# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Behavior at Home Quick Tips Handout.docx

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
50 Ways to Avoid Power Struggles With Children - Positive Time-Out by Dr. Jane Nelsen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By The fit Team

Kids today are busy. Their days are often filled with school, spending time with friends, sports practice, after school activities, and homework. At the end of the day, their bodies and brains need a break! Check out our favorite books to teach kids the importance of sleep and healthy bedtime routines and help your child wind down when it's time to go to sleep.

1. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site!
This engaging and rhythmic story discusses how, just like us, even the roughest and toughest machines need to rest their wheels and sleep each night.

2. Mindful Moments at Bedtime
This book provides readers with many ways they can wind down, reflect on their day, and look forward to tomorrow. More than just a peaceful bedtime book, this story provides a great opportunity for parents to listen and intentionally communicate with children.

3. Orion and the Dark
Is your little one afraid of the dark? This story is for you! Orion is scared of many things, but especially the dark. One night, the Dark appears as a friendly character and helps him to feel comfortable at bedtime.

4. I See the Animals Sleeping: A Bedtime Story
From the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, this story educates kids on the importance of sleep for both themselves, as well as their favorite animals. Packed with rhymes and bright illustrations, kids will also discover fascinating sleep habits of animals.

5. Good Night Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Bedtime Story
Follow along as the world around us closes down for the night. Children will learn how to relax their body and mind while preparing for bedtime, one yoga pose at a time.

6. Goodnight, Mr. Spy
Each night, Alex goes to great lengths to avoid bedtime. He tells his Mom, "Sleep is so boring and there's nothing fun to do!" However, Alex quickly learns just how crucial sleep is to fueling his playtime.

7. I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness
Introduce kids to the practice of mindfulness at bedtime with this wonderful picture book. Kids will discover ways they can pause to be present and feel calm.

8. The Big Book of Super Hero Bedtime Stories
Even Super Heroes need a good night's sleep! Discover how some of your child's favorite heroes prepare for bedtime.

9. I Don't Want to Sleep
Michael does not want to sleep. His parents read him books and sing soothing songs at bedtime, but he simply shrugs and says "I'm not tired at all." Through fun, rhyming text kids will discover why sleep is so important.

10. Tomorrow I'll Be Brave
This beautifully illustrated book gives kids an opportunity to reflect on their day and understand that tomorrow is a new beginning.

Want to learn more about creating a healthy bedtime routine? Check out our Bedtime Routine printable and Bedtime Relaxation for Kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top 10 Children's Books to Encourage Healthy Bedtime Routines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By The fit Team Kids today are busy. Their days are often filled with school, spending time with friends, sports practice, after school activities, and homework. At the end of the day, their bodies and brains need a break!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An integral part of a student's education is ensuring comprehension of the subjects being taught. This is reinforced through the assignment of homework, and comprehension is assessed through exams and testing.

Exams can be nerve wracking for students but there are ways you can help your child or students prepare. Using a behavior story can help you to set expectations for your child and help them understand the what and why of a situation!

Standardized tests may have their own unique set of rules and expectations for students. Some tests may have time limits, or have different sections that need to be completed in a specific order.

If you are helping your student prepare for a standardized test, be sure to make your behavior social story as specific as possible. Use your student's special interest areas (such as favorite cartoon characters) to reinforce potential scenarios and the appropriate responses to them.

Learn more about using behavior social stories to prepare your students for exams and to reinforce the importance of homework!

The special education resources on this page were authored by Watson Institute's Lisa Plastino, M.Ed., special education consultant and faculty.

These behavior social stories may benefit your students. They can be downloaded, saved and edited to suit your needs. The * notation indicates the story is formatted in a Power Point presentation and the ** notation indicates a Power Point with sound narration. Each Power Point has animation included on each slide. Some occur automatically - some occur on a "click". Feel free to send comments or questions to [email protected]
Sometimes Kids Don't Get 100% Sometimes Kids Don't Get 100% - Longer Version Taking Tests Princesses Do Their Homework Responsibilities Taking the PSSAs Taking the MAP Test
If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute's use of this information, please contact us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Stories for Tests & Homework - Watson Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An integral part of a student's education is ensuring comprehension of the subjects being taught. This is reinforced through the assignment of homework, and comprehension is assessed through exams and testing. Exams can be nerve wracking for students but there are ways you can help your child or students prepare.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As an educator or parent, getting into a power struggle can be an awful thing. We waste so much of our energy trying to get we we want that we sometimes forget what our goal was in the first place. Power struggles can be especially difficult with kids with ADHD, autism, oppositional-defiant disorder, and other social-emotional challenges. After teaching middle school special education in a behavioral classroom for ten years, I've picked up a few strategies on how to avoid (and get out of) power struggles.

If you find yourself needing more support with de-escalation strategies for kids and young adults, consider this De-escalation Strategies Guide with a detailed educator guide, sample scenarios, proactive strategies, and de-escalation techniques.
Here are some strategies for avoiding power struggles that you can use right away:
1. Develop a relationship early on. This is by far the most important element to reducing power struggles with kids and young adults. Talk to kids about what they're interested in and spend time learning about those topics. That often means talking about non-school related topics, and that's okay. Time spend on relationship building is never time wasted. It's a prerequisite for learning.

2. Hide your frustrations. We all get frustrated with students sometimes! When that happens, take a breath and walk away. Kids really need more positivity in their lives. By showing our frustrations, we are just making kids feel poorly about themselves instead of helping them reach their individual potentials.

3. Be kind. A kind tone and "please" really can go a long way. Sometimes this can be all the child or young adult wants. Other times, kids are so shocked that someone would ask them so politely, they just end up following through right away. Be reflective with yourself frequently about how you might be coming off to another individual.

4. Give the expectation and run. That means what it says! Literally tell the child your expectation or direction privately and then get out of there. Don't give the child a chance to talk back to you or tell you they aren't going to do it. Get out of there!

5. Ignore what you can ignore. If a behavior isn't interfering with the learning of others, try to ignore it. Even if it bothers you personally (like pen clicking or tapping), let it go. Most likely, another student will end up politely correcting the child. This is really the best thing when this happens because kids listen to each other much more than they listen to adults! Additionally, sometimes our reactions are actually the reinforcement that kids are looking for. By ignoring many behaviors, we are helping to extinguish them. When you want to correct a behavior, consider if you can ignore it or not first.

6. Let the child or young adult get the last word. This seems counter-intuitive in the education world. Adults always feel the need to get the last word with kids, but so often it really does not get us anywhere except further argument! My favorite strategy is just to pretend I didn't hear it when a student talks back or says something negative under their breath. Things like, "I'm not doing it," and "This is a stupid project," can just be completely ignored! It will make your life easier in the end.

7. Listen and validate. If a student is having a problem or starts to argue, listen to them without interrupting. Validate them by saying, "I see your point," and "So what you're saying is...?". Spending that extra time just listening to a student and letting them have a voice can defuse power struggles before they start.

8. Explain your reasoning. Let students know, "I really need all eyes on me right now so I can explain the directions to the lab and then you can go off with your groups." Kids need to know why they should be paying attention and following rules. So often, a simple explanation can make a big difference.

9. Give choice. It's healthy for kids and young adults to have choices. On a math homework page, let kids choose any ten to finish. For a presentation, allow students to select whether to do an oral report, a multimedia presentation, or write a report. Even really small choices can make a big difference. For example, if you have a student who struggles working with group work, ask them to choose between two groups.

10. Be flexible. Kids and young adults need structure, of course, but adults need to show they are flexible and compassionate, too. Don't get stuck on having one right way to do things. My favorite example is letting students use gel pens to complete their work. I have never in my life seen middle schoolers so excited to complete homework. If students are working and growing, it's okay to be a bit flexible in how they do it.

11. Know how to back out of power struggles. Finally, if you do happen to get in a power struggle, here is a winning phrase that can stop the battle right away: "Let's talk about that later". It defuses the situation, lets the child or young adult know you will follow up, but puts the disagreement on hold. This is a great way for teachers to address the behavior without making a huge deal of it in the moment. It tells your other students that you are handling the behavior, just not at the moment. Get this list of over 50 free de-escalation strategies you can use right away.

12. Compromise with a goal in mind. Consider what your goal is for the child. Do you want them to finish an assignment? Work in a group? Finish their test? Stay quiet during a lesson? Be willing to make accommodations and compromise with the student in order to have them meet your expectation for them. Let's consider an example. Let's say a student is outright refusing to start their math homework. They tell you it's too long and they don't do homework. If your goal is to help that student work on some math problems, ask them how many they think they could finish before the end of class. Compromise on a number and assign only those ones. While it's not where you want the student to be, it's a stepping stone to get there.

13. Embrace the behaviors you can. If a student has their phone out in class when they shouldn't, direct them to look up a question about your curriculum and then give them time to share the answer with the class. When a student makes a joke, make a joke right on back! This has to be done thoughtfully, but it's healthy to embrace the challenges when you can.

If you are interesting in this topic, be sure to read my article on 50+ de-escalation strategies with a free printable list!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As an educator or parent, getting into a power struggle can be an awful thing. We waste so much of our energy trying to get we we want that we sometimes forget what our goal was in the first place.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Limit Setting Tips and Tricks for Parents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Tasklists, Schedule for Homework 2015

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Child Psychology : How to Set Limits with a Strong-Willed Child

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating Social Stories with Storyboard That

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating Social Stories with Storyboard That

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Creating Social Stories for Kids

Bobby is almost three years old. He is friendly, active, and enjoys playing with his friends at preschool. Bobby often has trouble with changes in his routine. His parents decided to move to Israel this summer, but are unsure about how to tell Bobby and help him with the difficult transition away from the only home he's ever known.

When approaching a big transition or a challenging activity, I often recommend a social story to help introduce an idea while providing language and support. Social stories were originally developed for children with autism spectrum disorder to provide education and language for social interaction they otherwise had trouble navigating. Though that was their initial purpose, I find them a useful tool to support any child.

Having an individualized story with the child's name, maybe even a picture or someone who looks like them, gives them automatic buy-in and ownership of an activity! Whether it's a new idea like moving to another country or a challenging activity for them like taking turns, social stories provide individualized language and prompts that parents and caregivers can revisit to provide ongoing reinforcement.

Bobby's parents and I worked together to create a social story about moving on Storyboard That. I explained we would pick simple pictures and words so the retelling of the story would be easy for Bobby to recall. By using simple pictures and straightforward language, Bobby will be able to "read" the book on his own or with a parent. Simple pictures let Bobby to focus on the idea instead of the details of a picture. Straightforward language allows Bobby to recall the story easily and use the language provided to discuss how he's feeling or what comes next. We wanted to keep the story short, so it would be easy to talk about and recall. We broke the parts of their move down into six steps, focusing on positive phrasing to help keep an optimistic outlook.

Then the fun part! We designed characters on Storyboard That to look like each of the family members, using the "copy" tool to keep them consistent and quickly move them to the next cell. We used the search bar to find some of Bobby's favorite toys (a red car and his stuffed bear) to put into the boxes. Other options to really individualize and help children get ready for changes are to include photographs of their new home or town. You can upload your own pictures to Storyboard That to use in your stories as well.

The last step of the social story is working it into your everyday routine. To help a child understand a new event or to help change a behavior, consistency is key. Finding time everyday to read the story provides opportunities to discuss the activity, give support, and reinforce the behaviors you expect. It's also helpful to leave the physical story out for a child to explore on their own. Just like adults, some children learn verbally, others learn visually. It's important to give them as much access to the story as possible. I printed two copies of the story for Bobby's family and laminated them. Mom and Dad gave a copy to his preschool as well, so the story and language stays the same - no matter who is talking about it with him!

Individual stories are a great tool, but sometimes a group of children (or a whole class!) is having trouble with an activity. I recently wrote a social story with a preschool teacher who was frustrated at the lack of sharing in her classroom. Instead of using a particular name, since all of the kids like superheroes, we decided we would make a story about "super sharers". This open label allows all kids in the class to participate and show how they are a super sharer. The teacher even got special superhero stickers for reinforcement when she hears a child use the phrasing in the story we wrote or sees a "super sharer" moment.

There are lots of online resources if you're looking for inspiration (see list below) for how to start a social story. Remember some key principles as you write:

Keep language simple to promote repetition and recall.

Keep pictures lifelike and straightforward, so kids don't get bogged down on detail.

Keep an optimistic and positive tone. Instead of "don't hit", try "we keep hands on our own body".

Keep it short!

Make copies accessible to kids to explore throughout the day.

Build time into your routine to review the story each day.

Social stories are a great way to introduce new ideas, activities or solutions to difficult behaviors. Use individualized stories consistently and watch pro-social behaviors, new language, and new ideas emerge!
For a closer look, please see all of our social story articles:
Additional Social Story Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Stories for Kids and Teens | Social Story Examples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bobby is almost three years old. He is friendly, active, and enjoys playing with his friends at preschool. Bobby often has trouble with changes in his routine. His parents decided to move to Israel this summer, but are unsure about how to tell Bobby and help him with the difficult transition away from the only home he's ever known.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parent Tips for Helping Children Manage Anger

# data[].attributes.headline
Link to More Schedule and Checklist Templates and Examples

# data[].attributes.subject
Link to More Schedule and Checklist Templates and Examples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Visual Structures for Homework Completion