EM: So Roberto – Miss K is wanting you to sit still in class?
RR: I do sit still, she doesn’t see me.
EM: Ah, so tell me, what do you look like when you are sitting still and listening on the carpet at reading time?
RR: Like this………………………………..
EM: Ok. What does Miss K see?
RR: She thinks I talk to Marcus all the time and mess about
EM: But you don’t?
RR: No………I sit like this sometimes
EM: So Miss K wants to see you doing this more?
RR: Yes, she says “look at me” all the time
EM: Ok, what will you do to make it easier for you to look like you just showed me when you are on the carpet?
RR: Not sit next to Marcus – cos he talks to me all the time.
EM: That’s a good idea, and then meet up with Marcus at playtime, is that it?
RR: Yes i will say to him, “see you at playtime” and then just sit next to Lewis
EM: That sounds like a great idea. So just to make sure I understand your strategies for concentrating more at reading time: [counting out on her fingers] you will sit next to Lewis at carpet time; you will tell Marcus you will see him at playtime, and you will sit the way you just showed me?
RR: Yes my strategies, like “Ultimate Humungousar” has
EM: Ok – when will you start these strategies?
RR: Tomorrow with Miss K
EM: So if I tell Miss K to look out for you sitting like that and listening – she will see you doing that tomorrow?
RR: Yes, tell her to watch me and she will see it.
EM: Great. I think she will be very pleased to see you listening to the story and reading and concentrating and then having a great playtime with Marcus and your friends.
RR: Yes. Ok, tell her.
This was a short, early intervention session but of course the same framework can be used with a child whose behaviour causes difficulties on a larger scale. The concept is that by offering a new beginning in a positive structure, i.e. “believing the child’s view that they are behaving and then getting them to “do more” of that good behaviour” and with the teacher and other adults “noticing” that good behaviour – a new beginning is achieved and the child has real experience of success and praise which further promotes good behaviour..
