A Guide for Family Child Care Providers

Children who have positive social relationships in early life are more likely to enjoy friendships, school success and emotional well-being as they grow. An important role for the family child care provider is to create a place where children learn how to be friendly, cooperate, take turns, share, follow directions and help each other.

The 3-part DVD and book show family child care providers how to nurture healthy social skills and how to provide children with opportunities that enhance social development.

Section 1: Setting up the Environment to Support Social Development (23 minutes)

• Arranging physical space
• Choosing toys and materials
• Scheduling the day's activities

Section 2: Guiding Children's Behavior (23 minutes)

• Creating a positive relationship with children
• Planning ahead to promote positive behavior
• Developing and teaching rules and expectations
• Providing clear directions
• Monitoring behavior
• Providing positive attention and encouragement

Section 3: Understanding and Dealing with Challenging Behavior (26 minutes)

• Responding appropriately to challenging behavior
• Knowing the three key goals of behavior
• Teaching positive behavior
• Using the Behavior Support Guide to understand challenging behavior and to encourage positive behavior

The 75-page, spiral-bound book includes content covered on the DVD, ideas for cooperative play activities, parent handouts on social development, and the Behavior Support Guide forms.

Audience
Family child care providers, as well as early childhood teachers, consultants and researchers. It also will be of interest to those who train early interventionists and child care providers, such as child resource and referral agencies and college faculty.

Developers
IRIS Media and Julie Collier Rusby, Ph.D.