Establishing a Positive Tone

Tone refers to the general quality of interaction between the caregiver and children. This also includes the interaction among children. It is the warmth and pleasantness of the adult-child and child-child interactions. It is not enough in childcare to see that children are fed, clean, and safe from harm. Meeting the child’s basic needs for health and safety is referred to as custodial care. Developmental care tries to meet all the needs of growing children, including love, guidance, and learning as well as basic care.

Developmental care also means you show children that you value them and like them. Children will thrive in a program where you show that you value and like them. It is also the responsibility of the caregiver to help children feel good about themselves. The way you relate to children in your care is very important. They need to know you really care about them. This helps shape the way that children see themselves.

Children depend on the reassuring kindness of adults as they adjust. When the caregiver models a kind tone and encourages children to be kind to one another, they are establishing a positive tone within their program. A positive environment can be extremely motivational for children.

What you can do to show a positive tone:

• Use physical contact to show affection to all children by gently holding, hugging, and patting them on the head. This shows you care.
• Always use a gentle touch with babies and children.
• Children can become unhappy when handled in a rough or unfriendly way.
• Always appear relaxed even under stressful circumstances.
• Handle routines such as meal and rest times, in a friendly manner. It helps reduce stress.
• Always use a cheerful or calm tone of voice.
• Vary your facial expressions and tone of voice to convey your feelings.
• Respond positively to children.
• Have conversations with children during routine care. Repeat baby’s sounds and toddler’s words back to them. It shows that you are listening.
• Listen carefully to what children say and respond with interest.
• Talk often. It builds a happy relationship.
• Speak to children on their level. Never tower over children when trying to talk directly to them.
• Look into baby’s eyes when interacting with them. It helps them feel important and special.
• Use children’s names when speaking to them. It makes what you say more personal.
• Even when you have to correct or stop children from what they are doing, remember to handle them with respect so they will continue to feel loved.
• Smile a lot.
• Show respect for and kindness to children and encourage them to do the same.
• Give praise and show delight for what children can do. Praise children for being kind and helpful to one another. It makes them feel happy, and it helps them feel proud.
• Meet children’s needs rapidly to avoid crying.
• Help children when they ask. It shows you care.
• Treat children as an individual rather than a group.

Activities That Promote a Positive Tone

There are many activities that promote good self-esteem to help children feel special. When children feel good about themselves they will react positively throughout the day.

• Mr. Feel Good Puppet- Make a puppet and tell children that he feels good only when he compliments children. He likes to see children getting along with others, trying their best, using good manners, and helping others. Place the puppet in a location where children can see him watching. Remind children often that he is watching for good things that he can compliment them on. End your day using Mr. Feel Good to compliment youngsters who had a good day. You can also get Mr. Feel Good down when you have a short break, and you see some one doing something special. This is a fun way to help children feel good about themselves.
• Allow a different child each day to choose a book for story time.
• Have children decorate a picture frame to display their picture.
• Choose a special helper each day.
• Celebrate a birthday.
• Give special awards to children for the things they can do.
• Make and display artwork that uses children’s hands and feet.
• Use the child’s name when labeling things or displaying artwork.
• Make “me puppets” using paper plates and tongue depressors, felt shaped eyes, nose, mouth, and colored yarn for hair.
• Make a “me collage”. Children can tear or cut pictures from magazines that describe themselves. Have them glue them on construction paper to make a collage.
• Lay a piece of butcher paper on the floor and trace the child’s body. Allow them to decorate themselves.
• Treat your program as a community and elect children to carry out specific jobs such as mayor (leader), teacher (peer helper), janitor (cleaner), etc…
• Make buttons that praise or compliment children. Pin these on different children each day.

Sources

Albrecht, Kay; Miller, Linda G., The Comprehensive Infant Curriculum. Gryphon House, Inc., 2000.

Cryer, Debbie; Harms, Thelma; Ray, Adele Richardson, The Active Learning Series . Addison-WesleyPublishing Company, Inc., 1996

Harms, Thelma; Clifford, Richard M., Family Day Care Rating Scale. Teachers College Press, 1989.

Murphy, Sharon. The Mailbox Superbook: Grade 1. The Education Center, Inc., 1998.

Schiller, Pam; Phipps, Pat; The Complete Daily Curriculum For Early Childhood . Gryphon House, Inc., 2002.

Technical Assistance for the Provider

Objective: Improving the Tone within Family Child Care.

Set:
When people visit your program, what impression do you want them to have of you and the children in your care?
What does tone mean to you?
What are things you can do to establish a positive tone in your program?
What is the relationship between tone and a child’s self- esteem?

Materials:
Information Packet on Establishing a Positive Tone.
Ball

Lesson:
Read and review information on Tone with your consultant.

• If needed, ask questions for more information on tone.
• Praising ball game- Gather children in a circle and play the praising game. Begin by rolling a ball to one child and praising or complimenting him/her on something that they do well. They roll the ball next and do the same for someone else. Continue until everyone has been praised.

Closure:
What does tone mean?
What did you learn about establishing a positive tone?
What does tone have to do with a child’s self-esteem?

Technical Assistance for the Coordinator

Objective: Improving the Tone within Family Child Care.

Set: Ask the provider the following questions:
When people visit your program, what impression do you want them to have of you and the children in your care?
What does tone mean to you?
What are things you can do to establish a positive tone in your program?
What is the relationship between tone and a child’s self- esteem?
Materials: Information Packet on Establishing a Positive Tone.

Lesson:

• Read and review information on Tone with the provider.
• If needed, answer questions for more information on tone.
• Explain the Praising Game and its importance to the provider. Praising children and boosting their self-esteem helps establish a positive tone.
• Begin by rolling a ball to one child and praising or complimenting him/her on something that they do well. They roll the ball next and do the same for some one else. Continue until everyone has been praised.

Closure: Ask the provider the following questions in order to determine their knowledge of tone:
What does tone mean?
What did you learn about establishing a positive tone?
What does tone have to do with a child’s self-esteem?