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Art of Redirection
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Algunos días los niños vienen sin ánimo, porque no descansaron bien o quieren quedarse en casa, cuando los padres vienen con ellos lloran en la puerta al dejarlos y siempre buscón redireccionar llamando su atención hacia una actividad divertida que haremos en el día lo cual funciona porque los niños les interesan inmediatamente
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Working with preschoolers is never a dull moment, throughout the day we work on using communication to redirect unwanted behaviors. Whether it be children wanting the same toy, puzzle, or book we discuss waiting our turn and using our words to ask their friend for a turn when they are done. If friends have a hard time sharing afterwards we offer areas in the classroom that are single friend activities whether it be trays, puzzles, books, or cozy corner. Keeping a calm and smooth running classroom is essential and we are constantly recognizing each child’s learning styles to benefit each child and help foster sharing in a positive learning environment.
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One child wanted to be first in every activity. For example, when lining up, receiving papers, or having a snack, the child would cry if they were not first.I gently explained that everyone gets a turn and that being first is not always possible. I would rotate the order so that different children have a chance to be first, use visual aids (like a turn-taking chart), and provide positive reinforcement when the child waits patiently.For effective communication, I listen carefully to others and try to understand their feelings. I believe that listening is the most important factor.
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Kid A was playing with a car. Kid B came and took it from his hands without saying anything. Kid A looked at me, annoyed, and I told him, “I can see that you didn’t like that. Let him know that you’re still having a turn with it, and that he can have it when you’re done.” I told Kid B that Kid A wanted to talk to him. After Kid A told him he was still having a turn with it, Kid B gave the car back.Then I said to Kid B, “Wow, that was a great choice! Even though you wanted to play with it, you gave it back to him. How does that make you feel?” I also told Kid A, “I love how you used your words to let him know you were still having a turn with it. Now, remember that he’s waiting for a turn, so please let him know when you’re done.” After this, I helped Kid B find a different toy while he was waiting. A few minutes later, Kid A came with the toy and told Kid B, “Here, I’m done. You can have it.” I told them, “You remembered that he was waiting for a turn—thank you! And thank you as well for waiting. I know that sometimes waiting is not easy, but you did it! You should both be proud of yourselves!”
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I raised two sons with high functioning autism. Redirection was the key to peace in my home. When they would start to get agitated or overstimulated, a simple conversation about something else in the room or something that interested them, or even picking up an activity to distract them, was the best way to “avert crisis,” so to speak. When it comes to communication and remembering that young children may not fully grasp the concept of sharing, I feel that modeling the behavior is a great way to show the children what is expected. Praising them as well when they do share, or take turns, or are kind, is a great motivater and teaching strategy as well!
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I have a kid who is used to rough housing with her brothers. So one day she came by herself, her brothers had stayed home. She was trying rough house with the other kids because that’s all she knew. I talked to her about how it doesn’t make others feel good, and how when it’s done to her it doesn’t feel good either. We had a talk, she apologized, and told her brothers to cut it out when they came.
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In my classroom last year, we had a child who was going through some difficult things at home and would get angry quickly with their classmates and teachers at school. Throwing toys was a common behavior when this child became angry. I had some small bean bags and gave them to the child to throw against a wall in an area away from the other children. “Throwing blocks is dangerous because someone might get hurt, but you can throw these bean bags against the wall.” After a few times of letting the child throw the bean bags and observing that the child was calming down, I turned the throwing into a game. “Can you throw a red bean bag at the brown bear?” Soon, the child was ready to talk about why they were upset, which gave us an opportunity to problem solve together with questions like, “what do you think you could do next time?”
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I have many car kids in my class and there tends to be fighting about ownership. At my age group they are easy to redirect by offering a different car or talking to them about the track they are building.
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I had one preschooler peacefully playing with a small water table. Another child came up and started to play more excitedly, splashing his friend, who started to get frustrated. I heard the change in play and walked over to help. I calmed the upset child down by stating what I saw happening. That 1st child wanted to play quietly by herself, but the other child wanted to play as well, but in a different way. I took the hand of the 2nd child gently and said, ” I have just the thing for your hands to do; you can help wash dishes by soaping them up and giving them a bath.” The problem was redirected and both children’s needs were heard and met.
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One time during free play, two toddlers wanted the same toy, and I noticed the situation starting to escalate. Instead of letting it turn into a conflict, I redirected one child to a different but equally engaging activity, such as building blocks. This quickly shifted their focus, avoided tears, and both children stayed happily engaged.Since young children are still learning the concept of sharing, I model simple phrases like “my turn” and “your turn” using calm voices and gestures.
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I often use redirection during morning circle time, toddlers have a lower attention span than older 3-6 years old. When they become wiggly or disruptive, I offer them to work on a coloring page or a practical life activity to regain their focus, or I offer them to use the bathroom ahead of their peers and have their snack. It always works and circle time can continue to run smoothly 🙂
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During a dispute with a game between three kids, two kids were playing a game with just the two of them. A third child came along and wanted to play also. Two kids said they would be okay playing with them but the game they were playing was only for two. I said, “Interesting, I wonder if there are any games that include two or more people?” It allowed the kids to think on their own what other games they could play.
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One time a child was upset that he did not get to sit in the spot he wanted because another child was already sitting there. I went to the child and asked why he wanted that spot. He said that he wanted it because he wanted to sit next to his friend. There was an empty spot on the other side of the friend so I redirected the child to that spot instead. Everyone was happy with this solution.
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There was an instance on my classroom carpet area where my students were playing with wooden blocks and train tracks. One student kept getting frustrated because another’s building process kept falling on top of the train tracks – which then broke them. The student with the train tracks picked up a block and threw it in their direction trying to hit the student playing with blocks. It missed, however this behavior needed to be immediately attended to before someone gets hurt. After calming down the student with the train tracks, we talked about a different location for their tracks and why its so important to ask for help when something is frustrating you or you always have the option to walk away and come back later. Then I went to the student building with the blocks to talk about awareness and empathy. Made a scenario where someone is messing with their toys, how would it make them feel?…etc.. We went over how to pay attention to others feelings and hear what they’re expressing by asking questions and figuring out solutions together.
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One time two kids wanted the same toy and it started to cause problems. I redirected one of them by offering another toy that made similar sounds, and both stayed happy and busy.To help with communication, I model simple phrases like “Can I have a turn?” or “Let’s play together.” I also use timers so kids know when it’s their turn and praise them when they use their words. This makes sharing feel easier and more positive.
