# data[].attributes.body
Learn how to establish effective morning meeting routines that set the tone for the day. Include greetings, sharing time, and daily schedule review.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Morning Meeting Tips For Kindergarten & First Grade - Step-By-Step Routines and Procedures

# data[].attributes.body
Implement a 'Caught Being Good' system using specific praise and recognition strategies. Share successful examples with colleagues.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Use Positive Reinforcement in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Positive reinforcement encourages desirable behavior in children through rewards. Learn about the benefits and examples to use this strategy in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
How can we create a positive classroom environment that promotes learning and reduces behavioral challenges in early childhood settings?

# data[].attributes.body
- Which strategy do you think will have the biggest impact?
- What challenges do you anticipate?
- How will you measure success?
- What support do you need?

# data[].attributes.body
Use this checklist to evaluate the implementation of management strategies in your classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
High-quality classroom environments are a critical foundation for early childhood programs. They provide engaging focal points that enrich teacher-child interactions and inspire children's independent play and exploration. The Classroom Environment Checklist (CEC) is a tool that early childhood professionals can use to evaluate and improve their classroom environments. The tool can be used to set goals for classroom enhancements, track progress over time, and provide a direction for coaching or technical assistance. CLI now includes this tool for three age g roups: Infant & Toddler, Prekindergarten, and Kindergarten.

Infant & Toddler CEC

The Infant & Toddler CEC helps professionals document the presence and quality of toys, materials, books, and other important classroom features, as well as general classroom arrangement. Most of the items in this tool apply to both infant- and toddler-aged classrooms in center-based and home-based child care settings. Download the PDF version of the CEC for infant and toddler classrooms using the following link.

The digital version of the Infant & Toddler Classroom Environment Checklist is accessible from the Quality Improvement section of the dashboard. It can be accessed by TSR Online eligible Head Start, higher education, Local Workforce Development Board, and TSR Comprehensive programs. Included in the digital CEC are photographic examples of high-quality infant and toddler classrooms for each item included on the checklist.

Prekindergarten CEC

The Pre-K CEC focuses on the presence and quality level of instructional planning tools (e.g., lesson plans, progress monitoring tools), meaningful literacy and print centers and materials (e.g., letter wall, availability of books), and the overall design and management of the preschool classroom and individual centers. The PDF can be downloaded from the following link and a digital version of the tool is accessible from the dashboard for TSR Online-eligible organizations.

Watch CLI's video on setting up your pre-K classroom, that can be used in collaboration with the CEC.

Pre-K Classroom Environment Checklist Analysis

The Pre-K Classroom Environment Checklist Analysis provides key points on the benefits for the classroom and the opportunities available to children when the items are fully met at a level three.

Kindergarten CEC

The Kindergarten Classroom Environment Checklist (KCEC) is a 22-item observation tool that evaluates the presence and quality level of important areas, materials, and concepts in a Kindergarten classroom. The KCEC enables teachers to set the stage for successful learning as students engage in the classroom experience.

Watch our KCEC webinar to learn more about the KCEC's development, and best practices for use.

High-Quality Classroom Examples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
High-quality classroom environments are a critical foundation for early childhood programs. They provide engaging focal points that enrich teacher-child interactions and inspire children's independent play and exploration. The Classroom Environment Checklist (CEC) is a tool that early childhood professionals can use to evaluate and improve their classroom environments.

# data[].attributes.body
Read selected articles on positive behavior support in early childhood settings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Early Childhood PBIS?

Early childhood PBIS refers to PBIS implementation within early childhood settings - The Pyramid Model. The Pyramid Model is a multi-tiered framework with a continuum of evidence-based practices to promote expected behavior, prevent problem behavior, and intervene when students need more support. This model addresses the needs and contexts unique to programs serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers, including children in public school early childhood classrooms. It includes the practices, procedures, and data collection measures appropriate for young children and their families.

Why Address Early Childhood PBIS?

The Pyramid Model ensures programs attend to both the implementation of evidence-based practices and develop the infrastructure to sustain these efforts. Children have better social skills and less problem behavior in Pyramid Model classrooms. Practitioners are able to implement Pyramid Model practices better when they receive training and practice-based coaching.[1] According to the Technical Assistance Center on Social and Emotional Intervention, programs using this approach experience the following:

Reductions in child challenging behavior

Increases in children's social skills

Increased satisfaction of program staff and families

Reduced turnover in the program

Increases in teachers' competence and confidence in the support of children

Changes in classroom and program climate

Sustained implementation of the Pyramid Model

Foundational Systems of Early Childhood PBIS

Early childhood PBIS systems are very similar to the foundational systems guiding any PBIS framework. The primary difference is the way these systems adapt to serve the unique needs of younger children and their families.

Leadership Team

The team includes ( Some team members may fill more than one of these roles):

The program administrator

Representation from teaching staff

Someone to provide coaching and support to teachers

A behavior specialist

A family member

The team ensures the systems and practices implemented provide support to children with challenges, professional development and support to teachers, and a plan for family engagement. This leadership team uses data to make decisions and meets monthly to guide implementation of the program-wide approach.

Staff Readiness and Buy-In

All program staff participate in implementation. They must agree to it and be willing to participate. The leadership team monitors and supports staff buy-in on an ongoing basis.

Family Engagement

PBIS implementation in early childhood works to establish partnerships with families. The program shares information with families, offers support around children's social and emotional skill development, and includes families in program-level teams.

Pyramid Model Practices

Pyramid Model practices:

Promote healthy social-emotional development

Reduce challenging behaviors

Support families to promote their children's social development in a home visiting program

Establish effective instructional routines in classrooms from infant-toddler to pre-kindergarten ages.

Staff Capacity

When programs implement the Pyramid Model, all staff must have the training, coaching, and resources to implement practices effectively. The leadership team develops strategies to provide ongoing support to staff as they implement the model.

Providing Interventions to Children with Persistent Challenging Behavior

Program-level policies and procedures support to staff to address challenging behavior. These include mechanisms for support in crisis situations, developing a problem-solving process for children with emerging challenges, and providing a system for identifying children who needa behavior support plan developed through a team driven process.

Monitoring Implementation and Outcomes

Data-based decision making is a pivotal component of the program-wide approach in the Pyramid Model. The team gathers and reviews implementation data using a variety of data tools.

Tiers of the Pyramid Model

The Pyramid Model promotes young children's (birth to five years old) social-emotional competence and prevents and addresses challenging behavior, through a tiered promotion, prevention, intervention framework.

Tier 1

Tier 1 promotes nurturing and responsive caregiving relationships and high-quality environments. At this level, practitioners focus on their relationships with children and their families by providing nurturing and responsive support and engaging children in relationships with others. Practices at this level involve supportive environments to prevent problem behavior, engage all children, and develop social-emotional skills. For many children, Tier 1 may be all that is needed to support their healthy social-emotional development.

Tier 2

Tier 2 serves as a prevention level. It focuses on explicit social skills instruction like:

Self-regulation

Expressing and understanding emotions

Developing social relationships

Problem-solving

Tier 3 Intensive intervention

Tier 3 focuses on individualized, intensive interventions for children who have the most persistent challenging behavior. Even with Tier 1 and Tier 2 systems in place, there may be children who need an individualized behavior support plan. These plans typically include prevention strategies, instructions of new skills, and guidance on how to respond in order to reduce challenging behavior and increase new skill use.

Assessing Early Childhood PBIS/Pyramid Model

There are multiple tools to assess implementation and outcomes in early childhood settings.

A self-report checklist designed to help programs evaluate their progress toward implementing the Pyramid Model program-wide. A companion assessment evaluates its implementation's cultural responsiveness [INSERT LINK: https://www.pbis.org/common/cms/files/pbisresources/ECBoQ_Cultural-Responsiveness-Companion.pdf].

This assessment helps programs evaluate their progress toward implementing the Pyramid Model program-wide.

Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) and The Pyramid Infant Toddler Observation System (TPITOS)

These tools assess classroom implementation in early childhood settings

Coaching Logs

Coaches can use coaching logs to track implementation activities as well as document each activity's focus.

Get Started with Early Childhood PBIS

The first steps to implementing PBIS in early childhood settings involve training and building staff capacity. Leadership teams attend a multiple-day training on program-wide implementation to develop implementation plans. Staff receive training on the Pyramid Model and coaching for classroom-level implementation. Training is offered in a variety of formats, including e-modules and in-person training.

Resources:

This fact sheet defines the Pyramid Model and how to implement it as a way to address suspensions/expulsions of young children, particularly children of color.

This chapter describes practices and strategies for engaging families in early childhood settings.

[1]Hemmeter, M. L., Snyder, P. A., Fox, L., & Algina, J. (2016). Evaluating the implementation of the Pyramid Model for promoting social emotional competence in early childhood classrooms. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 36, 133-146.

‍

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Topic Page: You might know PBIS in early childhood settings as Early Childhood Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support (PW-PBS) or Program-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PW-PBIS). It is often referred to as the Pyramid Model.

# data[].attributes.body
Document and analyze patterns in student behavior to inform management strategies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Browse behavior tracking sheet for one student resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

# data[].attributes.body
By the end of this professional development lesson, teachers will be able to implement at least 3 evidence-based classroom management strategies appropriate for K-2 students.

# data[].attributes.body
Click on the google form to take a quick assessment on your learning based on this padlet experience.

# data[].attributes.body
Copy and Paste the link above to learn how to create a designated space for emotional regulation. Include calming activities, emotion charts, and self-regulation tools.