A Manner of Speaking: Saying I'm Sorry

What's In This Kit?
This training kit introduces the concept of using encouragement instead of praise with young children in the classroom. It contains:

• Expected training outcomes
• Preparation instructions
• Training strategies and tips
• Implementation steps
• Follow-up activities for teachers
• Follow-up activities for administrators/directors
• A learning assessment
• A training evaluation/further needs assessment
• A resource list
• The article "A Manner of Speaking: Saying I'm Sorry" by Bonnie Neugebauer
• A training certificate to award to teachers for attendance and participation
• A certificate for the trainer and other presenters

Who's the Target Audience?
The target audience for this kit is beginning and intermediate teachers working with children from age 3 to 8. This kit will help teachers consider alternatives to adult imposed solutions to classroom conflicts between children.

Teacher Skill Level

beginning intermediate advanced

Children's Age Level

infants toddlers preschoolers school-agers birth to 8

Kit Timeline:
Preparation time for this kit is 1 hour. Implementation time is estimated at 1.5 hours.

Training Outcomes:

1. 1. Teachers will recognize the impact of requiring children to apologize for their behavior.
2. 2. Teachers will develop strategies and alternatives to demanding apologies for transgressions between children in the classroom.
3. 3. Teachers will consider a variety of alternative strategies to reframe conflicts between children using positive guidance techniques.

These training outcomes address the following:

• A-6a; A6b of the Accreditation Criteria and Procedures of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc, 1998)
• 1 and 4b of NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation, Initial Licensure Level (NAEYC, 2003).
• 1304.52(h)(1)(iv) of Head Start Performance Standards (Federal Register, Nov. 5, 1996, Volume 61, Number 215).

Note: Downloadable PDFs are only available for download in pdf format. Directions for downloading follow immediately after purchase.