Guiding Behavior in Preschool Classrooms

Every child’s behavior tells a story, and understanding that story changes everything.

Whether you are a lead teacher, an assistant teacher, or a program director, Guiding Behavior in Preschool Classrooms will help you understand what children are telling you through their behavior, build the relationships that prevent challenging behavior, and respond with confidence when things get hard.

What You Will Learn

Across three focused modules and a course wrap-up, you will learn how to read behavior, build connection, and handle the hardest moments safely.

• Behavior Guidance: Understand behavior as communication and teach children the skills they need
• Relationships as Behavior Support: Build connection-first practices that prevent challenging behavior
• Responding to Escalation Safely and Effectively: Recognize, de-escalate, and follow up on difficult incidents with confidence

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain why behavior is communication and look for triggers and patterns
• Respond in the moment using Pause, Connect, Redirect
• Teach replacement skills that give children a better way to get their needs met
• Use positive attention and consistency across staff to build connection
• Recognize escalation early, respond safely, and follow up after an incident

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for preschool educators and program staff at all levels: lead teachers, assistant teachers, floaters, center directors, and family childcare providers who care for children ages three to five and want to strengthen their management skills and create better outcomes for the children and families they serve.

Training Level: 2 | Core Content: 1 | CDA Content: 3 | Training Hours: 2