Book Love: What is a Scientist?

Title: What is a Scientist?

Author: Barbara Lehn

Why I Love This Book: I used this book with my Kindergartners last year to introduce what it means to be a scientist. I love the way that the author breaks science down into very simple concepts. For example, "a scientist is a person who asks questions and finds different ways to answer them" or a "scientist learns from her senses." Each of the simple statements could be used as the foundation for a lesson on their own, and all of them could be used in an anchor chart to refer to during scientific exploration. The photographs might feel a little dated now (the book was printed in 1999), but they still offer young readers a sense of connection with the kids in the book. The book also helped me as a teacher to break down the subject of science into meaningful components. This is a great book for the classroom, but it could also open the door for scientific conversation and exploration at home! 

Pete the Cat Love

I LOVE children's literature. If I had a lot of money, it would be very easy for me to spend it buying books. But, I'm a teacher, so I don't have a lot of money. I almost always look for books at thrift stores, where I can get a lot more for my buck.

This summer, I had some extra gift money, and decided to splurge.....on Pete the Cat.

Pete the Cat is really trendy right now among teachers, and for a long time I resisted the urge to jump on the bandwagon. But as I wrote about on this Book Love post, one day the music teacher used the book with my kids during music time and they were so engaged it was ridiculous...and I was singing and laughing right along with them. I was hooked.

 I love Pete the Cat.

As part of building my Pete the Cat collection, I decided to get the stuffed toy as well. One reading incentive I'm going to try this year is having the students earn the chance to read with a "reading buddy" like Pete the Cat during Read to Self. I have a few other toy characters from books that I will use, but I have the feeling Pete will be pretty popular.

Behavior Tools: Understanding Behavior

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines behavior as "the manner of conducting oneself."

Simply put, behavior is what we say or do in any given situation. 

And what we do or say is always influenced by something else. We do what we do for a reason. 

Think about that for a second. Everything we do or say, we do for a reason. 

Sometimes those reasons are obvious...

I eat because I'm hungry. 

I tie my shoe so it won't fall off when I'm walking.

I wear a jacket so I won't get as cold.

Sometimes those reasons are not as clear...like when we say something mean to a friend when we are feeling hurt or angry or defensive. 

The point is, there is always something behind the way we choose to behave, and that is just as true for kids as it is for adults. 

Understanding the why behind a child's behavior can help us to behave more appropriately in response. The why or function of a behavior can typically be generalized into two categories. We do things because we want to obtain something tangible (i.e. attention, validation, item) or we do it to avoid or escape something (i.e. avoid shame, attention, punishment, etc.)

As adults, we have had a lot of experience and practice with behaving in certain ways to either get what we want or avoid things we don't want. Even still, we make mistakes and don't always make the best choice.

The thing with kids is that they haven't had those years of experience and practice to always know what the best choice of behavior is in any given situation. As such, they are constantly trying out different behaviors to see what works and what doesn't. If a behavior gets the result they are looking for, then they are very likely to continue using that behavior to get what they want- even if it is considered inappropriate by adult standards. 

That's where the importance of teaching comes in. We can't expect kids just to know how best to behave- even if we've told them or punished them for a certain undesirable behavior. So often I hear the phrase: "They know better." I'm sure I've even used this phrase before. But the truth is, if they are still using a negative behavior to get what they want, then they really don't know better. And that's probably because we haven't given them the right kind of teaching and practice to learn a better behavior. 

For me, understanding the why of behavior helps me to be more patient with teaching appropriate behavior. When I understand that B (for a boy) is really shy and gets anxiety in whole group situations, I recognize that his behaviors of laying down on the rug and poking other kids is a way for him to escape the anxiety that he feels. Perhaps then, instead of being offended that he is not paying attention to my lesson and constantly nagging him to sit up and keep his hands to himself, I can focus on teaching him strategies to participate appropriately and deal with his anxiety, while also doing what I can to make him more comfortable in that situation. It completely changes the way I handle the situation, which is the only thing I have control over anyways. 

Behavior Tools is a series about understanding and managing behavior with young children. The more we understand children and their behavior, the better we are able to teach them how to make good choices and build a solid foundation of self worth and confidence. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to helping a child learn appropriate behavior, which is why we need a lot of different tools and strategies to draw upon when we work with young children. 

Behavior Tools: The Toolbox

Building Your Toolbox

Building positive relationships is the foundation for teaching, and should be applied with every child, regardless of their behavioral abilities. Beyond that, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching appropriate behavior.

That is why you need a behavior toolbox. 

You need to have a lot of different kinds of tools and strategies to use with children, because every child is different, and their needs and abilities will change as they continue to grow. That is one reason that building a positive relationship with kids is so important, because knowing their personality, interests, and needs can help you to decide what tools will be most effective and necessary for them. 

There are basically 3 types of tools that you will need. Just like a hammer serves a different purpose than chainsaw, these tools have different functions but all of them have the goal of helping kids to be successful.

1. Preventative Tools

These are the tools that help to prevent misbehavior. These tools are basically the things that adults have control over, such as environment and scheduling. Most kids will be very responsive to these kinds of strategies. 

2. Supportive Tools

These are the teaching tools. We cannot expect kids just to know how to behave in different settings or how to manage their emotions. We also can't expect that just telling them what to do or punishing them is going to teach them the appropriate behavior. For example, spanking a child may temporarily stop the behavior from occurring, but it does not teach them how to behave correctly. (Spanking also teaches a child to do things out of fear, rather than to do things because it makes them feel good inside...but that is a whole different can of worms.) We need to explicitly teach children how to follow our expectations and give them opportunities to practice being successful within those guidelines. 

3. Corrective Tools

In my opinion, these tools build upon supportive tools because they continue to teach appropriate behavior, while also providing consistent consequences. In the education world, we call these tools interventions, and they are really only necessary for a small percentage of the children we work with. These tools are used in response to consistent misbehavior, after preventative and supportive tools have been put in place. 

Learning about these different kinds of tools was empowering to me as a teacher, because it helped me to realize that while I ultimately have no control over how a student chooses to behave, there are many things that I can control and change to help that child be more successful. I am always anxious to learn more about child behavior and teaching strategies, because it gives me more tools to draw upon as I work in an environment that is often unpredictable due to the diversity of students I encounter. In later posts I will discuss some of the individual strategies that I have found to be successful within these categories.

**One last additional note: As a teacher or a parent, you have to find tools that work for you! This past year, I began the year convinced that I wanted to use a certain strategy, because I watched another teacher use it so successfully. But when I tried to put it into practice, I just could not make it work and it bombed because it did not feel authentic to me. Just like children are going to be more receptive to strategies that fit their needs, we are also going to be more effective with using strategies that fit with our abilities, personalities and belief systems.



Behavior Tools is a series about understanding and managing behavior with young children. The more we understand children and their behavior, the better we are able to teach them how to make good choices and build a solid foundation of self worth and confidence. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to helping a child learn appropriate behavior, which is why we need a lot of different tools and strategies to draw upon when we work with young children. 

Book Love: Stars

Title: Stars

Author: Mary Lyn Ray

Illustrator: Marla Frazee

Why I Love This Book: I think I was drawn to this book because I find stars fascinating, and the night sky is such a great backdrop for imagination. This book goes beyond the stars that you see in the sky however, and is a beautiful look at nature in general. Hands down, my favorite part of this book is the illustrations. They are enchantingly beautiful. The text is very simply, but also thought-provoking, which gives it the opportunity to be a meaningful read for a variety of ages. I just love the deeper message of finding light in the darkness: "A star is how you know it's almost night. As soon as you see one, there's another and another. And the dark that comes doesn't feel so dark."

Side Note: My husband and I recently went camping down in Southern Utah, and we enjoyed taking some night photography. There really is something so awesome and beautiful about a sky full of stars!

Behavior Tools: The Foundation

Building Positive Relationships 

I believe positive relationships are the foundation of teaching. If a child feels safe, respected, and valued, they will be much more receptive to learning than if they feel criticized, fearful, or ashamed. Since behavior is something that can be learned, it makes sense that kids will be more receptive to learning positive behavior in a positive environment. 

For me, building a positive relationship with kids comes down to two big ideas.

• First, it is about making trust and respect a two-way street. In other words, if we want kids to respect us as adults, we need to give them respect in return. When we give them our trust and respect, they feel more empowered to make good choices on their own. Likewise, as we earn their trust and respect, they are more likely to respond to our teaching and correction because they believe in us and what we have to say.
• Second, it is about unconditional care and love. The fact that we care about them or love them should not be dependent upon their behavior, and having a positive relationship helps them to feel secure in that knowledge.   

This may seem like an obvious or simple thing to do with the kids you work with or parent...but sometimes when a certain kid has been "pushing your buttons" all day or is constantly getting into "trouble," it can be really hard to maintain positive interactions with them. And yet, those are the kids who need those positive interactions the most. In fact, the more a kid is misbehaving, the more time and effort should be put into building that relationship with positive experiences and interactions. 

Here are just a few ideas for ways to foster a positive relationship with kids:

1. Make and take opportunities to spend time together during the day, even if it is just for a few minutes. 
2. Learn about their interests, dislikes, family, and feelings. 
3. Use their name when talking to them. 
4. Express happiness to see them and be with them each day.
5. Give sincere compliments about things unique to them.
6. Notice when they are doing positive things, and give them specific feedback. 
7. Give them opportunities to make choices to show your trust and respect for them. 
8. Help them take ownership for their success and accomplishment. (So often I get students who look to me for approval- "Do you like my picture?" and I will turn it back to them by saying "Do you like it? That is what matters most.")  
9. Show empathy and understanding when they make a mistake or have a difficult time before jumping into correcting and teaching. 
10. Always listen carefully and patiently when they try to express their thoughts and feelings to you- especially in situations of misbehavior. Recognize and validate their experiences, even if it doesn't change the consequence or outcome of the situation. 

 Behavior Tools is a series about understanding and managing behavior with young children. The more we understand children and their behavior, the better we are able to teach them how to make good choices and build a solid foundation of self worth and confidence. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to helping a child learn appropriate behavior, which is why we need a lot of different tools and strategies to draw upon when we work with young children. 

Book Love: We are in a Book!

Title: We Are in a Book!

Author: Mo Willems

Why I Love this Book: My husband gave this book to me for my birthday, and we both laughed out loud as we read it. Mo Willems is so great at writing books that are interactive for kids at their level, and this book is no exception. The text and illustrations work well together to display the thoughts and reactions of these two characters as they realize that they are being read in a book. This amusing and creative concept is also informative for young readers as it describes various parts of the book, such as page numbers and the ending. As such, it makes for a great read to support early concepts of print and basic book handling knowledge.