In today’s early childhood classrooms, educators are facing an increasing number of young children with big emotions, unexpected behaviors, and unmet needs. Whether it's frequent meltdowns, aggression, withdrawal, or difficulty with transitions, these behaviors can challenge even the most experienced educators—and often leave teachers and support staff feeling overwhelmed or unsure of how to help.
This session was designed in response to the growing demand for trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate practices that honor both the emotional world of the child and the professional realities of the classroom. Participants will deepen their understanding of what is typical versus atypical behavior in ages 3–6, explore the “why” behind challenging behaviors, and gain practical tools for de-escalation, classroom structure, and teaching essential social-emotional skills.
By equipping educators with research-based strategies and hands-on planning time, this session empowers them to create classrooms where all children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. The impact? Reduced stress, stronger adult-child relationships, improved behavior, and classrooms that thrive—emotionally, socially, and academically.
By the end of this session, participants will:
- Understand the difference between typical and atypical behaviors in children ages 3–6.
- Identify potential root causes of challenging behaviors, including trauma, sensory processing needs, and unmet developmental needs.
- Learn and practice trauma-informed de-escalation strategies tailored to early childhood settings.
- Apply co-regulation techniques to help young children return to a calm, regulated state.
- Design classroom environments that support structure, predictability, and emotional safety.
- Integrate simple, developmentally appropriate social-emotional learning (SEL) practices into daily routines.
- Use a step-by-step process to create individualized, early childhood-friendly behavior intervention supports.
- Collaborate with colleagues using a shared language and problem-solving framework.
- Leave with ready-to-use visuals, planning templates, and calming tools for immediate classroom application.