1. Guidelines Not Rules

   Purpose: Set standards that are written and taught in a positive way

   How to accomplish this

   • Rather than threaten exclusion, guidelines teach what children can do to fit into and participate as a member of the group.
   • Guidelines set the tone for the encouraging classroom.

2. Encouragement Not Praise

   Purpose: to demonstrate that all children are valued uniquely but equally as contributing members of the community; authentically acknowledge ongoing progress when children most need kind words

   How to accomplish this

   • The key is to pick out details and compliment them either publically or privately.
   • Can be group encouragement or individual statements of encouragement.

3. Listening to Life Experiences

   Purpose: to reduce stress levels a child brings to child care that may prevent productive behavior

   How to accomplish this

   • Greet children individually to assess comfort and stress levels.
   • Make time to listen to children in need as soon as possible after arrival.
   • Use reflective listening to affirm child’s thoughts and feelings.

4. Contact Talks

   Purpose: to enable child and caregiver to get to know each other beyond class routines

   How to accomplish this

   • Use chart of names to assure contact talks with all on regular basis.
   • Establish physical proximity in a relaxed manner to ensure talk occurs.
   • Follow child’s lead; discuss what is interesting to child to talk about.

5. Compliment Sandwiches

   Purpose: to guide individual to productive behavior by giving encouragement for effort and progress already evident and directing to further progress

   How to accomplish this

   • Start transaction with one (better, two) positive comments about effort or progress the child has shown.
   • Offer one specific suggestion or request for continued progress for each set of compliments given.
   • End transaction again with one or two encouraging statements.

6. Friendly Humor

   Purpose: to experience and share enjoyable moments with children and their families

   How to accomplish this

   • Seek to enjoy the unexpected in words, behaviors, and situations.
   • Share delightful moments with children and their families in friendly ways that laugh with and not at.

7. Friendly Touch

   Purpose: to provide reassurance and affirmation to children in developmentally appropriate ways that words cannot

   How to accomplish this

   • Set, discuss, and follow specific policies regarding the use of touch with children in the family child care setting
   • Provide information, discuss, and reach understandings about touch with the children’s parents.
   • Respect individual children’s needs for touch and for personal space.

Adapted from Communication Skills for Building the Encouraging Classroom (Gartrell, 2004, The Power of Guidance. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning, pp. 70-74)