developed by the Head Start Resource and Training
Center (College Park, MD: University of Maryland, 1975)

So

83



Session 5,

~The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

¢ Develop and follow a balanced schedule with consistent routines and
well-planned transitions.

+ Adapt the daily schedule and transitions to meet the special needs of
children who are highly stressed.

Materials

Daily schedules on flip chart paper (Session 4 Follow-Up Activity)
¢ Reading
5: The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions
¢ Handouts
5-1: Handling Routines and Transitions
5-2: Suggestions for Handling Routines and Transitions
+ Follow-Up Activities
5-1: Adapting the Schedule
5-2: Adapting Routines and Transitions

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 4 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 4 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:
¢ With careful planning, the environment can address a wide range of
interests, skills, and needs.
* Changes in the environment should be made gradually so children won’t
be confused or overwhelmed.
You can ask questions and/or voice concerns before the session begins.
Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Handling Disruptions in Our Lives (15 minutes)

Participants think about a time during the past week when their schedule, routines, or
transitions were disrupted. Write down what happened, how you felt, and how you

113

1ii



Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Supportive Head Ste-t Environments (1 hour)

As you participate in this discussion, think about ways you may need to adapt your
environment to meet the needs of all of the children in your group. It is important to
remember that developmentally appropriate programs are individualized to respond to all
children’s skills, needs, and interests. The suggestions in the reading and the
Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs may be appropriate for your classroom.

B. Changing the Environment to Meet a Child’s Needs (45 minutes)

Handout 4: Adapting the Environment (Part 1), is used for this activity. With your
classroom team, you will focus on one area of the environment—for example, blocks,

outdoors, dramatic play, library, sand and water—and list the toys, materials, and
equipment found there.

Next, your team will think of a child in the room who needs help to get positively
involved in this area. Your team will discuss what this child might need to benefit from
this area and develop a plan for helping the child to use the area.

When you have completed your plan, you will share your ideas with your trainer and
other classroom teams.

Ill. Closing (5 minutes)

* Each person will share something learned during this session that they
can use next week with the children.

* Complete Follow-Up Activity 4-1: Adapting the Environment (Part 2)
and/or 4-2; Adapting the Environment before your next meeting.
Everyone should complete 4-3: The Daily Schedule, which will be used
in Session 5. They will be discussed at the beginning of the next
session.

* The group will agree on when and where you will meet for the next
session and listen to a brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

96



What Health *
Component Did

What You Did

How You Followed Up

Example:
Provided information on
upcoming Health Fair.

Sent notices home with children.

Asked parents if they attended.
Congratulated coordinator on
success of Health Fair.

*Include mental health and nutrition under the Health Component.

58



staff, each responsible for a different component. While the components have specific
areas of expertise, they work together in a supportive manner. Individual staff members
do not work in isolation. Classroom teams provide support for each other; however, they
also have many colleagues who can work with them to help children and families receive
the full benefits of being enrolled in Head Start.

Participants will work in small groups for the activity described on Handout 2-1: How
Our Head Start “Team” Works Together. The handout includes descriptions of eight
situations in which a classroom team member has noticed a child or parent’s need that
should be addressed using a team approach. Your trainer will assign one or more
situations to each small group. Each group will read the situation, discuss how they
would work with other component staff to respond to the family’s needs, then share their
responses with the full group.

B. Cross-Component Coordination (30 minutes)

In this activity you will think back over the past month about the times you worked with
another component to complete a task or to do something for a child or family. You will
record these examples on Handout 2-2: Component Coordination Log. After noting
several examples of cross-component coordination, you will discuss your “log” with your
classroom team.

As each team shares its examples of component coordination, your trainer will clarify any
inaccuracies or misunderstandings and answer questions about each component’s
responsibilities.

C. The Education Services Component (30 minutes)

As you discuss the roles and responsibilities of the following staff—the Education
Coordinator, teachers, assistants, and volunteers—you may see that there is a lot of
overlap because team members share responsibilities. Within each team, however, each
individual has a unique role. With your classroom team, think of a typical day in your
classroom. You will use Handout 2-3: A Typical Day for Our Classroom Team to list the
roles and responsibilities each team member carried out that day.

Ill. Closing (5 minutes) .

* Think about realistic, appropriate ways that Head Start can help children
and families. How can Head Start build on family strengths and
encourage greater social and economic self-sufficiency?

* Complete Follow-Up Activity 2-1: Component Coordination Log and/or
Follow-Up Activity 2-2: Component Classroom Visit before your next
meeting. They will be discussed at the beginning of the next session.

* The group will agree on when and where you will meet for the next
session and listen to a brief overview of the topics to be addressed.



Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. The Head Start Team (45 minutes)

Provide individual copies of the Head Start Program Performance Standards and Final
Rule on Head Start Services for Children with Disabilities. These two documents serve
as the “Reading” for this session. In this discussion, emphasize that the Head Start
program is carried out by a team of staff, each responsible for a different component of
the program. While each component has specific areas of expertise, they work together
in a supportive manner. Individual staff members do not work in isolation. Classroom
teams provide support for each other; however, they also have many colleagues who can
work with them to help children and families receive the full benefits of Head Start.

Review the objectives for each component found in the Head Start Program
Performance Standards (June, 1992).

Health (1304.3-1, p. 15)
Mental Health (1304.3-7, p. 33)
Nutrition (1304.3-9, p. 38)
Social Services (1304.4-1, p. 53)
Parent Involvement (1304.5-1, p. 56)
Education Services (1304.2-1, p. 4)

Review the requirements found in the Final Rule on Head Start Services for Children
with Disabilities (surmmarized on page | of the Information Memorandum) and the
information on how other components work with the Disabilities Component as described
in the following sections:

Disabilities/Health Services coordination (1308.18, p. 5508)
Education Services (1308.19, p. 5508)

Nutrition Services (1308.20, p. 5509)

Parent Involvement (1308.21, p. 5509)

Next, divide participants into small groups for the activity described in Handout 2-1:
How Our Head Start “Team” Works Together. The activity encourages classroom teams
to think about how your Head Start program works as a team. The handout includes
descriptions of eight situations in which a classroom team has noticed a child or parent’s
need that should be addressed using a team approach. (If you prefer, make up other
situations that would be more typical in your program.) Assign one or more situations to
each small group. Each group will read the situation, then discuss how they would work
with other component staff to respond to the family’s needs. Ask each small group to
share their responses. Be sure to address the system your program uses for referrals and
follow-up among components.

B. Cross-Component Coordination (30 minutes)

This activity builds on the previous one by encouraging participants to focus on how the
components in your program work together each day to accomplish the goals of Head
Start. While the previous activity dealt with sample situations, in this one participants
think back over the past month about the times they worked with another component to
complete a task or to do something for a child or family. After recording several
examples on Handout 2-2: Component Coordination Log, they can discuss their “logs”
with their classroom team.


to. Children Under Stress—.

Session Overviews

The purpose of this staff development program is to suggest practical strategies for
working with children and families who are living with high levels of stress and to
provide ongoing support for classroom teams. The term classroom team refers to master
teachers, teachers, assistants, aides, classroom volunteers, and other adults who work
directly with children. Occasionally, the term teacher is used to designate any of the
above team members.

1. Responding to Stress addresses the meaning of stress, discusses healthy and
unhealthy ways to manage stress, and describes the conditions that may exist in

multistressed environments. Participants complete an activity related to accepting
families.

2. Head Start’s Response reviews the roles and responsibilities of each Head Start
component. Classroom teams define the constructive roles they play in working with
children and families, both within the classroom and in conjunction with other
components.

sad

Characteristics of Children Living in Multistressed Environments reviews the
signs that a child may be experiencing high levels of stress. Next comes an overview
of how children develop self-esteem and what classroom teams can do to support
children as they develop self-esteem and other skills. There is a brief review of
observation and recording. An activity focuses on getting to know individual children.

4, The Learning Environment describes some elements of a supportive environment
that can contribute to meeting ihe needs of all children in the group. Classroom teams
focus on an individual child and suggest ways to adapt the environment to meet the
child’s needs.

5

The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions begins with a discussion of how
participants respond to disruptions in their daily schedule, routines, or transitions and
how children typically respond to disruptions in their lives at home or Head Start. The
importance of predictable, consistent schedules, routines, and transitions is
emphasized. Classroom teams review situations in which children have difficulty
handling transitions and develop strategies for helping the children cope.

6. Helping Children Cope with Stress describes the coping strategies that children may
use and how classroom teams can help children learn more acceptable ways to cope.
Participants discuss individualizing positive guidance, based on knowledge of child
development and children’s individual strengths, needs, interests, and temperament.
Use of systematic observations is emphasized. Strategies for handling challenging
behaviors are presented and teams analyze possible reasons for a child’s behavior.

oO)

4B



Daily:Log::

Identify a child you think may be affected by high levels of stress. For the next week

keep a daily log of what you did to help meet this child’s needs. Note what the child did

that led you to think he or she needed help, and what you did in response. There is an

example on the log below. You can use this format, or one of your own. Each day spend

a few minutes with your classroom team comparing your logs. At the end of the week
meet as a team to discuss what each person can do to promote the child’s development

and to support each other.

What the Child Did

What You Did

What Happened

Day One

Example:
Gerald asked for snack as
soon as he arrived at program,

Put snack out on table so ail
children can serve themselves

Gerald got his own snack,
then got involved in activities.

and breaktast won't be served | when they are hungry.
until 9:15,
Day Two

Ou

47


* Offer activities that help children relax before
active play. When children feel calm they are more
likely to attempt challenging physical skills, and they
are more likely to be successful.

* Help children learn how to use equipment. Chil-
dren may not have had opportunities to ride tricycles,
use jump ropes, or play with balls.

Conducting Through systeinatic, objective observations, classroom
s teams can get to know individual children and assess

Observations their skills and interests. Classroom teams should

to Get to Know follow a schedule for regularly observing all children in

Individual Children the classroom. Brief (five to ten minutes) observations
can take place daily as children participate in activities
such as indoor and outdoor play, transitions, routines,
arrival, and departure.

It is important to review observation notes frequently
and use the information to plan for all children. Be sure
to share your observations with classroom team mem-
bers, component coordinators, and other specialists in a
confidential and professional manner.

Why do classroom teams Classroom teams observe chiidren for a variety of
,, observe children? reasons.?

* To determine each child’s interests, strengths,
and needs. “André stands near the door by
himself when he arrives at the program. He may
need some encouragement to get involved in an
activity.”

« To measure each child’s progress. “Jasmine
“cooked dinner” with another child in the house
comer today, She usually plays alone.”

To resolve particular problems a child might
have. “I reviewed the team’s observation notes
on Raoul. He seems to lose his temper on day?
when it’s very cold outdoors. We need to make
sure he participates in indoor gross motor activi-
ties when it’s too cold for outdoor play.”

To report children’s progress to parents and
colleagues. “TaCori had a great day today. He
climbed to the top of the slide by himself.”

2 Adapted with permission from Diane Trister Dodge, Derry G. Koralek, and Peter
Pizzolongo, Curing for Preschool Children, Volume If (Washington DC: Teaching
Strategies, Inc., 1991) pp. 295-296.

82

84


Positive Guidance Technique Child’s Response

Day Four

Day Five

Positive guidance techniques help children develop self-
discipline. They should be based on realistic expectations for
children’s behavior and individualized to reflect developmental
stages, individual needs, and the situation.

156


who has been harmed. If the skin is broken, first-aid is
needed to prevent infection. Sometimes it is appropriate to
involve the child who did the biting in comforting the bitten
child (if the child will permit this and if the child who did
the biting is willing). Often in these incidents the child who
has done the biting is very upset by his or her loss of self-
control. Once the victim has been comforted and helped to
find something elsc to do, the teacher can pay attention to
the child who did the biting. In addition, you will need to
talk with the child and his or her parents to try to find out
what is causing the behavior. When a child is learning to
control his or her urge to bite, it may be helpful to give the
child something he or she can bite (for example, a clean
washcloth) without hurting anyone.

Some children have temper tantrums, times when they
lose control of themselves and scream, kick, cry, and
otherwise express their total frustration. These are usually
times when their words are not enough to express their
feelings. During tantrums, a teacher may need to protect
the child, and other people and things in the environment,
by firmly holding his or her arms and legs until the child
calms down. Once the tantrum is over, the child will feel
much better if no one was hurt. Once the child is calm you
can talk about what happened and what he or she could do
differently in the future. It is important to let the children
know that you accept their feelings and will be a good
listener.

Many tantrums can be prevented by providing an appropri-
ate program. Tired and frustrated children are more likely to
have tantrums than those who are well-rested, fed nutritious
meals and snacks before they get too hungry, and provided
with developmentally appropriate materials and activities.
When you observe children you are likely to see when they
are getting tired or frustrated and can direct them to sooth-
ing activities such as water or sand play or listening to soft
music.

Occasionally a child may express his or her tension by
spitting. Most people find this to be an unsanitary and
generally unpleasant behavior. As with other challenging
behaviors, it may be part of a normal developmental stage
or it may indicate there is a problem in the child’s life.
Redirecting the child to another tensional outlet such as
tearing paper or pounding playdough is sometimes eftec-
tive.



'. “Session 1

Responding to Stress

Overview for Trainers

Objectives

This session will enable participants to:

« Recognize the sources of stress that can affect adults.

¢ Understand physiological, physical, and psychological responses to stress.
¢ Handle stress in healthy rather than unhealthy ways.

+ Describe how families are affected by multistressed environments.

¢ Plan ways to work as a team to assist children and families.

Materials and Equipment

¢ Flip chart, markers, and tape
* Reading
1: Responding to Stress
¢ Handouts
1-1: Responding to Children Under Stress—Session Overviews
1-2: Accepting Families
¢ Follow-Up Activities
1-1: Daily Log
1-2: Life in a Multistressed Environment

SS

Agenda
I. Presentation of the Content and Format of the Sessions (10 minutes)

Use the Introduction for Trainers to present the content and format of the staff
development program.

* The purpose of the staff development program is to suggest practical
strategies for working with children and families who are living with
high levels of stress and to provide ongoing support for classroom teams.

* Participant materials for each session include a reading, handout(s), and
follow-up activities. The reading summarizes the content of the session,
the handout(s) are used for learning activities during the session, and
the follow-up activities are used by classroom teams to apply the
information and skills gained through the session as they work with
individual children and families.



: Helping Orlando Learn to Cope

Work with a colleague to read and discuss this example of how a teacher helped a child
learn to use appropriate coping skills.

Orlando

When Orlando first comes to the program he runs to his cubby to get his
blanket whenever he is upset. Although this goes against a classroom rule—
Items from home should stay in cubbies—his teachers allow him to do so
because they know that holding his blanket from home helps Orlando handle
his feelings.

After a few weeks, Orlando seems to have adjusted to the program. Now when
he runs to his cubby for his blanket, a teacher goes with him. While he holds
the blanket she encourages him to talk to her about what was upsetting him.
She helps him rejoin the group, with his blanket.

Orlando’s teachers give him lots of opportunities to talk about his feelings,
with blanket in hand. After a while he seems ready to talk without needing his
blanket for support. His teacher encourages him to leave the blanket in his
cubby. She reassures him that it will be there when he needs it. Now Orlando
uses his blanket at rest time only.

How did Orlando’s teacher help him learn to use appropriate coping skills?

roy
oe
a

149



Session 2
. ad Start’s Response :

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

* State the roles and responsibilities of Head Start component staff.
¢ Explain and give examples of how Head Start components work together.
* Describe the ways in which classroom teams work together.

Materials

* Head Start Program Performance Standards
+ Final Rule on Head Start Services for Children with Disabilities
+ Handouts
2-1; How Our Head Start “Team” Works Together
2-2: Component Coordination Log (Part 1)
2-3: A Typical Day for Our Classroom Team
¢ Follow-Up Activities
2-1: Component Coordination Log (Part 2)
2-2: Component Classroom Visit

rn ere

Agenda

\. Discussion of Session 1 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 1 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:
* Coping with multiple sources of stress can overwhelm children and
families.
* Classroom teams can begin to help by accepting rather than judging
children and families.
¢ It is important to help families identify and build on their strengths.
You can ask questions and/or voice concerns before the session begins.
ll. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. The Head Start Team (45 minutes)

Your copy of the Head Start Program Performance Standards and the Final Rule on
Head Start Services for Children with Disabilities are the “Reading” for this session. In
this discussion you will review how the Head Start program is carried out by a team of

‘ 53
u

ions


tion for Trainers

In a multistressed environment children and families are affected by one or more sources
of significant stress, for example, homelessness, substance abuse, or lack of basic
necessities. The stresses are not caused by single events such as divorce or death of a
parent. Rather, they are routine, unrelenting, and woven into daily life and are a result of
societal conditions and pressures that are beyond the control of individuals.

Living with high levels of stress can take a toll on young children’s development in both
direct and indirect ways (Molnar, 1991). For example, children may not receive
immunizations or medical care, they may not have safe places to play, or they may not
have enough food at mealtimes. Parents’ energies often are focused on meeting the
family’s most basic needs: food, clothing, shelter, and safety. There may be little time to
focus on meeting the less obvious social and emotional needs of young children;
therefore, children may not receive the emotional support they need to grow and develop.

Many Head Start staff have asked for assistance in addressing the needs of children and
families from multistressed environments. This skill-based training program was
developed in response to these requests.

The Purpose of this Skill-Based Training Program

This skill-based training program has a dual purpose. First, it suggests practical
strategies for working with children who live in multistressed environments. If the
strategies sound useful and feasible, classroom teams can try them in their work with
children.

Second, participating in this staff development program can provide ongoing support for
classroom teams. The support groups introduced in Session 8 can continue indefinitely,
with the Education Coordinator and/or Mental Health Specialist serving as facilitators.
Depending on staff responsibilities, programs may want to actively involve other
coordinators. Ongoing support for staff has been built into this program for several
reasons:

* Working with children who are highly stressed can be emotionally
demanding. Classroom teams need a clear understanding of their role
and how the other components support their efforts. This understanding
can help them avoid doing too much and becoming frustrated and
stressed. Team work is an essential part of the job—within the
classroom, the Education Component, and the Head Start program.

* Some staff may themselves live with multiple sources of stress (for
example, living in a community where violence is prevalent). They may
benefit from talking about the stress they experience in their own lives,
as well as the stress they experience in trying to meet children’s needs.
This is covered in depth in Session 1, and continues in the other
sessions.

iii ob



Identify the Problem

Observe the child for several days, compare your notes, and answer the following
questions.

1, What does the child do that concerns you?

2. Why do you find the behavior challenging? For example, does the behavior
disrupt the group or make it difficult for the child to participate in activities?

3. When and how often does the behavior occur? Is it every day? during transitions?
during free play? Does it happen when he is tired, hungry, or frustrated?

4, How long has the child been behaving this way? Is this something new or has the
child always behaved this way?

5. What do you think the child is trying to communicate? For example, is the child
angry, frustrated, confused, overstimulated, scared, lonely, sad?

181



14

- Difficulty using utensils (forks, knives, spoons)
Darnell is used to eating with his hands.. It seems
that he doesn’t know how to use utensils. His
teacher sits with him at mealtimes to help him
learn how to use his spoon and fork. She offers
encouragement without criticizing or forcing him
to use utensils.

'

Short attention span, quickly moving from one
activity to another.

During the last ten minutes, Demia . played with
the blocks, climbed up to the loft and down again,
walked around in the firefighter’s hat, and used
the baster at the water play table. His teacher
will show him how to use some of the materials in
the classroom and sit with him while he plays.

* Mental health

- Moods change quickly and without notice.
As the children and adults walked outside to the
playground, Marie noticed that her shoe was
untied and started screaming. Her teacher
quickly responded, tied Marie’s shoe, and sat with
her quietly for a few minutes until she calmed
lown.

Unable to relax.

Eddie stands by his cubby watching the other
children. His teacher asks him if he would like to
play with playdough. The teacher plays with
Eddie for a few minutes, rolling the dough and
using the different utensils.

Appears to lack self-esteem; doesn’t want to try
new tasks; seems to be afraid of failing.

A teacher offers Kim a turn with a new game.
Kim says, “No. I want to do the old one.” The
teacher offers to play the old game with Kim first,
then they can try the new one.

Seeks attention and physical contact indiscrimi-
nately.

When a visitor comes to the classroom, Jon runs
to her and asks to be picked up. His teacher
Offers to sit and read a book with Jon.

Clings to people and possessions.

Several times this week, Eric refused to take off
his coat and stayed close to his teacher all day.
His teacher took a Polaroid® picture of him, hung
it over his cubby, and told Eric that the cubby was
his own special place.

bey

oO



C. Routines (20 minutes)

Summarize what children gain from participating in routines and why it is important to
handle them thoughtfully. You can use the following discussion questions or make up
your own:

* What are the daily routines in your own life?

« What are the daily routines in your classroom?

¢ Why is it important to perform routines in the same way each day?

* How can predictable, consistent routines help children who live in
multistressed environments?

Use brainstorming to come up with some suggestions that classroom teams can use to
help children during routines. Record these on a flip chart. You can use the suggestions
in the reading as prompters or add them to the list if they aren’t generated by participants.

D. Transitions (20 minutes)

Summarize why children who live in multistressed environments may need extra
attention during transitions from one activity to the next. You can use the following
discussion questions or make up your own:

¢ Why do you think children who live in multistressed environments
might find transitions difficult?

* How do children behave when they find a transition difficult?

* What feelings are they trying to express?

Use brainstorming to come up with some suggestions that classroom teams can use to
help children during transitions. Record these on a flip chart. You can use the

suggestions in the reading as prompters or add them to the list if they aren’t generated by
participants.

E. Handling Routines and Transitions (30 minutes)

Handout 5-1: Handling Routines and Transitions describes six situations in which
children have difficulty handling transitions. Divide the participants into small groups (3
or 6 per group, depending on how many participants are in attendance) and assign each
group 1 or 2 situations. Ask the smal] groups to read and discuss the situations and
develop strategies to help the children.

At the end of the discussion you can distribute Handout 5-2: Suggestions for Handling
Routines and Transitions which includes some suggested strategies. These may repeat
or be in addition to the strategies developed by the small groups. Discuss any new
suggestions and determine whether they could be used in your program.

ek



What are some slassroom
behaviors that might be
exhibited by a child who
is living ina
multistressed environ-
ment?

72

¢ Families may live in overcrowded homes, with little
private space. Homeless children in particular have
intense needs for privacy and individual space, and
may have difficulty sharing materials in the classroom
and their teacher’s attention.

Children growing up in overcrowded or unsafe
homes, or children who have moved frequently, may
have had no place to play and few opportunities to
develop friendships.

Families may have little control over their lives, and
the children may have had few opportunities to leara
how to make decisions and choices. This lack of
control can be communicated to the children in the
family both directly and indirectly. For example, in
many homeless shelters meals are served at specific
times, and food is not available in between meals. If
a family misses the meal time (perhaps because the
bus was late, or the alarm clock didn’t go off) chil-
dren are likely to be hungry until the next meal. This
is one reason why children may be so hungry when
they arrive at Head Start that they do not participate
in the activities.

Young children can display a wide range of signs that their
lives are full of stress. The behaviors described in the
examples might be due to a variety of stresses including:
exposure to violence, child abuse or neglect, homelessness,
and so on. Children do not respond to stress in the same
ways that adults do. They may develop coping mecha-
nisms that make it difficult to play and make friends with
other children. Regardiess of the cause of the stress, what
children need most is a safe, supportive environment,
including caring adults. They need many opportunities to
play because play helps them cope with stress and develop
friendships. In addition, some children may need addi-
tional services from specialists such as a speech therapist,
psychologist. or physician,

As you review the examples that follow you may think,
“These sound like typical children, not children who are
affected by stress.” Typical children may behave in these
ways occasionally, however, a highly stressed child is
likely to exhibit several of these behaviors, day after
day, for long periods of time.

The examples show the response of one member of the
classroom team. The individual would discuss the child’s
behavior and strategies for responding with the classroom
team and with component staff such as the Disabilities
Coordinator or the Mental Health Consultant .

‘


Head Start is based on the belief that all parents want the The Role of Parents
best for their children. The program recognizes parents as in Head Start
the prime educators of their children. Classroom teams

can have profound effects on children’s lives, but parents

have lifelong relationships with their children. They have

known and cared for their children since birth and will

continue to care for them long after they leave the Head

Start program.

Strong partnerships between classroom teams and parents
are based on respect and trust. Both parents and classroom
teams make unique contributions that help children develop
“social competence.” When these partnerships are effec-
tive, everyone benefits. Parents lear more about their
children and strengthen their parenting skills. Staff feel
confident about their roles as they learn more about how to
meet each child’s needs. Children feel more secure know-
ing that both their parents and their teachers can keep them
safe and help them learn.

The Head Start Program Performance Standards include
written confirmation of how important parents are. In the
first workshop we discussed what the other components do
to support parents. The Education Services Component's
role in supporting parents is defined in the Performance
Standards:

1304.2-1 Education services objectives.!

(c) Involve parents in educational activities of the
program to enhance their role as the principal
influence on the child’s growth and develop-
ment.

Programs encourage parents to actively participate in
their children’s Head Start experiences, for example,
as classroom volunteers.

(d) Assist parents to increase knowledge, under-
standing, skills, and experience in child growth
and development.

Head Start provides resources, one-on-one discussion,
and training on topics such as “How Children Learn
Through Play” or “Encouraging Your Child’s Self-
Help Skills.”

TU. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Head Start Program Perfor-
mance Standards, 45-CFR 1304 (Washington, DC; U. S. Government Printing
Office, November, 1984) p. 4

15°



ur Classroom Te.

Complete this chart indicating the roles and responsibilities of team members during
various daily events (these may not be listed in the same order as they occur in your

program). You might want to add or change the daily events to match your schedule.

Team Member

Roles and Responsibilities

Example:
Ms. Carter
Mrs, Logan
Ms. Noonan

Arrival

Free Play

Routines and Transivions

Outdoor Play

Lunch/Snack

Rest/Nap Time

Departure

Greeted parents and children
Set up interest areas
Comforted crying child

6¢

6l



; “‘Session3 —.
‘Characteristics of Children Living
‘ in Multistressed Environments

Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

¢ Identify typical classroom behaviors that may indicate children are living in
multistressed environments.

* Help children develop self-esteem.

* Encourage children’s cognitive and physical development.

Materials

+ Flip chart, markers, and tape
¢ Reading
3: Characteristics of Children Living in Multistressed Environments
* Handout
3: Getting to Know an Individual Child (Part 1)
* Follow-Up Activities
3-1: Encouraging a Child’s Development
3-2: Getting to Know an Individual Child (Part 2)

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 2 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
Use the discussion to reinforce the following:

* Head Start component staff can work together to successfully address
the needs of families affected by multiple sources of stress.

¢ Each component can make a unique contribution in working with
families.

* Classroom teams can make a big difference in a child's life when they
work together to identify and respond positively to a child’s needs.

Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.



Participants’ Materials

Session 1: Responding to Stress
Reading...
Handouts.
Follow-Up Activities .

Session 2: Head Start’s Response .
Handouts.....
Follow-Up Activities .

Session 3: Characteristics of Children Living in
Multistressed Environments

Follow-Up Activities .

Session 5: The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions
Reading ...
Handouts ..
Follow-Up Acti

Session 6: Helping Children Cope With S Stres:
Reading...
Handouts .
Follow-Up Activity

Session 7: Supporting Parents ..

Follow-Up Activity
Session 8: An Approach to Problem Solving
Reading...
Handouts

31


- Session 8

An Approach-to. Problem Solving

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

* Use problem solving techniques to develop strategies for helping
individual children.
+ Establish ongoing support groups.

Materials

* Reading

8: An Approach to Problem Solving
¢ Handouts

8-1: Problem Solving Format

8-2: Support Groups

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 7 Follow Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 7 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:
¢ Maintaining strong partnerships between parents and staff benefits
everyone, especially the children.
* The Education Services Component can support parents so that they will
feel like competent, independent adults.

You will have an opportunity to ask questions and/or raise concerns before beginning the
discussion.

Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Identifying and Addressing Children’s Needs (1 hour)

During this discussion, refer to Reading 8: An Approach to Problem Solving, which shows
how a classroom team used a series of problem solving steps to examine the reasons for a
child’s behavior and to develop strategies for helping the child. Handout 8-1: Problem
Solving Format is a blank form you can use in the future.



out 2-1: How Our Head Start “Team” Works Together

In a small group discuss how the component staff in your Head Start program might work
together to address the needs described in the following situations. Your trainer will ask
you to discuss one or more situations. Assume that you are the classroom team member
who has noticed the need. Use the questions below to guide your discussion, Be
prepared to discuss your responses with the other participants.

How Would Your Head Start Team Respond In These Situations?

. When a parent brings her son to the program one morning, she tells the teacher that he
is probably hungry because she didn’t have any food at home.

. Achild appears to be very withdrawn, seldom playing with others and spending most
of the day by himself.

. Several parents complain to the teacher that the meals at Head Start don’t taste like
what they cook at home.

. Acchild has had a cough for more than a month. His grandmother says she has not
taken him to see a doctor, because she knows he will get better when the weather gets
warmer.

. Atan Education Component meeting the teachers report that many children are tired
when they arrive in the morning. Their parents say that the children don’t get to sleep
until 10 or 11 p.m.

A parent asks a teacher how she can become a classroom volunteer.

In a meeting to plan home visits, a classroom team member says that she is too scared
to go to one of the neighborhoods where many Head Start families live. .

A parent faints in the classroom. When she recovers she says that she is 3 months
pregnant and has not seen a doctor.

. What does this child or parent seem to need?

. Which component staff member would you discuss this situation with first?

Ga.

55



Session 4 ;
The Learning Environment

Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

* Create a supportive Head Start environment for children who might be
experiencing high levels of stress.

¢ Adapt the environment to provide appropriate levels of interest and
challenge for all children.

Materials and Equipment

+ Flip chart, markers, and tape
* Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs
« Reading
4: The Learning Environment
¢ Handout
4: Adapting the Environment (Part 1)
* Follow-Up Activities
4-1: Adapting the Environment (Part 2)
4-2: Assessing the Environment
4-3: The Daily Schedule

Agenda
1. Discussion of Session 3 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)

Use the discussion to reinforce the following:

* There are many different ways classroom teams can help children
develop trust and autonomy, and promote cognitive and physical
development.

* Development is a gradual process and it takes a long time for some
children to progress to the next stage.

* Classroom teams need to observe carefully to see children’s growing
sense of trust and autonomy, and their growing cognitive and physical
skills.

Answer questions and/or iiddress participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.



B. How the Education Services Component Can Support Parents.
(15 minutes)

As you participate in this discussion, think about what you do to support parents.
Remember, some of the suggestions in the reading can be implemented by the Education
Services Component alone and some require coordination with other components.

C. Effective Parent Education Techniques (30 minutes)

Handout 7-1; Effective Parent Education Techniques includes several “stories” based on
the experiences of a Head Start teacher. Read each one and discuss your reactions with
your classroom team. The second part of the activity asks you to write your own “story”
and prepare to share it with the full group.

After sharing your “stories” the group will identify what these techniques have in
common and generate a list of “Principles of Effective Parent Education Techniques.”

D. Acknowledging Your Feelings (20 minutes)

As you participate in this discussion, consider the difficulties that can arise when
classroom teams become overwhelmed and have trouble accepting families.

This activity is designed to help participants identify possible negative or judgmental
feelings about children and families. Your trainer will use flip chart paper to label the left
side of one wall as the area representing “totally agree” and the right side as “totally
disagree.” You will imagine a line drawn on the floor between these two signs. The left
end of the line represents total disagreement with a statement. The right end represents
total agreement with a statement. The line forms a continuum of disagreement and
agreement. As your trainer reads some statements, you will stand on a place on the line
that represents your feelings. After you place yourself on the continuum you can share
the reasons for your responses.

E. Accepting Families (25 minutes)

Ideally, the Mental Health Specialist will lead this activity, which is described on
Handout 7-2: Accepting Families. You will be asked to think of a child and family
whom you find difficult to accept and write down all of your negative feelings toward
this family. For example, “He only wants to do what he wants to do.” “She ran out of
money before the end of the month, again, so her daughter comes to Head Start hungry.”
Nobody will see your paper. After you are finished you can throw it away.

Next, you will think of the same child and family and make a list of their strengths. For
example, “He really enjoys the block area.” or “She comes to all the parent workshops.”
The lists don’t need to be long—two or three items are sufficient. You might want to
think of your own strengths and how they can be applied to working with this child and
family.

Finally, you will plan ways to use your strengths as you work with the child and family.
Volunteers can share their plans. If there are no volunteers your trainer will move on to
the next part of the agenda. Participants may not want to share their feelings openly.

188



Follow-Up Activity 3-2: Getting to Know an Individual Child —

(Part 2)

During the next week continue learning about the child on whom you focused in this
session. Observe the child at different times of the day and while engaged in different
activities. Complete as much of Handout 3: Getting to Know an Individual Child as
possible to summarize what you have learned about the child.

Discuss your observations and summary with your classroom team members. How can
you help this child learn appropriate coping mechanisms? What else would you like to
know about this child?

m4 di



What are some things
you can do when stress
becomes overwhelming?

Living in
Multistressed
Environments

40

- Making a “to do” list, then crossing off what
you don’t really need to do;

- Establishing priorities and a schedule for the
tasks you must do;

- Asking for help from friends and family;

- Asking for help from professionals; and

- Working with colleagues, rather than in
isolation, to help a child or family.

Most people handle stress using a variety of healthy and
unhealthy strategies. If you try to use more of the “healthy”
Strategies, you will find that they generally are more effec-
tive and really do relieve tension,

There are times when adults face situations that are over-
wheiming. These overwhelming situations may bring on a
type or amount of stress that is beyond what has been
discussed thus far. These adults are having difficulty
coping with stress. As long as they internalize feelings
rather than act upon them, their tension levels rise. Pro-
longed, unmanaged stress can result in physical illnesses,
mental health problems, or breakdowns in interpersonal
relationships.

The stress that some Head Start staff experience is very real
and tends to be frustrating. Using healthy techniques to
manage stress can help you “get back on track” and prevent
“burn-out.” Managing your own stress is especially impor-
tant if you work with children and families living in
multistressed environments.

A multistressed environment is one in which children and
families are affected over a long period of time by one or
more sources of significant stress such as domestic or
community violence, homelessness, substance abuse, or
lack of basic necessities. The stresses are not caused by
single events such as divorce or death of a parent. Rather,
they are routine, un-relenting, and woven into daily life.
They are a result of societal conditions and pressures that
are beyond the control of individual families.

The coping strategies discussed earlier in this session will
not provide much relief from these unrelenting sources of
stress. Families may be able to develop strategies for
resolving the stress in their lives; however, there are many
situations over which they have no control.

Wea
(em



Physical Development

Gross motor skills

Can this child run, jump, climb, hop, and so on?

Can this child pull a wagon?

Can this child ride a tricycle?

Can this child throw and catch a ball?

What else can this child do?

Fine motor skills

Can this child turn the pages in a book?

Can this child use crayons or hold a paint brush?

Can this child roll playdough, put together Legos® or other manipulatives?

What else can this child do?

88



What Parent Involvement
Component Did

What You Did

How You Followed Up

Example:

Made personal contact with
parents to invite them to visit
program.

Welconiesi parents to classroom,
Allowed parents to join in when
they feit comfortable.

Let coordinator know which
parents are classroom volunteers.

ou



Uniqueness

What makes this child special?

What does he or she like to do?

What makes the child laugh, cry, be frustrated, act out?

How does the child respond to the different members of the classroom team?

How would you characterize the child’s usual temperament—easygoing, assertive,
placid, high energy?

What else makes this child unique?

Ability to Cope With Stress

How does this child respond when asked to clean up before he or she is ready?

Does this child spend much of the day alone or rocking back and forth?

Does this child become frustrated or angry when there are minor distractions?

What else does this child do to cope with stress?

You can include the team’s completed observation summaries
in this chiid’s file. You might want to use observation
summaries to get to know ail the children In your class.

gu

89


Rest time

Situation

What You Can Do

Kia lives in a large, noisy apartment
building. She often seems frightened when
she falls asleep or wakes up from a nap at
the center. She is afraid of the dark and
worries that she will be left alone while
asleep (this happened to her several times
in the past). Also, Kia needs more sleep
than is allotted in the daily schedule.
Occasionally, Kia sleeps a very long time
and wets her pants.

Include Kia in stories and discussions about
feelings and fears. Encourage her to talk
about rest time and bedtime. Help her put
dolls to bed for the night or a nap.

Address Kia’s needs at rest time; stay close
by her; play soft, relaxing music; provide
soft blankets and stuffed animals if she
doesn’t bring them from home.

Reassure Kia that someone will be there
while she sleeps and when she wakes up.
Keep a lamp or several night lights on to
help Kia overcome her fear of the dark.

Make sure Kia visits the bathroom before
rest time, Handle Kia’s, and any other
child’s, toileting accidents calmly.

Talk with the Social Services Coordinator
about Kia's need for sleep.

Departure

Situation

What You Can Do

Maria often loses ail self-control at the end
of the day. She refuses to pick up, runs the
other way when she sees her mother, and
some days has a tantrum. Maria seems
uncertain of what the next day will bring.
She has been to a lot of different preschool
programs so she often asks, “Can I come
back tomorrow?” Maria asks her mother,
“Where are we going tonight? Are we
going to eat dinner?” Often Maria's
mother arrives looking very stressed. She
has little patience for her daughter and
does not know how to handle Maria's
outbursts.

Give Maria plenty of attention at the end of
the day and opportunities to express her
feelings about going home. Help her
remember something from the day to tell
her mother about.

Reassure Maria that she can come to Head
Start the next day. If you think she will not
eat dinner. give her a snack right before she
leaves. Share something positive about
Maria's day with her mom. Say good-bye
to Maria and her mom. Tell them you look
forward to seeing them again tomorrow.

Observe Maria in the dramatic play area to
see if she is expressing some fears through
her play.

Check with the Social Services and Parent
Involvement Compon: nts to make sure they
are aware of this family’s needs.

rawr



; ; Session6— -
Helping Children Cope with Stress

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

¢ Help children develop acceptable coping skills.

* Use positive guidance techniques to help children learn self-discipline.
¢ Analyze the reasons for children’s behavior.

¢ Develop strategies for handling children’s challenging behaviors.

Materials

¢ Reading
6: Helping Children Cope With Stress
¢ Handouts
6-1: Helping Orlando Learn to Cope
6-2: The Meaning Behind Children’s Behavior
6-3: Handling Challenging Behaviors
¢ Follow-Up Activity
6: Using Positive Guidance Techniques

|. Discussion of Session 5 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)

As you discuss the Session 5 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:
* Children who live in multistressed environments have a great need for
consistency and predictability.
* Careful planning of the schedule, routines, and transitions can reassure children
and help them learn to trust.
You can ask questions and/or voice concerns before the session begins.
ll. Discussion Questions and Activities

A. Helping Individual Children Cope with Stress (30 minutes)

Reading 6: Helping Children Cope With Stress provides the content for this training
segment. Your trainer will record on a flip chart examples of the kinds of stress all
children have to cope with and the kinds of stress that affect children who live in



D. Handling Challenging Behaviors (25 minutes)

After leading a discussion on ways to handle challenging behaviors, ask participants to
work in four small groups to discuss challenging behaviors and to generate strategies for
addressing them. Participants might discuss:

« What makes these behaviors “challenging?”

« How can teachers individualize effective strategies?

« How can teachers preserve children’s self-esteem while dealing with the
challenging behavior?

* How can teachers help children learn positive ways to cope with stress?

Ask each group to share their strategies. You can use the information in the reading to
summarize these discussions.

Ill. Closing (5 minutes)

* Ask participants to share an example of something they learned in this
session that they can use to help a child learn to cope.

* Distribute and review the Follow-Up Activities that are to be completed
before you meet again. They will be discussed at the beginning of the
next session.

¢ Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session. Give a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

om)

¢



5. Acknowledge events and transitions in families’ lives.

6. Be sensitive to parents’ feelings about leaving their child at Head Start.

7. Maintain confidentiality when parents share something private with you.

8. Add your own suggestion here:

9. Add your own suggestion here:

Strong partnerships between parents and classroom teams
benefit children and support parents as prime educators of their
children.

74

iG



Providing Additional Training

There are many reasons why a child or family might be experiencing high levels of stress.
Depending on child, family, and staff needs, Head Start programs might want to address
more topics than are included in this training. For example, your program may want to
provide training on topics such as:

Supporting children with special needs;

The effects of community violence on children,
Preventing and responding to substance abuse;
Recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect;
Developmentally appropriate practice;

The importance of play in an early childhood program;
Communicating with parents;

Child development from birth to age five; or

Working with homeless children and families.

oo ereoeee

There are many excellent resources on the above topics. For more information, you can
review the list of resources included at the end of this introduction and/or contact your
Head Start technical assistance providers.

Adapting these Materials for Other Components

Although these materials were designed to support classroom teams in their work with
children who are highly stressed, Head Start programs may want to adapt them to provide
training for other components. In addition, much of the content is useful for home
visitors and other staff in home-based programs. These staff development materials can
supplement materials developed specifically for the home-based option.

viii

1i



Describe a situation when a child in your classroom was upset or lost control. Answer
the questions that follow and analyze possible reasons for his or her behavior.

Child: Date:

Setting:

What did the child do?

Has this happened before? How frequently?

What did you do?

What do you think was the reason for the child’s behavior?

It’s important to remember that, in most cases, there is a reason
for a child's behavior.

i 145



How the Educaticn
Services Component
Can Support Parents

162

(e) Identify and reinforce experiences which occur
in the homie that parents-can utilize as educa-
tional activities for their children,

Head Start encourages parents to reinforce and
build on their child’s activities by sending
home parent newsletters full of ideas for home
teaching and learning.

In addition, the Multiculura! Principles for Head Start
Programs also recognize the important role parents play.
The second principle states:

2. The cultural grows sepresented in the communi-
ties and families of each Head Start program are
the primary sources for culturally relevant
programming.

For parents who are coping with multiple sources of stress,
just having their children enrolled in Head Start may
provide much needed support. The respite Head Start
provides gives parents a temporary break from child care
responsibilities and perhaps gives parents opportunities to
tackle and eliminate some of the sources of stress in their
lives. For example, knowing that their child is well cared
for at Head Start may allow a parent to work, attend a
literacy class, enroll in a job training program, look for
housing, care for a sick relative, or participate in a substance
abuse treatment program. If families need full-day child
care so they can work towards achieving their goals, the
Education Services Component staff can work with other
component staff to help the family find the necessary
support.

At times, parents may have ambivalent feelings about Head
Start. They may have control over very little in their lives
and may fear that Head Start is trying to gain control of
their children. Staff need to be sensitive to this concern and
let parents know that their involvement in their children’s
lives and in the program are valued. In addition, parents
may not be aware that Head Start is a program for the
whole family. They may have heard only of the services
that are provided for children. During the enrollment
process staff need to tell parents about what Head Start
offers children, what the program offers parents, and what
parents can offer the program.

Some parents may feel pressured to be a volunteer. They
may feel too overwhelmed by what is going on in their lives
to devote time to the program. When parents are willing to
become classroom volunteers, it is helpful to ask them to
choose how they would like to be involved. At first,

ba
ost



Accepting Families

Think of a child and family whom you find it difficult to accept and write down all of
your negative feelings toward them. For example, “He only wants to do what he wants to
do.” “She ran out of money before the end of the month, again, so her daughter comes to

Head Start hungry.” Nobody will see your paper. After you are finished you can throw it
away.

1, What negative feelings do you have towards this child or family?

Nobody will see this paper. You can throw it away at any time.

157

169



* Lack of emotional support. Single and teenage

parents in particular may lack the support they need to
raise their children.

¢ Learning a new language and adapting to a new
culture. Some non-English speaking parents may
find it very difficult to communicate. In addition,
becoming familiar with a new culture can be stressful

at times.
What are some of the Families tend to have similar concerns, needs, and behav-
effects of living ina iors, regardless of what is causing the high levels of stress in
multistressed environment? their lives. Some families have the skills and strength

needed to cope with their stress in positive ways. However,
some families are overwhelmed by their stressful environ-
ment. They may experience effects such as the following:

¢ Life can be unstable, unpredictable, and chaotic,
making it difficult for children to develop a sense of
trust, which is critical to healthy growth and develop-
ment.

+ For some parents, high levels of stress may make it
difficult to nurture their children.

* Children’s nutritional needs may not be met.

* Families may not have access to needed health care,
including immunizations and dental checkups.

* Parental discipline may be inconsistent, overly puni-
tive, or nonexistent.

a7

of


Each two-hour session builds on the information and activities presented in the previous
one. We suggest scheduling them on a weekly basis. Depending on program needs, vou
may want to cover the material more quickly, or you may want to take more time with
specific topics or activities.

Head Start programs have different needs. After reviewing the training guide, you may
want to adapt the sessions to address needs identified by you and the classroom teams, or
to reflect your own training style. For example, team might want to focus on one or two
children as they participate in the eight sessions, and as they complete the follow-up
activities. This approach would give them in-depth knowledge of these children and their
families, how they are affected by multistressed environments, and appropriate ways for
Head Start to respond.

Making the Most of the Follow-Up Activities

The follow-up activities allow classroom teams to apply the skills and information gained
through each session as they work with children in their classrooms. When appropriate,
teams are asked to consult with other component staff as they complete the activities.
The activities are discussed at the beginning of the next session before new topics are
introduced. Trainers may want to expand the time devoted to discussing the follow-up

activities as these exercises reinforce and build upon the content and activities addressed
in the sessions.

Most of the follow-up activities ask classroom teams to focus on an individual child. It is
likely that much valuable information will be collected about individual children that can
be included in their individual files. In addition, it might be appropriate to use the
activity to identify and address the needs of all the children in the classroom.

Establishing Ongoing Support Groups

Support groups bring together people who are experiencing a similar stress to exchange
and process information. In the support groups formed at the end of Session 8, classroom
teams can meet to discuss individual children and to brainstorm strategies for creating the
kind of environments, routines, and interactions that will help children who are
experiencing high levels of stress. Support groups can heip staff:

* feel less isolated and part of a larger team;

* reduce their stress levels by discussing problems encountered in their vork;
* learn and apply problem solving strategies; and

* identify available resources within Head Start and the community.

Over time, as the support group continues meeting, leaders are likely to emerge within
the group. These individuals can assume greater leadership within the group and
facilitate sessions if the Education Coordinator or Mental Health Specialist is not
available.

vii



B. Living in Multistressed Environments (45 minutes)
As you participate in this discussion, think about the following:

* How do the sources of stress found in multistressed environments differ
from the kinds of stress discussed in the first part of this session.

* What types of stress are prevalent in the community served by your
Head Start program?

Most of the sessions in this staff development program will contribute to answering the
question: How can classroom teams respond? To begin addressing this important
question, you will participate in a learning activity with your classroom team. Handout
fe Accepting Families includes the materials you will need to conduct several role
plays.

After the role plays, your trainer will lead a discussion on how to accept all children and
families. You will consider questions such as the following:

¢ What are Frankie’s strengths? How can his mother and teacher work
together to build on them?

* What are Ms. Jackson’s strengths? How can she use them as the prime
educator of her child?

* What are Ms. Reed’s strengths? How can she use them to support Ms.
Jackson as the prime educator of her child? To help Frankie grow and
develop?

lil, Closing (5 minutes)

* Participants will share examples of the healthy ways they handle their
own stress and what they might do to reduce or eliminate sources of
stress in their lives.

¢ Complete Follow-Up Activity 1-1: Daily Log and/or Follow-Up Activity
1-2: Life in a Multistressed Environment before your next meeting.
They will be discussed at the beginning of the next session.

* The group will agree on when and where you will meet for the next
session and listen to a brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

35



Meals and snacks

Situation

What You Can Do

Antonio is always very hungry and
anxious right before meals and snacks. He
worries that there won’t be enough to eat.
It is hard for him to wait until the serving
bowls come to his end of the table.
Sometimes he eats so quickly that he
chokes on his food. The end of the meal is
also hard for Antonio, who seems to be
always hungry and unsure when he will
have another meal.

Reassure Antonio that there will be enough
to eat every day. Encourage him to eat
slowly and take small bites of food. Have
enough food for second and third helpings.

Set up snacks on a table with cups, plates,
napkins, juice in small pitchers, and
nutritious, non-perishable finger foods
such as crackers, cheese, peanut butter, or
fruit. Let children know when you set out
the food so they can serve themselves
when hungry, and give a warning when
you put the leftover food away (about one
hour before lunch).

Set up a small refrigerator in your room.
(You might find a donation or put it on the
“wish list” for your room.) Stock the
refrigerator with nutritious snacks and
allow children to get food when hungry.
They can eat at a table nearby.

Discuss Antonio’s eating habits with the
Health/Nutrition Coordinator.

Playing o

utdoors

Situation

What You Can Do

At home Michael does not have a safe

place to play outdoors. His family feels
that it is not safe for him to be outdoors,
and their worries have been passed on to
Michael. When his class goes outside to
play he worries about being left behind

when the group goes inside. He is often
the last child to be ready to go outdoors.

Reassure Michael that adults will be outside
with the children. Review the safety rules
for going outdoors.

Allow sufficient time for Michael to put on
his coat, hat, mittens, and boots. Let him
know in advance that it will soon be time
for outdoor play. Ask him if he would like
to bring one of his favorite toys outside—
almost all indoor materials also can be used
outdoors. Invite him to play with you
and/or other children and encourage his
involvement in active play—which will
help distract him from his fears.

Talk with the Social Services Coordinator
about Michael's living conditions.

128

Lig



Ask each team to share its examples of component coordination. Clarify any inaccuracies
or misunderstandings and answer questions about how the components in your program
work together to provide services for children and farnilies.

C. The Education Services Component (30 minutes)

Lead the group in a discussion of the roles and responsibilities of the following
individuals:

The Education Coordinator
Teachers

Assistants

Volunteers

You may want to provide copies of the job descriptions for the Education Services
Component.

Your discussion is likely to point out that there is a lot of overlap because team members
often share responsibilities. However, each team member has a unique role. Ask the
classroom teams to think of a typical day in their classrooms. They will use Handout 2-
3: A Typical Day for Our Classroom Team to list the roles and responsibilities each
team member carried out during that typical day.

As participants share their responses, point out the ways staff support children and
families.

Ill, Closing (5 minutes)

* Ask participants to think about realistic, appropriate ways that Head
Start can help children and families. What can Head Start to do to build
on families’ strengths and encourage greater social and economic self-
sufficiency?

* Distribute and review the Follow-Up Activities that are to be completed
before you meet again. They will be discussed at the beginning of the
next session.

* Agree on where and when you will meet for the next session. Give a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.

N
we



¢ The term classroom team refers to master teachers, teachers, assistants,
aides, classroom volunteers, and other adults who work directly with
children. Occasionally, the term teacher is used to designate any of the
above team members.

* Classroom teams will work together during the sessions and to complete
follow-up activities.

Distribute Handout I-1: Responding to Children Under Stress: Session Overviews and
review the content and format of each session.

* The first seven sessions can help participants develop skills and
knowledge.

* Session 8 provides guidance on establishing an ongoing support group
for classroom teams (teachers, assistants, volunteers).

Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.
I. Discussion Topics and Activities
A Your Own Experiences With Stress (1 hour)

In this session participants will discuss stress: the kinds they experience, how they cope,
what they do to minimize sources of stress, and what happens when it gets out of control.
It is important for staff to recognize their own responses to stress and to learn how to
handle it effectively because their jobs (working with children and families) can be very
stressful. No matter how much they like their jobs, how well they do them, or how
rewarding they find the work, most of the “helping professions” (e.g., teaching, child
care, social work, nursing) can be very demanding.

Next lead a discussion on “What is stress?” You can use the definition in the reading to
get the group started.

What are some sources of stress in your life outside of work?

As you lead a discussion on sources of stress in participants’ personal lives, remind them
that what is stressful for one person may not be for another. In addition, emphasize that
not all stress is negative. Many joyous occasions such as the birth of a child, a wedding,
or a graduation also are stressful. Feelings of stress can even give people the extra energy
they need to tackle a difficult job, handle a dangerous situation, or respond in an
emergency.

Record participants’ responses on the left side of a flip chart. For each one, ask whether
it was a challenge or a threat. You will use the right side later in this session.

What are some sources of stress that take place at work?
Before posing this question, explain that what one person finds stressful on the job may

not be stressful for another person. The reading includes examples of the types of
responses you can expect.



+ Staff may have conflicting feelings about families—at times supportive,
at other times angry and judgmental. These feelings are normal. While
it is important for staff to express their feelings, they need to feel
empathy and respect for families in order to support their children.
Trainers can model respect and empathy for families as an integral part
of all sessions.

Content of the Training Sessions

To fully benefit from this training, classroom teams need knowledge and skills in three
specific areas. First, they should have basic knowledge of child growth and
development. Second, they should understand and be implementing developmentally
appropriate practice. Lastly, as many of the follow-up activities involve observing
children, it is also important for classroom teams to know how to conduct and record
observations. In addition, classroom teams should have a working knowledge of the
multicultural principles for Head Start Programs. If classroom teams need further

ussistance in these areas, we suggest that such training be provided before beginning this
program.

This training reinforces the following principles that guide all Head Start programs:

* Parents want the best for their children. They are the prime educators
of their children. Strong partnerships between classroom teams and
parents are based on respect and trust. Both parents and classroom
teams make unique contributions that help children develop “social
competence.”

¢ Head Start is a multidisciplinary program, designed to be implemented
by a team of staff. Each component supports the work of the others.
Individual staff members do not work in isolation. Instead, they work as
a team to help children and families receive the full benefits of Head
Start.

Below are summaries of each two-hour session:

1. Responding to Stress addresses the meaning of stress, discusses healthy
and unhealthy ways to manage stress, and describes the conditions that
may exist in multistressed environments. Participants complete an
activity related to accepting families.

2. Head Start’s Response reviews the roles and responsibilities of each
Head Start component. Classroom teams define. the constructive roles
they play in working with children and families, both within the
classroom and in conjunction with other components.

w

. Characteristics of Children Living in Multistressed Environments
reviews the signs that a child may be experiencing high levels of stress.
Next comes an overview of how children develyp self-esteem and what
classroom teams can do to support children’s development of self-
esteem and other skills. After a brief review of observation and
recording, an activity focuses on getting to know individual children.



Effective discipline makes use of positive guidance tech-
niques that are:

* Based on realistic expectations for children’s behav-
ior that reflect an understanding of child development
and based on knowledge of what individual children
are like.

¢ Individualized according to developmental stages,
individual needs, and the situation.

What positive guidance There are many positive guidance techniques that can help

techniques can help children leam self-discipline. Some examples follow:
children learn self- . .
discipline? + Have a few simple, important classroom rules so

that children are not overwhelmed. Children will feel
a sense of mastery because they can remember and
follow these rules. If there are too many rules they
are likely to forget them, and, consequently feelings
of inadequacy may be reinforced. Rules might
consist of the following:

- We won’t let anyone hurt another child or adult.
~ Everyone helps in his or her own way.

~ Put things away when you are finished playing.
- Respect each other’s belongings.

As children gain an understanding of why rules are
important, classroom teams can ask them to partici-
pate in rule-making. This will help them develop a

sense of ownership and self-control.

Stay calm and objective when observing play that
may reflect the children’s experiences, but is “inap-
propriate” for a preschool program.

- When children imitate drug use—e.g., pretend-
ing to use crack cocaine—simply intervene by
saying, “I’m the teacher here and I won’t let
anyone use drugs.”

- When children engage in sex play—e.g., lying
on top of each other in the doll bed—involve
them in another activity. “It’s time to clean the
house now and get ready to go to the store.”

Be sure to report the incidents to the appropriate
component head (generally social services) and
discuss what further response is needed in your
classroom. If your observations lead you to suspect
child abuse or neglect, you must follow state and local
laws regarding filing a report.

For children who have very short attention spans,
cannot sit still, or become easily distracted, keep

Pas.

144



Has something ever happened that disrupted your schedule,a © Handling Disruptions
routine, or a transition?

* You were in the middle of a project at home when
your six-year-old interrupted you and asked for help.

¢ You missed the bus and were late for work—again.

The refrigerator broke down the day after you bought
a lot of groceries.

¢ A ‘training workshop began half an hour later than
scheduled,

* You were eating lunch with the children when a child
wet his or her pants.

* Your car broke down.

How did you feel?

* Angry

* Frustrated

* Foolish

* Overwhelmed
* Scared

How did you handle it?

« Asked for help.

« Rearranged my schedule.

¢ Planned to make changes in my routines.

* Took a deep breath and did what needed to be done.

How might a child respond when he or she: How do children

handle disruption?
¢ Can’t find a special blanket at nap time. 2 P

* Learns that the daily schedule has been changed so
the group can go outside to watch construction
workers dig a hole.

+ Arrives at the program late and finds the other chil-
dren busy at play.

* Wakes up before getting enough sleep.

* Is very involved in an activity and is asked to stop to
clean up.

* Is picked up earlier or later than usual.

* Learns that he or she is leaving the program at the end
of the week.

* Moves to a new home,

Disruptions to the daily schedule, routines, and transitions
can be very disturbing for children who live in multistressed
environments. They tend to need a great deal of consis-
tency and predictability in their lives. It is important to

lia



Reading 3: Characteristics of Children

Living:in Multistressed Environments *

As children grow and mature—gain self-esteem, develop The Effects of
social skills, use a variety of cognitive abilities, practice Multistressed
newly acquired fine and gross motor skills—they are ,

challenged. This challenge creates stress—the kind that we Environments

normally think of as healthy. In addition to these normal
and healthy challenges, children who live in multistressed
environments often must cope with hunger, extreme pov-
erty, homelessness, or violence. They need help from
classroom teams to lear ways to cope with these unrelent-

ing sources of stress,
The following are examples of how children who are highly How might children
stressed might be affected. be affected by living

in a multistressed
environment?

* Some children may not have received the nurturing
needed to develop a sense of trust. In the words of
Lisbeth Schorr, “Both common sense and research tell
us that as family stress, regardless of its source,
increases, the capacity for nurturing decreases, and the
likelihood of abuse and neglect increases.”! When
parents are overwhelmed by the stresses of daily life,
they may not be able to respond to their young
children’s needs consistently, predictably, and
thoughtfully. Instead, children may get the message
that they are not valued. They may see themselves as
being in the way, a nuisance, or even a burden.

Children may have grown up in an environment that
was so unsafe that they were not allowed to use their
senses to explore. For example, when a family lives
in substandard, hazardous housing, it may be neces-
sary for an infant or toddler to spend much of the day
in a crib, stroller, high chair, or other confining
equipment, rather than being free to move and crawl
around. Such lack of freedom can inhibit or slow
down development.

Families may not provide consistent, age-appropriate
guidance to help their children develop self-discipline.
Discipline may be sporadic, overly punitive, and/or
applied without regard for the child’s developmental
age. For example, one day children may be punished
for talking back to parents, while on another day this
same behavior is ignored. Lack of consistency can
make it difficult for children to develop trust.

1 Schorr, Lisbeth B. and Daniel Schorr, Wirhin Our Reach, Breaking the Cycle of
Disadvantage (New York: Doubleday, 1988), p. 151.



Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Supportive Head Start Environments (1 hour)

Lead a discussion on the characteristics of classroom environments that can help reduce
children’s stress. As you review each characteristic, ask participants to suggest ways they
could adapt their indoor and outdoor environments. Remind participants that
developmentally appropriate programs are individualized to respond to all children’s
skills, needs, and interests. In addition, developmentally appropriate programs adhere to
Head Start’s multicultural principles. The bulleted items in Reading 4: The Learning
Environment are suggestions that may work in your program.

B. Changing the Environment to Meet a Child’s Needs (45 minutes)

Handout 4: Adapting the Environment, is used for this activity. Ask classroom teams to
focus on one area of the environment—for example, blocks, outdoors, dramatic play,
library, sand and water—and list the toys, materials, and equipment located there.

Next, teams should focus on a child in the room who needs help to get positively
involved in this area. The child might be one who is withdrawn and seldom gets involved
with materials and activities. The child might have a short attention span, be very
disruptive, or be over-whelmed by the area. Teams will discuss what this child might
need to benefit from the area.

When teams have completed their plans, ask them to share their ideas with the other
participants. Discuss the importance of making changes gradually, over time, so that
children won’t be overwhelmed by too many changes at once.

Ill. Closing (5 minutes)

* Ask participants to share something learned during this session that they
can,use next week with the children,

¢ Distribute and review the Follow-Up Activities that are to be completed
before your next meeting. They will be discussed at the beginning of the
Next session.

« Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session. Give a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.


Session 7

~. Supporting Parents»

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

+ Describe how parents are involved in the Head Start program.
¢ Implement strategies for supporting parents.
¢ Leam to accept children and families without passing judgment.

Materials

¢ Reading
7: Supporting Parents
* Handout
7-1: Effective Parent Education Techniques
7-2: Accepting Families
* Follow Up Activity
7: Maintaining Strong Partmerships

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 6 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
As you discuss the Session 6 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:
* The behaviors children use to cope are signs of their stress.
* Classroom teams may not be able to address the sources of children’s
stress but they can help them learn acceptable ways to cope.
* Using positive guidance will help children develop self-discipline, which
allows children to have a sense of control over their lives.
You can ask questions and/or voice concerns before the session begins.
Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. The Role of Parents in Head Start (15 minutes)
As you participate in this discussion, think of how parents are supported by the Health,
Social Services, and Parent Involvement Components. Think of examples of what you do

to meet the Education services objectives, as stated in the Head Start Program
Performance Standards.

14¢



Scott, S. L., “What Works for Abused Children: Environments and Activities,”
Beginnings, Fall 1985.

Soderman, Anne K., “Dealing with Difficult Young Children, Strategies for Teachers and
Parents,” Young Children, July 1985.

Wilson, Jean, Dan Thomas, and Linda Schuette, “The Silent Screams: Recognizing
Abused Children,” Education, 104 (1), 1983.

Books and Manuals

Beaty, Janice J., Observing Development of the Young Child, Charles E. Merrill Co.,
Columbus, OH, 1986.

Boxhill, Nancy, ed., Homeless Children: The Watchers and Waiters, Haworth Press,
New York, NY, 1990.

Garbarino, James, Nancy Dubrow, Kathleen Kostelny, and Carole Pardo, Children in
Danger: Coping with the Consequences of Community Violence, Jossey-Bass, San
Francisco, CA, 1992.

Kersey, Katharine, Helping Your Child Handle Stress, Acropolis Books, Washington,
DC, 1986.

Levy, Steven Jay, and Eileen Rutter, Children of Drug Abusers, Lexington Books, New
York, NY, 1992.

Schorr, Lisbeth B., and Daniel Schorr, Within Our Reach, Breaking the Cycle of
Disadvantage, Doubleday, New York, NY, 1988.

Texas Department of Human Resources, Day Care, Families, and Stress, Austin, TX,
1985.

Conference Presentations

Molnar, Janice, “Multistressed Young Children and Their Families: Implications for
Practice,” presented at the National Networking Meeting for Head Start Education
Coordinators, November 1990,

Molnar, Janice, “Some Effects of Homelessness and Chronic Poverty on Preschoolers
and Theii Families with Implications for Head’ Start Practice,” presented at New
Directions in Child and Family Research: Shaping Head Start in the Nineties, Arlington,
VA, June 24-26, 1991.

Other

Matthiessen, Constance, “Offsetting the Effects of Crack on Babies,” Washington Post
Health, December 31, 1991.

Molnar, Janice, Home is Where the Heart Is: The Crisis of Homeless Children and

Families in New York City, A Report to the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, Bank
Street College of Education, March 1988,

xi atk



Follow-Up Activity 6: Using Positive Gu lance Techniques

On a large piece of paper, make a list of several positive guidance techniques you would

like to try during the next week. Post the list in the classroom as a reminder. During the

next week keep track of the times you use positive guidance and how the children
respond. You can record your experiences on the chart below, or on one of your own

design.

Dates:

Positive Guidance Technique

Child’s Response

Example:

For the first time since coming to Head Start, Mary
cleared her dishes by herself. I said to her, “Mary,
I like the way you cleared those dishes. You
remembered all by yourself.”

Day One

Mary looked at me and smiled. The next day she
told me, “I cleared my dishes today.” I praised her
again.

Day Two

Day Three

145

155



Session 6

Helping Children Cope with Stress

Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

+ Help children develop acceptable coping skills.

+ Use positive guidance techniques to help children learn self-discipline.
* Analyze the reasons for children’s behavior.

* Develop strategies for handling children’s challenging behaviors.

Materials and Equipment

Flip chart, markers, tape
¢ Reading
6: Helping Children Cope With Stress
¢ Handouts
6-1: Helping Orlando Learn to Cope
6-2: The Meaning Behind Children’s Behavior
6-3: Handling Challenging Behaviors
* Follow-Up Activity
6: Using Positive Guidance Techniques

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 5 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
Use the discussion to reinforce the following:
¢ Children who live in multistressed environments have a great need for
consistency and predictability.
* Careful planning of the schedule, routines, and transitions can reassure
children and help them learn to trust.
Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the discussion.
Il. Discussion Topics and Activities
A. Helping Individual Children Cope with Stress (30 minutes)
Use a flip chart to record examples of the kinds of stress all children have to cope with

and the kinds of stress that affect children who live in multistressed environments. Refer
back to your earlier discussions of this topic in Session 3. Discuss the following:

Cs
we

21



Develop Strategies

List several strategies for helping this child.

Implement Strategies

Try out your strategies for a week or more. Allow enough time for change to take place.
Ask another team member to observe the child, then discuss what you each have seen.
Bring questions to staff meetings.

Evaluate and Refine Strategies

If your strategies are effective, continue to use them. If not, look for other ways to
achieve the same goal. For some children, even if the program is developmentally
appropriate and you have made adaptations, it will not “solve” their problem. Change
can be slow for many children—it is important to set realistic, short-term goals.

184



Materials That Allow
Children to ExpressTheir
Feelings, Frustrations,
and Fears, and

Release Tension

Consistent ElementsThat
Do Not Change

How can Head Start provide this? “Toddler” items (e.g.,
puzzles with 3 to 8 large pieces, peg boards with large holes
and large pegs, and push and pull toys) can be included in
the interest areas along with items that are more challeng-
ing. Children are !ikely to gravitate towards the items that
they find challenging, but not frustrating.

Be sure to observe children to have a clear idea of what new
skills they are developing. As children make progress,
classroom teams can provide more challenging materials.

Why is this important? Children may have feelings that
they may not be able to express through words. Most
preschool children need some outlets for strong feelings
from time to time. Materials for self-expression are a part
of most classrooms. Classrooms that serve children who
are affected by multistressed environments need more of
these.

How can Head Start provide this? Sand and water play,
paper for tearing, playdough, fingerpaint, shaving cream,
are excellent vehicles for self-expression. In addition,
provide a variety of children’s books that address real-life
situations and feelings.

Why is this important? Children living in multistressed
environments can learn to trust in the program. A class-
room that is generally the same today as it was yesterday
helps them feel in control, safe, and nurtured.

How can Head Start provide this? For some children,
changes in the environment are interesting and stimulating.
Classroom teams can make these changes, while leaving
other elements in place. For example, after a field trip to
the zoo, a teacher might set up a second dramatic play area
with “zoo” props but leave the housekeeping area un-
changed.

12



Handout 6-3: Handling Challenging Behaviors :

In this activity, participants work in small groups to discuss a challenging behavior and

generate strategies for addressing this behavior. Be prepared to share your strategies with
the full group,

Challenging Behavior:

What makes this behavior challenging?

Describe some strategies that might be effective in dealing with this behavior:

How can you preserve children’s self-esteem while dealing with this challenging
behavior?

How can you help children learn acceptable coping behaviors?

Be sure to pay attention to all children and let them know that
you value their positive behaviors.

144

153



Session 4

The Learning Environment

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

¢ Create a supportive Head Start environment for children who might be
experiencing high levels of stress.

Adapt the environment to provide appropriate levels of interest and
challenge for all children.

Materials

¢ Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs
¢ Reading

4: The Learning Environment
° Handout

4; Adapting the Environment (Part 1)
* Follow-Up Activities

4-1: Adapting the Environment (Part 2)
4-2: Assessing the Environment
4-3: The Daily Schedule

Agenda

1. Discussion of Session 3 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)

As you discuss the Session 3 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:

¢ There are many different ways classroom teams can help children

develop trust and autonomy, and promote cognitive and physical
development.

* Development is a gradual process and it takes a long time for some
children to progress to the next stage.

* Classroom teams need to observe carefully to see children’s growing
sense of trust and autonomy, and their growing cognitive and physical
skills.

95



National Perinatal Addiction Research and Education (NAPARE), Perinatal Addiction

Research and Education Update, 11 E. Hubbard Street, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60611 -
2512, quarterly newsletter.

Southern Association on Children Under Six, Prenatal Cocaine Exposure: The South

Looks for Answers, A SACUS Special Report, P.O. Box 5403, Little Rock, AR, 72215-
5403, 1991.

Poulsen, Marie K. Ph.D., “Risk Factors of Early Childhood and Strategies for Healthy

Development,” Culifornia Foster Care Network, Shelter Care Study, Child Development
Subcommittee Report, November 1987.

xii



* Set up the water table with a wide variety of props.
Nearby, set up on a table individual dishpans full of
water with one or two bottles or cups.

Set up the sand table with a wide variety of props.
Nearby, set up on a table individual trays of sand (the
sand can be used again) with large bottle caps (such as
2-liter soda or detergent bottle caps). Some children
are soothed by repetitive play expc-iences such as
scooping up sand in the bottle cap, dusaping it in the
tray, then scooping up sand again.

Set up the easels with two colors of paint. Let chil-
dren know that additional colors are available.

Provide individual sand trays (large aluminum roast-
ing pans work well) and a variety of props (small
animals, human figures, houses, trees, and other
familiar items). Children can use the props to create
“stories” that allow them to express their feelings.

Set up the dramatic play area with a few housekeep-
ing props (telephone, toaster, baseball caps) relevant
to most children’s experiences. Nearby, where
children can reach them, store prop boxes containing
materials to expand dramatic play. Use clear contain-
ers or plastic mesh baskets so children can easily see
what is in the prop boxes.

Divide the library area so that one part includes books
with words and complex pictures. In the other part
include picture books with only a few words such as
Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Why is this important? There is no right or wrong way to
use materials such as sand, water, playdough, paint, blocks,
and dramatic play props. They are used in a variety of ways
by children at different developmental levels. They will
remain appropriate as children develop new skills.

How can Head Start provide this? Sand, water,
playdough, paint, blocks, and dramatic play props are
included in most preschool rooms. Providing a variety of
props from very simple (measuring cups) to more complex
(pumps and plastic tubing), will allow children at different
developmental levels to be interested and challenged.

Why is this important? Because they have not been
exposed to them, some children may not know how to use
the materials typically found in preschool classrooms. They
need to have success with simple toys and materials that
will prepare them for exploring the more complicated items
in the classroom,

in;

Open-Ended Materials

Toys and Materials That
Are Appropriate for
Younger Children

101


ctivity 4-2: Assessing the Environment

Use this form to assess how well your environment meets children’s needs. Review the
assessment results and plan ways you can adapt or change the environment. Try out
some of your ideas before the next session.

Personal Spaces Where Children Can Be Alone for a While

What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Personal Belongings and Space to Store Them
What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Home-like Materials
What We Provide Now Changes We Would Like to Make

Lite



Rest time

Situation What You Can Do

Kia lives in a large, noisy apartment
building. She often seems frightened when
she fails asleep or wakes up from a nap at
the ceater. She is afraid of the dark and
worrivs that she will be left alone while
aslecy: (this happened to her several times
in the past). Also, Kia needs more sleep
than is allotted in the daily schedule.
Occasionally, Kia sleeps a very long time
and wets her pants.

Departure

Situation What You Can Do

Maria often loses all self-control at the end
of the day. She refuses to pick up, runs the
other way when she sees her mother, and
some days has a tantrum. Maria seems
uncertain of what the next day will bring.
She has been to a lot of different preschool
programs so she often asks, “Can I come
back tomorrow?” Maria asks her mother,
“Where are we going tonight? Are we
going to eat dinner?” Often Maria’s
mother arrives lookin very stressed. She
has little patience for her daughter and
does not know how to handle Maria’s
outbursts.

dy


“Follow-Up Activity

Invite a staff member from another component to visit your classroom to learn more
about the daily lives of children. (If component staff regularly visit your classroom, ask
someone to make a special visit to focus on a particular child or on how you handle a
specific routine or time of the day.) Follow up to learn the visitor’s impzessions, answer
questions about what he or she saw during the visit, and discuss ways to address
children’s individual needs. Use the format provided or one of your own to summarize
this activity.

Visitor: Component:

What did this visitor see in your classroom and what suggestions did she or he
make?

How do you and this individual plan to follow up on the visit?

You have many colleagues in Head Start who can help you
support children and families.



A child who is living in a multistressed environment might
exhibit behaviors such as the following:

+ Developmental differences

- Developmental delays, especially in language,
fine and gross motor, and social skills.
When four-year-old Bryce’s teacher observes him
trying to cut a piece of paper for a collage, she
realizes that he isn't ready to use scissors. She
shows him how to tear paper so he can make a
collage. He never used scissors before coming to
Head Start. So he needs time to develop his fine
motor skills.

Developmental lags or regression to previous
stages.

Some days Francie likes to lie in the corner with
her legs curled up, sucking her thumb. Her
teacher sits with her and rubs her back, reassur-
ing her that she is in a safe place.

¢ Family relationships

- Strong bonds with siblings and/or takes care of
younger siblings.
Although Katie and Derek are in separate class-
rooms, they always look for each other during
outdoor play time. Their teachers plan activities
that the children can do together as well as those
that involve other children.

Frequent, repeated ambivalent and avoidance
behavior towards mothers.

In the morning Geneva won't say good-bye to her
mother and at pick-up time she cries and says she
doesn’t want to go home. Her teacher helps her to
reconnect with her mother at the end of the day
and talks to her about her mother during the day.

+ The daily program, routines, and transitions

- Sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep
and waking up, and nightmares.
Most days Helena has a hard time falling asleep.
She tosses and turns and stares at the ceiling.
Her teacher rubs her back to help her fall asleep.

- Too tired to participate in activities,
Anna put her head down on the table and quickly
falls asleep. Her teacher set sup a cot near the
book comer so Anna can take a nap.



How can classroom teams respond?

Explain to participants that most of the sessions in this staff development program will
contribute to answering the question: How can classroom teams respond? To begin
addressing this important question, conduct the activity described in Handout 1-2:
Accepting Families.

The purpose of the activity is to help classroom teams acknowledge their feelings and
learn to accept families without passing judgment on behaviors, lifestyles, or
circumstances. The first page is a description of “Frankie,” a child who shows signs of
being affected by multiple sources of stress. The second page, “Laurie Jackson,”
expresses his mother’s feelings on her way to a parent-teacher conference. The third
page, “Ms. Reed,” expresses the teacher’s feelings as she waits for Ms. Jackson.

Each member of the classroom team will assume a different role. One will be Laurie
Jackson, one Ms. Reed, and one an observer. Ms. Jackson and Ms. Reed will conduct a
role play of the conference while the observer watches, listens, and takes notes. After the
role play, team members will share their reactions to the conference. Participants can
switch roles twice so that each person can have a turn playing the three roles.

After the teams have completed three role plays, lead a discussion on how to accept all
children and families. Ask questions such as the following:

¢ What are Frankie’s strengths? How can his mother and teacher work
together to build on them?

* What are Ms. Jackson’s strengths? How can she use them as the prime
educator of her child?

¢ What are Ms. Reed’s strengths? How can she use them to support Ms.
Jackson as the prime educator of her child? to help Frankie grow and
develop?

lil, Closing (5 minutes)

Ask participants to share examples of the healthy ways they handle their
own stress and what they might do to reduce or eliminate sources of
stress in their lives.

¢ Distribute and review the Follow-Up Activities that are to be completed
before you meet again. They will be discussed at the beginning of the
next session.

¢ Agree on when and where you will meet for the next session. Give a
brief overview of the topics to be addressed.


Obtain Information
From the Child’s
Family

178

2. Why do you find the behavior challenging? For
example, does the behavior disrupt the group or
make it difficult for the child to participate in
activities?

We don’t know whether to let him sleep. If he sleeps,
he misses important parts of the program. If he doesn’t
Sleep, he’s too cranky to participate.

We’re not sure what to say to the other children.

There’s nowhere for him to sleep during free play time.

3. When and how often does the behavior occur? Is it
every day? during transitions? during free play? Does
it happen when he is tired, hungry, or frustrated?

This behavior occurs in the morning, about 3 times a
week,

4. How long has the child been behaving this way?
Is this something new or has the child always behaved
this way?

Andrew started coming to school tired two weeks ago.
Before that he stayed awake through lunch time and
then had a two-hour nap.

5. What do you think the child is trying to communi-
cate? For example, is the child angry, frustrated,
confused, overstimulated, scared, lonely, sad?

It’s clear that Andrew is tired and cannot concentrate on
anything else.

Try to meet with the child’s family to discuss the child’s
behavior at the program and at home. In addition, talk with
the Social Services and Parent Involvement Coordinators to
learn more about what might be taking place in the child’s
life. Look for answers to the following questions:

1. Is anything happening at home that might be causing
the behavior? Have there been any changes in the
home environment?

One of us talked to Andrew’s mother. She said that
Andrew's two older cousins moved in with his family
three weeks ago. Andrew sleeps in the same room with
them. They go to bed at 11:00 p.m.

An 18 year old aunt takes care of Andrew at night while
his Mom works. She lets him stay up with his cousins
until 11:00 p.m.

ba


4: Adapting the Environment (Part 1)

With your classroom team, focus on one area of the environment—for example, blocks,

outdoors, dramatic play, library, sand and water—and list the toys and materials in this
area.

Toys, materials, and equipment in the area of the environment:

Next, think of a child who has a hard time playing in this area. The child might be one
who is withdrawn and seldom gets involved with the materials and activities. Or, the
child might have a short attention span, be very disruptive, or be overwhelmed by the

area. As a team, discuss what this child needs to benefit from this area and answer the
following questions.

Child: Date:

Describe the problems this child has in using this area:

What can you add to this area to help the child play there?

La. 103



Il. Discussion Topics and Activities

A. How Children Are Affected by Living in Multistressed Environments
(35 minutes)

As you lead a discussion on how children are affected by high levels of stress, encourage
participants to share their own thoughts and feelings about children’s home and
community environments. Some participants can particularly gain from an opportunity to
vent frustration and anger towards families experiencing stress. For some individuals it
may be a necessary step in learning to recognize the many stresses families face, and
learning to accept children and families.

As you review the examples of classroom behaviors that might be exhibited by children
living in multistressed environments, ask participants to share their own experiences
working with children who exhibit behaviors similar to the ones in the examples. The
examples of children’s behaviors and teachers’ responses are provided as “discussion
starters.” As you review the examples, you may think, “These sound like typical
preschool children, not children who are affected by stress.” It is true that typical
preschool children may behave in these ways at times, however, a highly stressed child

is likely to exhibit several of these behaviors, day after day, and for long periods of
time.

The examples show a teacher’s response within a classroom setting. The teacher would

also consult with other classroom team members and component coordinators to address
the child’s needs.

End this segment of the training by explaining that the behaviors described in the
examples might be due to a variety of stresses including: exposure to violence, child
abuse or neglect, homelessness, and so on. Children do not respond to stress in the same
ways that adults do. They may develop coping mechanisms that make it difficult to play
and make friends with other children. Regardless of the cause of the stress, what children
need most is a safe, supportive environment, including caring adults. They need many
opportunities to play because play helps them cope with stress and develop friendships.
Session 6 will discuss ways to help individual children cope with stress.

B. How Children Develop Self-Esteem (10 minutes)

Because self-esteem is important for sound development and learning, classroom teams
need to understand how children develop a sense of self. During this discussion
encourage participants to share examples from their own experiences of how children
develop self-esteem.

C. Helping Children Learn to Trust (10 minutes)

Explain that children begin developing trust when they learn to rely on an adult such as a
parent, caretaker, or teacher. Their feelings of trust grow as they develop friendships
with other children. A once withdrawn child may begin acting out as she begins to
develop trust. While staff may be frustrated and confused, the child is making progress.
A newly developed sense of trust allows her to test the rules and boundaries of the
classroom. Classroom teams need to continue supporting the child so she will learn that
adults will continue to care for her even when she misbehaves.


Laurie Jackson

You are out of breath from running to the center from the bus stop. You were taking care
of your sister's baby so you had to wait for Momma to come home to take over for you.
She was late getting home from work and then your bus was late.

You like being a classroom volunteer because you think kids are cute and it’s fun to be

with your son. You hope that Ms. Reed will still be there because you are really worried
about Frankie.

You like to go out in the evenings so you and your sister let Momma take care of the
kids. She can handle Frankie better than you can. The children are afraid of Momma so
they do what she tells them to do. You figure she’s got more experience as a parent than
you, so you might as well let her take care of the kids. When you pay attention to
Frankie, Momma says you are spoiling him. Maybe you should have had Momma come
to the conference instead of you.

You come into the room and say, “I’m really sorry, Ms. Reed. I hurried the best I could.”

Ms. Reed

To prepare for this conference, you reviewed the classroom team’s observation notes on
Frankie and have a lot of information to share. You think Frankie has many, many
problems, some of which you didn’t notice until Ms. Jackson pointed them out. You
think Frankie needs to get help immediately.

You look at your watch one more time, then finally hear footsteps on the stairs. Out of
breath, Laurie Jackson comes in the door. She says, “I’m really sorry. I hurried the best I
could,” You smile and say, “It’s okay, Ms. Jackson, I had some paper work to finish.”
That’s not how you feel, however. Behind your smile you are thinking, “If she really
cared about Frankie she would have been here on time.”

46


How can Head Start provide this? Classroom teams can
include items that reflect a variety of cultural backgrounds,
including those of the children in the group. They can add
home-like items such as pillows, curtains, kitchen utensils, a
couch or overstuffed chair, tablecloths, plants, flowers, soft
lighting from lamps rather than overhead fluorescent lights,
and mirrors. Classroom teams can take photographs of
children and families if a Polaroid® camera is available.

Creating a home-like environment includes providing
dramatic play props that mirror children’s lives. Props
might include old suitcases and tote bags, brown paper
bags, winter coats, and sleeping bags or quilts that snap
together. Classroom teams can make “mental notes” during
home visits and then gather appropriate props.

Why is this important? Children can be overwhelmed by Limited, Simple
too much visual stimulation. When the walls are cluttered it Wall Decorations
is difficult to separate one item from another.

How can Head Start provide this? Classroom teams can
evaluate what they are hanging on their walls and bulletin
boards to determine what items should remain. They can
include items that are developmentally appropriate and of
interest to the children and leave plenty of space between
items so that the walls are not cluttered. One section of the
wall can be used for a “rotating” art exhibit, hung at
children’s eye level.

Why is this important? Multistressed environments often Soft Music
are very noisy. Soft music, played at intervals during the Rather Than Loud
day, can be soothing and relaxing. When background noise

is too loud or when music is played constantly, children

may “tune it out” and often can’t pay attention to human

voices.

How can Head Start provide this? Encourage children to
select the music they would like to listen to and when.
They can use sturdy, inexpensive “walkmen” with ear
phones as well as tape or record players with speakers.

Why is this important? Some children live in homes and Space for indoor
neighborhoods where there are few opportunities to develop and Outdoor Gross
physical skills. Active play releases tension, enhances Motor Activities

children’s self-esteem, and promotes physical development.

How can Head Start provide this? Gross motor activities
are an important part of any preschool program. Ideally,
children play outdoors twice a day. During extremely
inclement weather, programs can provide indoor gross
motor activities in the classroom or in other parts of the

ot
w



Explain that the Education Services Component’s role in supporting parents is defined in
the Head Start Program Performance Standards in three of the Education services

objectives. As your review the objectives ask participants for examples of what they do
to meet each one.

B. How the Education Services Component Can Support Parents
(15 minutes)

As you review the suggestions in the reading, ask participants for examples of what they
do to support parents. Remind participants that some of these suggestions can be
implemented by the Education Services Component alone. Others can be accomplished
in conjunction with other components.

C. Effective Parent Education Techniques (30 minutes)

Handout 7-1: Effective Parent Education Techniques includes several “stories” based on
the experiences of a Head Start teacher. Ask participants to read each one and discuss
their reactions with their classroom teams. The second part of the activity asks
participants to write their own “stories” and prepare to share them with the full group.

Reconvene the group and ask classroom teams to share their own “stories” about
effective parent education techniques. Next, ask the group to identify what these

techniques have in common. Generate a list of “Principles of Effective Parent Education
Techniques.”

D. Acknowledging Your Feelings (20 minutes)

Begin by discussing the difficulties that can arise when classroom teams become
overwhelmed and have trouble accepting families. Next, explain that the purpose of this
activity is to help participants identify negative or judgmental feelings they may have
about children and families. .

Use a piece of flip chart paper to label the left side of one wall as the area representing
“totally agree.” Label the right side as “totally disagree.” Ask participants to imagine a
line drawn on the floor between these two signs. Tell them that the left end of the line
represents their total disagreement with a statement. The right end represents their total
agreement with a statement. The line forms a continuum of disagreement and agreement.
Ask participants to stand on a place on the line that represents their feelings about each of
the following statements. After participants place themselves on the continuum, ask a
few volunteers to share the reasons for their responses.

+ Families who are homeless are victims of hard times.
(“Ask, Why did you respond as you did?”)

* Substance abusers have a physical addiction and need treatment.
(“Ask, Why did you respond as you did?’)

* Teenage parents should care for their own children. They should not
expect the child’s grandparents to take over.
(“Ask, Why did you respond as you did?”)



group times as short as possible—no more than five
minutes. Try eliminating circle time altogether fo.
children who have difficulty coping in a large group;
instead, read to small groups or have sharing time
with two or three children during free play.

Individualize rules and expectations when appro-
priate. For example: Allow Eric to paint at the easel
for all of free play time even though other children are
asked to take turns. (Explain the situation to the other
children.) This is the one activity that Eric has shown
interest in, and it seems to help him to express his
feelings and release tension through painting.

Redirect children to acceptable activities. For
example, if a child is throwing blocks, explain that
blocks may not be thrown, and show her how to
throw bean bags into a laundry basket.

Help children understand the consequences of
their actions. For example, Chamelle grabs the
funnel from Krystal at the water play table. Krystal
tums and hits Charnelle. Explain to Charnelle that the
reason Krystal hit her was because she took her
funnel. Help her think of another way to get the
funnel. (Also, be sure to tell Krystal that it is not okay
to hit other children.)

Help children get over minor mistakes and acci-
dents—their own or other children’s. For example, if
Tevin bumps into Ronnie, help Tevin explain to
Ronnie that it was an accident and not intentional. If
Tevin spills his juice, stay calm and tell him where to
find a sponge to wipe up the spill.

Provide lots of positive reinforcement when chil-
dren follow the rules or cooperate. “Geneva, I like the
way you used your words to ask Malcolm for a tum
on the swing.”

Some inappropriate behaviors such as biting or temper
tantrums can be very disruptive and very difficult to handle.
Children use challenging behaviors as a way to cope with
stress. When children are out of control they need adults to
step in calmly and take over. Some suggestions for han-
dling specific challenging behaviors follow.?

When children hurt others by hitting, scratching, kicking,
and so on, respond by getting down at the child’s level,
looking the child in the eye, and clearly stating the rule
forbidding this behavior:

2 Based on Derry G. Korale! uidanee, Depurtment of Detense
Family Child Care Providers’ Training Program (Washington, DC: Teaching
Strategies, 1993),

13/

Handling Challenging
Behaviors

145



Session 2
Head Start’s Response

__Overview for Trainers

Objectives
This session will enable participants to:

* State the roles and responsibilities of Head Start component staff.
¢ Explain and give examples of how Head Start components work together.
* Describe the ways in which classroom teams work together.

Materials and Equipment

Flip chart, markers, and tape
* Head Start Program Performance Standards (one copy per participant)
¢ Final Rule on Head Start Services for Children with Disabilities (one
copy per participant)
¢ Handouts
2-1: How Our Head Start “Team” Works Together
2-2: Component Coordination Log (Part 1)
2-3: A Typical Day for Our Classroom Team
Follow-Up Activities
2-1: Component Coordination Log (Part 2)
2-2: Component Classroom Visit

Agenda
|. Discussion of Session 1 Follow-Up Activities (10 minutes)
Use the discussion to reinforce the following:
* Coping with multiple sources of stress can overwhelm children and
families.
* Classroom teams can begin to help by accepting rather than judging
children and families,
* It is important to help families identify and build on their strengths.

Answer questions and/or address participants’ concerns before beginning the session.

we
=



What Social Services
Component Did

What You Did

How You Followed Up

Example:

had a special need such as
clothing or transportation.

Made home visit to see if family

Let social worker know that child
was often not appropriately
dressed for the weather.

Let social worker know when
child comes more appropriately
dressed.

“Ba



unfamiliar schedule. The rules and expectations at home
may differ from those at the center. There may be a family
Situation that is upsetting the child. Sometimes their behav-
ior is trying because they are bored, tired, curious, or
frustrated. It’s important to remember that, in n.ust cases,
there is a reason for the child’s behavior. Some reasons
children might misbehave follow:!

* They are affected by a physical condition. Health
problems and conditions such as illness, allergies,
physical or learning disabilities, lack of sleep, poor
nutrition, or hunger can contribute to children’s
misbehavior, When a child frequently or consistently
has difficulty behaving appropriately, the possibility
of physical causes should be considered. Classroom
teams can discuss examples of the child’s behavior
with the parents and the component coordinators.

They don’t know what they are supposed to do.
Adults often give children brief instructions delivered
in an authoritative voice. “Pick up.” “Put that away.”
“Use the brush properly.” “Get ready.” They may
assume that children know how to respond to these
requests. Instead, some children don’t know what
they are supposed to do and may not understand the
words that adults use. They may need adults to show
them what to do and how to do it. For example, some
children need to be taught that “pick up” means
collecting the toys and putting them back on the
shelves, They may not understand terms such as
“properly” and aren’t likely to ask what the strange
word means. A child may need an adult to show him
how to hold a paint brush so the paint doesn’t drip
onto his hand.

.

They need more attention than they are getting.
Children need to feel important and valued. When
they don’t receive enough positive attention, they may
act out to get negative attention. Their need for
attention is so great that they may “misbehave”
because it will get adults to notice them and spend
time with them. Unfortunately, once they are suc-
cessful in getting attention by misbehaving, they are
likely to continue the unacceptable behavior until the
cycle is broken.

They feel frustrated or discouraged. When a child
misbehaves often, perhaps the classroom materials
and activities do not match his or her developmental

1 Adapted from Special Training for Special Needs; Module 5: Program
Implementation, by Project ETC, Greatcr Minneapolis Day Care Association and
Portage Project, 1989.

142 1

ne



force children to sleep, Some children just need to
rest during quiet time.

Encourage children to select something to take to
nap with them to hold, rub, feel, or play with quietly
while they are getting ready to fall asleep. Many
adults find it helpful to spend some time reading a
book or watching television before they can relax
enough to fall asleep. Some children have similar
needs.

Assign one classroom team member to be with the
same group of children when they fall asleep and
wake up.

Transitions are the in-between times when children are
moving from one activity to the next. These can be unset-
tling for several reasons. Some children worry because they
aren’t sure what will happen next. Others are frustrated
because they aren’t ready to stop playing, get up from nap,
or come indoors. Others are bored because they are ready
for the next activity and can’t handle long waiting periods.
Remember that a transition is a change. Some children find
it hard to cope with changes because so many things in their
lives are unpredictable and inconsistent. Classroom teams
need to plan for transitions just as they plan for the other
parts of the day. One team member can help the children
who are not ready to move to the next activity while another
works with the rest of the group.

Some examples of supportive ways to handle transitions
include:

¢ Extend free play time for a short while for a child
who is not ready to move on to the next activity.

¢ Extend nap times or provide additional rest
periods for children who need more sleep.

¢ Provide advance notice of transitions. Most pre-
school children need some advance notice; children
who live in multistressed environments often need
this even more.

¢ Explain what will happen in the classroom, when,
and with whom. Be sure children always know
“what comes next.”

and Janice Molnar, “No Place to Call Home: Supporting the Needs of Homeless
Children in the Early Childhood Classroom,” Young Children (Washington, DC
National Association for the Education of Young Children, September 1993).

Ls

Transitions?

What are some
supportive ways to
hurdle transitions?

121



: Handling Routines and Transitions -

In a small group discuss what you can do to help children in the following situations
handle routines and transitions. Your trainer will ask you to discuss one or more
situations. Be prepared to discuss your responses with other participants.

Arrival

Situation

What You Can Do

Gina and Ms. Davis had a very hectic
morning and it was a long ride to the
center from Grandma’s where they have
been staying since Ms. Davis lost her job.
Gina’s mom is worried about saving
enough money for the security deposit on a
new apartment, staying out of her mother’s
way, and going on a job interview. Gina
likes being with her Grandma, but she is
worried about her mother. There wasn’t
time to have breakfast this morning so
Gina is hungry. She asks her teacher,
“What time is lunch?” She’s tired too,
because she had to sleep with her mother,
who watched television until midnight.
She sucks her thumb and twirls her hair.

Ending one activity and starting another

Situation

What You Can Do

Troy has a hard time deciding what to do
during free play. He wanders around the
room—stopping in the block corner for a
minute, putting on a firefighter’s hat,
looking at the covers of the books—for a
long time until he picks an activity. When
it is time to end one activity and start a
new one, often he is not ready to stop what
he is doing and get ready for the next part
of the day, for example, lunch or outdoor
play. He often refuses to put his things
away at clean up time.

n-
te!)

123


4. The Learning Environment describes some elements of a supportive
environment that are important for all children, but are particularly
important for children who live in multistressed environments.
Classroom teams focus on an individual child and suggest ways to adapt
the environment to meet the child’s needs.

5. The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions begins with a
discussion of how participants respond to disruptions in their daily lives
and how children typically respond to changes at home or Head Start.
The importance of predictable, consistent schedules, routines, and
transitions is emphasized. Classroom teams review situations in which
children have difficulty handling transitions and discuss ways to help the
children cope.

6. Helping Children Cope with Stress describes how classroom teams
can help children learn acceptable ways to cope with stress. Participants
discuss the reasons for children’s behavior and positive guidance
techniques that promote self-dicipline. Strategies for handling
challenging behaviors are presented and teams analyze possible reasons
far a child’s behavior.

7. Supporting Parents reviews the role of parents in Head Start and offers
examples of how staff can support parents. The importance of accepting
parents without passing judgment is emphasized. Classroom teams read
and discuss “stories” based on the experiences of a Head Start teacher.

8. An Approach to Problem Solving provides a format for analyzing and
developing strategies for addressing specific problems. This session also
is the planning meeting for defining the goals and format for an ongoing
support group.

Definitions of Terms Used in the Training Guide

The term classroom team is used to describe master teachers, teachers, assistants, aides,
classroom volunteers, and other adults who work directly with children. Occasionally the
term teacher is used to designate any of the above classroom team members.

The term Education Coordinator refers to the staff member who is responsible for
overseeing the Education Services Component. The term Mental Health Specialist
refers to the full or part-time employee or consultant who is responsible for overseeing
the mental health section of the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Ideally.
this person will have had experience working with high-risk children and families.

The term trainer refers to the individuals who are leading the sessions.
Format of the Training Guide

Responding to Children Under Stress: A Skill-Based Training Guide includes three
sections—this Introduction for Trainers, Trainers’ Notes, and Participants’ Materials.
The Trainers’ Notes include for each session an Overview for Trainers which presents
the session objectives, materials and equipment needed to lead the session, and the
agenda. ‘The agenda describes the topics and activities and provides guidance on how to



Reading

Children who experience high levels of stress in their lives
have the same needs for a developmentally appropriate
environment as other children. That is, the classroom
should follow the same principles for encouraging
children’s healthy growth and development:

* The environment is physically and emotionally safe and
predictable.

* Children have many opportunities to learn by doing.
Through play and small group experiences they
explore, develop and practice skills, problem solve,
and make decisions.

* Children’s interests, needs, and developing skills are
reflected through individualized activities, materials,
and adult interactions. The environment provides
new challenges to encourage growth and develop-
ment.

The environment, curriculum, and classroom team
reflect Head Start’s multicultural principles. “Chil-
dren are encouraged to develop an awareness of,
respect for, and appreciation of individual cultural
differences.”

The classroom team’s expectations for children’s
behavior are based on knowledge of child develop-
ment and of individual children.

Classroom team members interact with children in
ways that foster trust, self-esteem, curiosity, and
independence and acknowledge each child’s unique
temperament and personality.

+ The classroom team welcomes parents to the
classroom. Parents are respected and encouraged
to be actively involved in the program.

In addition, children who are highly stressed can benefit
from a “therapeutic” setting that provides a refuge from
their chaotic worlds—a place that is safe, predictable, and
consistent. Certainly, this is true of all appropriate environ-
ments for preschool children, however, for some children it
should be a major focus. Nurturing classroom team mem-
bers are an important part of the environment. They help
children feel secure by treating them with respect and

97

Developmentally
Appropriate
Environments

Environments That
Help Children
Feel Secure



2 os Session. 1--#
Responding to Stress

Summary for Classroom Teams

Objectives
This session will enable you to:

¢ Recognize the sources of stress that can affect adults.

* Understand physiological, physical, and psychological responses to stress.
¢ Handle stress in healthy rather than unhealthy ways.

* Describe how families are affected by multistressed environments.

+ Plan ways to work as a team to assist children and families.

Materials

Reading
1: Responding to Stress

* Handouts
J-1; Responding to Children Under Stress—Session Overviews
1-2; Accepting Families

* Follow-Up Activities

1: Daily Log

: Life in a Multistressed Environment

Agenda
i. Presentation of the Content and Format of the Sessions (10 minutes)

* The purpose of the staff development program is to suggest practical
strategies for working with children and families who are living with
high levels of stress and to provide ongoing support for classroom teams.

¢ The first seven sessions are designed to help you develop skills and
knowledge. The last session provides guidance on establishing an
ongoing support group for classroom teams (teachers, assistants,
volunteers).

¢ For each session you will receive a reading, handouts, and follow-up
activities, The reading summarizes the content of the session, the
handouts are used for learning activities during the session, and the
follow-up activities are used by classroom teams to apply the
information gained through the session as they work with individual
children,

33


B. Establishing an Ongoing Support Group (50 minutes)

Your trainer will lead a discussion on whether to continue meeting as an ongoing support
group, facilitated by the Education Coordinator and/or the Mental Health Specialist (or other
component coordinator as appropriate in your program). You will review Handout 8-2:
Support Groups and consider the following questions:

* Were the problem solving strategies presented in this session useful?

« Would you like to continue meeting as a support group to brainstorm
other problems or discuss individual children’s behaviors and needs?

+ What format would you suggest for future meetings? Meetings could
focus on a specific topic, individual children, or be open-ended.

If you decide to continue meeting you will need to agree on when, for how long, how
frequently, and where. At your first meeting you can review the ground rules and logistics.

If you decide to conclude your meetings with this session, congratulations for gaining new
knowledge and skills for working with highly stressed children. The readings, handouts, and
follow-up activities from these sessions can serve as an ongoing resource for your classroom
team.

176 fon



multistressed environments. This topic was addressed in Session 3. The discussion will
focus on:

* How do the children in your classroom cope with different kinds 0? stress?
« How can you help children learn to cope?

+ What can you do to help children learn “acceptable” coping mechanisms?

Next, classroom teams will work together to come up with examples of when they
applied the principles related to children’s behavior that are stated in the reading. Your
examples will be shared with the full group.

Using Handout 6-1: Helping Orlando Learn to Cope, you will work in pairs to read and
discuss the example of how a teacher helped a child learn to use appropriate coping skills.
A full group discussion will address the following:

* How do teachers know when to relax the rules to help a child cope?
* What goals did the teachers have for Orlando?
« What might happen if teachers don’t help children like Orlando?

As you discuss the information in the reading about how teachers model coping skills,
think of examples of when you modeled the skill.

B. The Reasons for Children’s Behavior (20 minutes)

In this activity, your classroom team will work together to analyze what children might
be trying to communicate through their behavior. First, you will read the vignette on
Handout 6-2: The Reasons for Children’s Behavior, and answer the questions that follow.
You will describe a behavior of a child in your class and analyze possible reasons for the
behavior.

Next, your trainer will lead a discussion on what participants think are the reasons for
Janine’s behavior and what they might do to help Janine cope with the situation. Can you
think of examples from your own experience of children’s behavior and what children
may be trying to communicate?

C. Using Positive Guidance to Promote Self-Discipline (30 minutes)

As you review the positive guidance techniques described in the reading, you can provide
examples of when you used the technique or a similar one and how a child responded.
Share your own ideas for positive guidance.

D. Handling Challenging Behaviors (25 minutes)

As the group discusses challenging behaviors such as biting and spitting, think of how
you respond to them and why you find them challenging. Using Handout 6-3: Handling
Challenging Behaviors, participants will work in small groups to discuss challenging
behaviors and generate strategies for addressing them. Next, each small group will share
their strategies with the full group.



What can you remove from this area to help the child play there?

How could you change the display of materials?

How could you rearrange the area to help the child play there?

What can you do or say to help this child use this area?

Remember, changes should be made gradually, over time, so
that children won’t be overwhelmed by too many changes at
once.

104 Tyg



Reading Responding to Stress

Stress can be defined as:

A characteristic of the environment or the social situa-
tion of the individual that poses a threat to the individual
and requires that the individual use personal, physi-
ological, physical, or psychological resources to meet
the real or perceived threat.

Or, more simply:
Any change that you must adjust to.

Stress occurs when we perceive a threat, regardless of
whether the threat is real or imaginary. For example,
imagine yourself stuck in traffic one morning on your way
to work. When you first get stuck you don’t know if the
traffic jam will quickly clear or if you will be stuck for an
hour. Thus, the threat you perceive (being late to work)
may be real or imaginary. Because you don’t know how
the traffic jam will turn out, you may respond by panicking.
If the traffic does clear, you must still recover from the
effects of feeling stressed.

Stress can be very helpful to us in responding to every day
life situations and to emergency situations. In the above
example, the stress you feel in the traffic jam may cause
you to change your morning routine so you can leave earlier
and avoid future traffic jams. It might cause you to try a
different route around the traffic jam. We all experience a
certain level of stress. To be completely free of stress is to
be dead.

Change in a person’s life can be perceived as a threat or a
challenge. Both situations, threat and challenge, involve
stress, but stress does not always have to be bad. When you
perceive a situation as threatening, it is difficult to use your
problem solving skills. However, when you perceive a
situation. as challenging, often you can use those problem
solving skills to cope with the situation.

The sources of stress in your personal life may differ from
those of your colleagues. What is stressful for one person
may not be for another, In addition, not all stress is nega-
tive. Many joyous occasions such as the birth of a child, a
wedding, or a graduation also can cause stress. Sometimes,
feelings of stress can give people the extra energy they need
to tackle a difficult job, handle a dangerous situation, or
respond in an emergency.

Your Own
Experiences
With Stress

What are some sources
of stress in your life
outside of work?

37