Supporting Positive Behaviour

•Complete section 1 of the table provided describing the typical behaviors children exhibit at a range of ages and stages of development. Think about why they display these behaviors.
•Complete section 2 thinking about the key events in their lives that might impact on their behaviour.
•Using The Typical Behaviors Template)

Relevant Assessment Criteria:
Describe typical behaviors exhibited by children linked to their stage of development and key events in their lives. Answer

Section 1.

Age (years)Typical Behaviours and why they might occur

0-1The only way the babies communicate within this time period is by crying. Thereby proper attention is needed by the babies in this stage.

1-2During 12 and 18 months of age, the exploration is one of the main activities in the children. Although the babies will take their own initiatives but they still want parents around to feel safe. Language skills start to develop. Babies in this age want to feed themselves and often become fussy.

2-3Between 1 and 3 years of age, the stage is defined as the thinking stage. The children begin to test their limits and boundaries and begin to learn the after effects of doing so. Sense of humour develops in the children during this stage.

3-4Starting from 3 years of age, the children start to develop self awareness. The children at this age are aware of their existence and they begin to explore their surroundings with much more intensity.

4-5The children start to enjoy their imaginations as they start to explore their surroundings. There is an increase in the assertion of their own identity as they learn that their actions can have consequences. The children begin to learn that their behaviours have effects.

5-6The children begin to learn more about the socially acceptable behaviours. They are more aware of the realities and the fantasies. They begin to learn the kinds of behaviours that are more acceptable socially.

6-7From the age of 6, the stage is more known as the age of limits and structure. This is the age when the child is told of his or her limits and how the limits are to be observed. At this age, the child learns the consequences of his or her behaviours learning what was wrong and what actions are to be avoided in the future.

7-8The children begin to ask too many questions. They explore their social lives, their friends and families and the behaviours that are exhibited by each of these. Whatever the child is exposed to, there are questions asked by the children. This is the stage when the children become aware of their needs and wants.

8-11The boundaries and expectations will be explored by the children in these ages. They begin to learn from the behaviours that have been exhibited by them in relation to the consequences of their actions.

12 plusThis is the age when there is a transition from childhood to adulthood. This is the growth stage when the children develop their own rules, define their own limits and stop following the rules of their parents or families. The teenagers behave in ways to get more attention.

Section 2.

Key events that can impact on children’s behaviour(what behaviours might this lead to?) Family bonding is one of the main factors that affect the children’s behaviour. The separation of the parents has an increasingly negative effect on the overall psychology of children; there is a distinct difference between the mental and social schemas of the children who belong to bonded families and those children who belong to single parents. Reduced social interaction, dropouts from school, less interest in education are some of the main behaviour based outcomes. Poverty and financial issues affect children’s behaviour. Children develop certain complexes as they see more privileged children around them. This leads to development of lower self esteem and aggression in these children.