PBIS can help!

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework that promotes the social, emotional and positive behavioral development of young children by providing tiered interventions rooted in evidence‐based practices (Fox et al., 2003; Hemmeter, Ostrosky, & Fox, 2006). The model offers three tiers of intervention practice: universal promotion for all children supported by high-quality physical classroom environments, effective classroom routines, and behavioral expectations; secondary preventions to address the intervention needs for children at risk of social-emotional and/or behavioral delays, and tertiary interventions needed for children with persistent and pervasive behavioral challenges.

When implemented correctly, PBIS promotes a more positive school climate, safer learning environments, and more trusting and respectful student-teacher relationships. Implementing strategies based in PBIS can have a powerful impact on schools seeking to improve school climate, reduce discipline issues and support social and emotional skill building (OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2020).

1. Visual Supports - A visual support is a picture or other visual item used to communicate with a child who has difficulty understanding or using language. Visual supports can be photographs, drawings, objects, written words, or lists. Research has shown that visual supports work well as a way to communicate to a wide variety of information to children with and without disabilities.

2. Schedules – Use and refer to a visual schedule throughout the day to make transitions easier and more predictable. Consistent routines are important for preschool development. Avoid long seated activities (e.g., over 20 minutes), and long wait times, encourage movement breaks or activities between seated activities, and warn students of changes in the schedule or routine.

3. Transition Warnings - Prepare children for transitions by providing verbal and visual warnings of upcoming transitions. (e.g., "One minute until clean up;" "Clean up time when the timer is done").

4. Classroom Rules - 3-5 classroom rules should be posted and reviewed. The rules should be positive, specific and descriptive with visual representation. The classroom rules should be explicitly taught prior to instruction (e.g., and can be in a fun song) and reinforced with descriptive praise.

5. Descriptive Praise - Giving praise when child engages in appropriate behaviors. Be quick to praise. Praise the student as quickly as possible so positive behaviors are immediately reinforced. Specific and immediate praise for appropriate behavior and rule following is key. Catch children doing the right thing and praise them for it!

6. Choices – Offer choices within the context of activity (e.g., “which chair would you like to sit in?” or “which color marker would you like to use?”). Choices can reinforce attending and engagement, and are helpful in practicing communication skills.

7. Expectations – Keep classroom expectations and rules achievable. Keep motivation high, by using preferred items and activities following new or difficult tasks. Use clear and concise language, such as “first – then language”. This is often accomplished by labeling the demand as the “first” task followed by reinforcement (e.g., “first bathroom, then snack”).

Elwyn Early Learning Services PBS Team Resource Bank

• Find resources specific to the strategies mentioned above on the PBS Team Shared Drive – simply print and use!

Behavior Support eTrainings

Best Practices – 15 minute in-service suites (The Head Start Learning & Knowledge Center)

• Use these 15-minute in-service suites as a professional development resource for staff in active early childhood centers and programs. They are organized topically and address effective teaching and assessment practices.
• Topics include: managing the classroom, highly individualized teaching and learning, and behavior. 
• Article: Resources preschool learning environments

Circle Time Magazine – Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS) Video Series

• Circle Time Magazine is a dynamic professional development web series and magazine for early childhood educators, parents, and providers. Each episode features guest experts sharing their knowledge, ideas for using everyday materials, favorite books, and high-quality examples of learning in action.
• Circle Time Magazine, Season 2 Overview: Positive Behavior Support

National Center for Pyramid Innovations (NCPMI)

• The goals of the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) are to assist programs in their implementation the Pyramid Model, with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health consultation and fostering inclusion.
• The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations

Parent Resources & Handouts (NCPMI)

• Detailed but easy to read resources explaining evidence based strategies for families and or school programs to use as a solution to commonly occurring challenging behaviors, during routines, and to teach social and emotional skills (e.g., “how to help with morning routines” or “what to do when students bite”).
• NCPMI Guidance on Family Engagement

Covid-19 & Pandemic Specific Resources (NCPMI)

• This site is designed to support families in helping young children cope with the challenges that might occur during stressful emergencies such as COVID-19. The site includes pandemic resources, virtual learning tips, handling stress and challenging behavior, self-care, and coping skills for adults.
• Covid-19 & Pandemic Specific Resources (NCPMI)

Behavior Management – Resource Guide (IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University)

• This document offers an overview of behavior management and evidence based practice links and resources to guide professionals in how to manage behavioral concerns within the classroom environment. Some examples include classroom rules, developing a behavior management plan, and behavioral interventions.
• IRIS Behavior Management Resource Brochure

The Behavior Support Application (Vanderbilt University)

• The Behavior Support App uses a PBIS framework to guide educators and parents in using empirically supported interventions to address challenging behavior. Topics include: understanding behavior, prevention strategies, using visuals, teaching new skills and replacement behaviors, and how to respond to challenging behavior.
• FBSApp- Understanding Behavior

Elwyn Early Learning Services (ELS) is pleased to announce a "menu" of professional development opportunities available to ECE programs in Philadelphia and/or the city of Chester in Delaware County, by program request. These sessions will be free of cost to Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs in the geographical areas supported by Elwyn ELS and will offer Act 48 and/or PQAS continuing education credits. There are four (4) available sessions, detailed below. In order to request a session, the Director or a Supervisor of ECE program should complete the Microsoft Form and an ELS team member will reach out to further discuss session logistics within a week. Session requests are being accepted currently and sessions will begin January, 2022.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework that promotes the social, emotional and positive behavioral development of young children by providing tiered interventions rooted in evidence‐based practices (Fox et al., 2003; Hemmeter, Ostrosky, & Fox, 2006). The model offers three tiers of intervention practice: universal promotion for all children supported by high-quality physical classroom environments; secondary preventions to address the intervention needs for children at risk of social-emotional and/or behavioral delays; and tertiary interventions needed for children with persistent and pervasive behavioral challenges. This PD session will detail Tier 1, or universal positive behavior support, strategies that all ECE programs can implement to effectively support 80-90% of their students! This session is 90 minutes in duration.

This session will discuss early intervention in PA, the definition of special education and will provide a brief overview on developmental norms. The session will emphasize how to make a local Preschool Early Intervention referral and the subsequent steps and processes that follow once a referral is made. This session is one hour in duration.

This session will provide a thorough overview on the structure of early intervention in the state of Pennsylvania. Federal and state early intervention regulations, including Preschool Early Intervention eligibility, will be discussed. This session is one hour in duration.

This session will dissect the “what”, “who”, “how” and “when” of Individualized Education Program, or IEP, development and implementation. This offering is designed to answer all of your IEP-related questions, including when ECE programs might request an IEP meeting for Preschool Early Intervention students. This session is one hour in duration.