As I engage with young children, primarily aged between 2 and 5 years old, in my morning sessions, I often encounter situations where these children are directed to behavioral therapy by their educators. This referral typically follows observations of children avoiding age-appropriate activities in the classroom setting such as relating with peers, sitting in circle time, completing activities at the table, or playing with the material provided. While avoidance behaviors may or may not coincide with disruptive actions, the consistent outcome is that these behaviors fail to enhance the children's skills. Instead, they contribute to widening skill disparities between them and their peers over time.
Parents also note that their attempts to assist their children, whether through shared reading, playtime, structured activities, or constructive endeavors, are often met with resistance. Children swiftly withdraw or avoid their parents' invitations to engage in specific activities. This recurring pattern appears entrenched and challenging to disrupt or address effectively. At the slight challenge, children withdraw, avoid completing an activity at hand, and even exhibit problem behaviors.
The challenge lies in how to address or prevent avoidance behavior in preschoolers. Through my experience with children, I've found several strategies to be effective. One crucial approach is errorless teaching, which focuses on guiding a student to respond correctly by offering necessary prompts or support. This ensures that the child achieves the correct response or successfully finishes the activity without making mistakes.
For instance, let's consider a scenario where we want children to complete a puzzle, but they tend to avoid or reject it. With errorless teaching, we assist the child in successfully placing each puzzle piece. This enables the child to experience the reward of completing the puzzle, thereby increasing the likelihood of future attempts. In contrast, if we leave the child to tackle the puzzle alone, they may become frustrated and give up prematurely, diminishing their willingness to try again later.
Errorless teaching doesn't operate in isolation; it's coupled with tailoring the activity complexity to match the children's skill levels. For instance, children who frequently reject books are more inclined to persist in avoidance if the story is lengthy or the theme doesn't captivate them. Therefore, selecting an appropriate book is just as crucial as employing errorless teaching techniques. Likewise, a child encountering difficulty completing a puzzle is more likely to succeed and independently attempt it if the puzzle matches their skill level and features a reinforcing element, such as a preferred character.
Effective interventions can address and gradually reduce avoidance behavior by nurturing children's skill development. This journey of skill-building is personalized and doesn't adhere to rigid schedules, as it varies for each child. If you're facing challenges getting your child to engage in preschool activities or structured play at home, I encourage you to seek support. I'm here to offer assistance and support.