Classroom behaviour

After turning two, children will start preschool or kindergarten where they will learn and interact with other children. They will have to adapt to a new environment in the classroom and to face challenges in learning. Individual differences in the pace of development among children may also arouse concerns in parents and teachers. This issue of the Newsletter will bring you some relevant information that may help.

Frequently asked questions on classroom behaviour

After entering kindergarten for a period of time, children may have minor issues in classroom learning or social interaction. These are perfectly natural in the process of development which should not be causes for concern. Here are some commonly asked questions:

  • What can I do if my child cannot pronounce words correctly? Click here
  • My child talks less than his classmates. What can I do? Click here
  • My child hits others and snatches toys from others. How can I handle this? Click here
  • My child always cries in the preschool, what can I do? Click here
  • My child is very active. Is he suffering from hyperactivity? Click here

Being ready for kindergarten

From three years old onwards, children's development in gross and fine motor skills, attention control, intellectual ability, language and social skills will be ready for kindergarten.

The links below help you to have more understanding of different stages of child development. They also help you to provide the children with support according to their learning abilities together with their parents.

Identifying children with special needs and understanding the causes of children's problems

Each child is unique and has different pace in learning. However, if a child is suspected to have problems in any one or more developmental aspects, e.g. learning and cognition, language ability, gross and fine motor skills, attention, behaviour, emotions and social skills, and has consistent discrepancies in performance compared with children of the same age, early identification and intervention will be advisable. This video has detailed description to help you identify preschool children with special needs in learning.

Home-School partnership in managing behavioural, emotional and learning problems in children

Apart from early identification and referral to professionals for management, home-school cooperation to support children with special needs is of utmost importance.

If teachers can manage the learning, emotional or behavioural problems of these children, they can more effectively assist the children to adapt to school life and learn happily.

Below are the basic Behaviour Theory and techniques for analysing and changing problem behaviour in the classroom.

On the other hand, through positive parenting and parental support, children can become more resilient and are able to adapt proactively or recover from adversity more rapidly. Therefore, parents and teachers should communicate more and work together to handle child problems.

Tips

  • If parents or teachers notice any developmental problems in children, for example, in learning, communication or emotional aspect, you are welcome to download the “Pre-primary Children Development and Behaviour Management - Teacher Resource Kit” prepared by the Department of Health in collaboration with the Education Bureau and Social Welfare Department for reference.
  • When teachers or parents identify any children presenting signs of difficulty or problem in one or multiple developmental aspects, they can refer the children to Maternal and Child Health Centre for professional assessment and assistance through the Comprehensive Child Development Service.