The Pyramid Model Tool Kit Materials
User Guide
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Emotions & Feelings Activities
Feeling Faces Posters
The Feeling Faces assist children with understanding their
feelings and the feelings of others. It is important to teach
children words to use to express feelings in replace of the use of
challenging behavior.
The feeling posters can be used in a variety of ways to help
children learn social emotional skills around use of emotional
literacy and vocabulary:
Pass the hat: The teacher cuts out pictures that represent
various feeling faces and places them in a hat that is passed
around the circle as music plays. When the music stops, the
child holding the hat picks out a picture designating an
emotion and is asked to identify it, express how they look
when they feel that way, or describe a time when he or she
felt that way.
Feeling hunt: The teacher puts “feeling face” pictures up all
around the room. Children can be given child-size
magnifying glasses, and they walk around looking for
different feeling faces. When they find one, they label it and
tell a time they felt that way. An expansion of this activity is
to provide each child with a “Feeling Face BINGO Board”
and they can cross out faces on their boards as they find
them around the room.
Changing faces: During small group time, children make
paper plate faces. The teacher attaches the “mouth” and
“eyebrows” to the paper plate with brads. This allows the
child to change facial expressions on their plate by changing
the mouth from a smile to a frown, and the eyebrows from
facing in (angry, frustrated, etc.) to out (worried, scared,
surprised, etc.). Children can color the rest of the faces. The
teacher can then read a story and pause after key incidents
and ask the children to show how they would feel by
changing their paper plate face appropriately.
Building Positive
Relationships
Emotional
Literacy
High Quality
Supportive
Environments
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Emotions & Feelings Activities
Singing, “If you’re happy and you know it…”: Teachers
can add new verses to “If you are happy and you know it”
as they introduce new feeling words to the class.
• If you’re happy and you know it, hug a friend
• If you’re sad and you know it, cry a tear, “boo-hoo”
• If you’re mad and you know it, use your words, “I’m
mad”
• If you’re scared and you know it, get some help,
“HEEELLLLPPP!”
Checking In: Children can “check in” each morning by
putting their name by a feeling face picture that best
depicts their affective state. Children can be encouraged
to change their feeling faces throughout the day as their
feelings change. Adults should also participate by putting
their name by a feeling face and changing it throughout
the day.
More than Happy, Sad or Mad: Feelings Dictionary: Children
can learn more than the basic feelings like happy, sad, mad or
scared. This dictionary includes 69 feeling words with
definitions, pictures and activities (including children’s literature
suggestions). Children can learn the different degrees of feelings,
for example happy, elated, ecstatic etc.
Relaxation Thermometer
The relaxation thermometer is used to teach children to calm
down using the following steps:
1. Ask a child to describe a recent conflict and together with
the child retrace the steps that led to the angry outburst.
Write down the child’s actions, thoughts, and words that
indicated an escalating anger pattern (e.g., thinking “He
always takes my toys,” yelling, kicking).
2. Then discuss, with the child the thoughts, words, and
actions that the child can use to reduce his or her anger.
Retracing the steps of the angry outburst helps the children
identify the place where they were aware they were getting angry.
This place is marked as the “Danger Point” on the thermometer.
Once children have established their danger points, they give it
their own name (e.g., chill out, cool down, code red, hot engine,
etc.). This code word can be the adult and child’s signal that
anger has reached the threshold, which triggers the use of an
agreed upon calming strategy, such as taking three deep breaths.
Building Positive
Relationships
Emotional
Literacy
High Quality
Supportive
Environments
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Social Emotional Literacy Activities
Book Nooks
These easy-to-use guides were created especially for teachers to
provide hands-on ways to embed social emotional skill building
activities into everyday routines such as art, singing and circle
time.
Each Book Nook is comprised of ideas and activities designed
around popular children’s books.
Examples of suggested activities include:
• Using rhymes to talk about being friends,
• Making masks to help children talk about and identify
different feelings
• Playing a game of “What to do” with hands instead of
hitting
• Creating art and music using a concept of the day such as
sharing.
Team Tennessee adapted the original CSEFEL Book
Nooks by adding books and activities more appropriate
for early elementary students. Activities include reading,
comparing, contrasting other stories as well as
cooperative activities for students
Emotional
Literacy
Building Positive
Relationships
High Quality
Supportive
Environment
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Teaching Problem
Solving
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Pyramid Model Scripted Stories
Tucker Turtle Reinforcement:
Coloring page
Dot to Dot
Color by Number
Puppets
Puzzle
Way to Go! (note)
Crossword Puzzle
Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck and Think This story is intended to be used in conjunction with the “Turtle Technique”, a technique for helping children with controlling anger & impulse. The turtle technique seeks to help children learn to replace aggressive or impulsive acts with a more effective and efficient behavioral alternative. The basic steps of the turtle technique are:
1. Recognizing that you feel angry or too excited. 2. Thinking “stop.” 3. Going into your “shell,” taking three deep breaths, and
thinking calming, coping thoughts: “It was an accident. I can calm down and think of good solutions. I am a good problem solver.”
4. Coming out of your “shell” when calm and thinking of some solutions to the problem.
Teaching the turtle technique can take place at large or small group times. A turtle puppet is helpful and keeps children engaged during the lesson.
a. The teacher can begin by introducing the turtle to the class. After the children get a chance to say hello and perhaps give a gentle pet, the teacher shares the turtle’s special trick for calming down.
b. The turtle describes a time he got upset in school (select an incident familiar to the children). He demonstrates how he thinks to himself, “STOP,” then goes into his shell and takes three deep breaths; After he takes three deep breaths, he thinks to himself, “I can calm down and think of some solutions to solve my problem.” At this point in the process, the turtle technique is used to demonstrate that when he is calm, he comes out of his shell and is ready to problem-solve peacefully.
c. The teacher can then invite the children to practice the turtle’s secret. For example, children can practice “going in their shells” as they go under a large sheet and take three deep breaths or an individual child can model the “turtle technique” in front of the class.
Teaching Anger
Management
Emotional
Literacy
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Pyramid Model Scripted Stories
Scripted Story: I Can Be a Super Friend!
I Can Be a Super Friend! is a scripted story about building
friendship skills. Acknowledging children’s friendship skills
increases the likelihood that children’s positive social
behaviors will occur more frequently in the future.
Acknowledgment should follow a specific, targeted behavior
and should occur immediately after the desired behavior.
One of the advantages of this type of approach is that
children start noticing when they see other children using
friendship skills and what skills they used! You will often
hear them say, “Oh look, we have a super friend! Maria just
shared her favorite toy with Cameron”. It is very important to
make sure that all children have opportunities to be
successful in using friendship skills.
There are a number of activities to help support the Super
Friend story and encourage children to use their friendship
skills.
Make a “Super Friend” cape or badge and let a child
wear it after exhibit a friendship skill such as, inviting
a friend to play in the housekeeping area or getting
out a special toy for two children to play with after
they agree to share it and take turns. Make an effort to
ensure that all children have the opportunity to wear
the “Super Friend” cape or badge.
Create a “Super Friend” certificate to send home a
positive note about a child’s appropriate behaviors.
Use a puppet with a cape to model friendly play, and
when appropriate and planned, use puppet to model
non-examples.
Super Friend follow-up and reinforcement activities can be
found in the Pyramid Model Activity Nooks.
You were an Awesome Super Friend Today! (note)
Word Search
Crossword Puzzle
Coloring page
Puppet
Friendship Bingo
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Pyramid Model Scripted Stories
Scripted Story: I Can Be a Super Friend and
Work with My Friends! This scripted story was adapted from the younger version-I
Can Be A Super Friend! The adaptation can be used in early
elementary classrooms where working together with other
students is a frequently used teaching strategy. This scripted
story can be used with an individual child who is struggling
in group situations or with a group of students to encourage
cooperation. Children need to have a safe place to practice
and receive positive reinforcement when learning new social
skills.
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Scripted Stories for Social Situations
Scripted Stories for Social Situations
Scripted stories help children understand a social situation by
describing the situation, what the child needs to do, and how
others feel when the child exhibits the inappropriate behavior
or desired behavior. As the title implies, they are brief
descriptive stories that provide information regarding a social
situation. When children are given information that helps
them understand the expectations of a situation, their
problem behavior within that situation is reduced or
minimized. Parents, teachers and caregivers can use these
simple stories as a tool to prepare the child for a new
situation, to address challenging behavior within a setting or
situation, or to teach new skills.
Building Positive
Relationships
High Quality &
Supportive
Environments
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Emotional
Literacy
Teaching Problem
Solving
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Scripted Stories for Social Situations
I Ride the Bus to School This adapted aged up version of: I Ride the Bus to School is
intended to review the rules on the bus as well as
incorporating the Pyramid Model. When a school, program
or classroom implements the model, other adults that are in
contact with the children should be at least knowledgeable
about how the Pyramid Model is being used in the program
and the language children are learning. This staff includes.
bus drivers. The scripted story is to be used in the classroom
to teach the rules on the bus. It also can be taken home to
encourage the parents to be involved in the activity that they
begin every day.
To go along with the story, are two adult flyers, one for
families or caregivers and one for bus drivers. Both of these
flyers introduce the Pyramid Model and how the adults can
use the language of the model to teach and encourage
appropriate behavior on the bus. The bus driver flyer, should
be introduced to the drivers with the suggestion that since
this is a program wide implementation, that it could improve
the behavior on the bus.
Building Positive
Relationships
High Quality &
Supportive
Environments
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Emotional
Literacy
Teaching Problem
Solving
The Pyramid in the Cafeteria When a school, programs or classrooms implement the
Pyramid Model, other adults that are in contact with the
children should be at least knowledgeable about how the
Pyramid Model is being used in the program and the
language children are learning. This staff includes cafeteria
workers. The flyer introduces the Pyramid Model and how
the adults can use the language of the model to teach and
encourage appropriate behavior in the cafeteria. The cafeteria
flyer should be introduced to the cafeteria workers with the
suggestion that since this is a program wide implementation,
that it could improve the behavior in the cafeteria.
You can create your own scripted story!
I Follow the Rules on the Playground
You Can Create Scripted Stories!-A guide for writing a
scripted story that is individualized to a classroom or specific
child. The guide includes a tip sheet, a planning activity sheet
and a skeleton example to add individualized pictures:
When I Play on the Playground I Follow the Rules!
The story is about using sticks or mulch or rocks for building
rather them throwing.
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Problem Solving Activities
Problem Solving Steps
There are four essential problem-solving steps for young
children to learn and act on. These steps need to be taught to
young children a step at a time:
What is my problem? (Define the Problem) Children will
need to be able to understand and be able to identify their
feelings and those of other children to realize there is a
problem.
The first thing to teach is not identifying the problem,
but identifying the emotions involved. (this is why the
Pyramid Model framework teaches Emotional Literacy
& Anger Management before Problem Solving.)
Once child know there is a problem-teach them how to
describe the problem through I-statements. Starting with
teaching I-statements when teaching feeling words: “I-
feel frustrated when I can’t tie my shoe” then move on
to using peer interaction scenarios to teach children how
they might feel one way and the other person might feel
another.
Model with the children and other adults for children to
hear how the I-statements work.
When the child then tries to tell you a problem that has
developed and does not describe their problem with an I
message, assist them in reframing the message
Teaching Problem
Solving
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Think of Solutions:
Teach children what a solution means, encouraging
them to come up with solutions for a class problem.
Teach children to generate many solutions for a
problem, explaining sometimes your first solution
might not work. (See below at using the Solution
Kits)
Teaching Problem
Solving
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Problem Solving Activities
Solution Kits
Children need help generating multiple alternative solutions
to interpersonal problems. The Solution Kit Cue Cards help
children begin to think of solutions to problems that might
arise in the classroom. The cue cards can be posted on a
bulletin board, or placed into a lunch box, backpack, or
plastic case for children to take out and use when a problem
arises.
The Solution Kits can also be used in planned activities to
reinforce problem-solving skills:
Teachers can “plan-fully sabotage” or “problematize”
activities throughout the day and encourage children
to generate solutions. For example, the teacher can
bring one apple to the table for snack and say, “Oh
my goodness! We have a problem. There is only one
apple and five kids—what can we do?” The teacher
can then encourage the children to generate as many
different solutions as possible.
Play “What would you do” with children. To play, the
teacher thinks of and writes down several problems on slips
of paper. These slips are then put in a bag and the bag is
passed around the circle until the music stops. The child who
is holding the bag when the music stops, selects a problem
that an adult can read for the child. The child can then think
of as many solutions as possible. He or she may even consult
the “Solution Kit” if necessary.
Teaching Problem
Solving
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
What will happen next? (Consider the Consequences)
Define what a consequence means-every action will
result in a reaction.
Using questions, have children think about the
scenarios occur in the classroom, that problem
solving would be helpful. Teach them to ask these
questions:
Is it safe?
Is the solution fair to everyone involved?
How would everyone feel?
Use role plays, puppets and the teacher can play in
the “negative” puppet role. Ask the children the
questions after they try the solutions.
Teaching Problem
Solving
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Problem Solving Activities
Try it out!
Using the role plays with the solutions that the
children have generated to help children identify
what solution would be the best to try first.
Have the children think about which solution would
have positive consequences and then give it a try.
Problem Solving Puppets (Girl & Boy)
Reinforce the problem solving steps by creating a
paper bag puppet with Problem Solving Girl and Boy.
These are included in the Activity Nook with page
version of Problem Solving with the girl and boy.
Also included are mini solution kit cards
Important! Children will not attempt to use problem solving
unless they have seen it modeled, a teacher encourages and
helps children through the steps in actual situations and
gives specific praise to children giving it a try.
Teaching Problem
Solving
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Visuals: Pictures, Illustrations for Routines & Schedules
Stop/Go Signs
The stop/go signs are used as a visual cue to indicate to the child
that an area is open/closed or to stop at a certain point. They can
be flipped from the “stop” side to the “go” side to serve as a
visual reminder around the classroom. For instance, stop/go
signs can be used on exit doors, on the front of the computer
when it is not in use, on cabinets, in centers that are closed/open,
on equipment, etc. Stop signs can also be used at the end of an
activity (such as clean up time),
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
High Quality
Supportive
Environments
Visuals & Cue Cards
Visual strategies, including cue cards, can be used to prevent
challenging behavior. Visuals are static, meaning that they
remain present after words are spoken and children can refer to
them once the spoken words are no longer present. They can act
as a cue to teach appropriate behavior or new skills for children
who are having challenging behavior.
When using cue cards:
Make sure you have the child’s attention before
directing/cueing
Give the child an opportunity to respond
Give only one directional cue at a time
Follow through with positive acknowledgement
Cue cards can be placed on a ring and attached to a key ring,
necklace, or belt loop for easy access or placed on a poster for the
class schedule, rules or routine.
Schedules &
Routine
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Building Positive
Relationships
High Quality
Supportive
Environment
Directions &
Feedback
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Teaching Problem
Solving
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Resources for Teachers/Caregivers and Families
Pyramid Model Handouts for Teachers
Impact of a Quality & Supportive Classroom
Environment Use this guide to think about your classroom in terms of how it
supports learning, engagement & interaction between you and
your students:
• Classroom arrangement
• Classroom décor & materials organization
• Teaching strategies used: large group, small group, centers
& individual activities
• Effects of all the above on classroom behavior & individual
child behavior
Transition Tricks, Tips & Ideas Use this guide to think about your classroom in terms of all the
types of transitions your children have to make across the day.
The handout is full of ideas to ease transitions by:
• Minimizing the number of transitions
• Limiting the amount of time in transition
• Giving children a warning before a transition occurs.
• Minimizing the entire class transitioning at the same time
• Teach children about the expectations for transitions.
Individualize the instruction and cues provided to children.
•
Teacher, Teacher He is Making Fun of Me! Use this guide to think about teaching children about the
emotions involved when tattling & teasing in the classroom.
Think about new skills you can teach children to lessen tattling
& teasing in the classroom such as:
• Teach children how to identify feelings & to know when
they need to calm down (see Tucker Turtle)
• Teach the difference between reporting & tattling
• Teach children problem solving skills to work through their
peer problems
• Have children write the information down for you to
respond to later, have them identify how the behavior they
are writing about made them feel
• Teach children how to make compliments & work together
Schedules &
Routine
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
High Quality
Supportive
Environment
Teaching
Friendship Skills
Teaching Problem
Solving
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Resources for Teachers/Caregivers and Families: Routine Based Classroom & Family
Support Guides
The Routine Based Support Guide is a manual developed to
assist teachers in problem-solving a plan to support young
children who are having challenging behavior. It helps
teachers to select strategies to make the behavior irrelevant,
inefficient, and ineffective by selecting prevention strategies,
teaching new skills, and changing responses in an effort to
eliminate or minimize the challenging behavior.
The Guide is organized into the routines and activities that
would typically occur in an early childhood program.
1. The first column in each routine is titled "Why might
the child be doing this?" This column provides ideas
that will assist teachers in thinking about what the child
is communicating through his/her challenging behavior.
2. Once the teacher is able to identify what the child is
communicating the behavior (i.e., the function of the
behavior), he/she can proceed developing a plan of
support by then examining the next column in the chart,
"What can I do to prevent the problem behavior?" The
prevention column provides strategies that will help the
child participate in the routine without having
challenging behavior.
3. The next column "What can I do if the problem
behavior occurs?" provides ideas on how the teacher
can respond in a way that does not maintain the
problem behavior.
4. Finally, "What new skills should I teach?" suggests
new skills to teach to replace the challenging behavior.
It is important to use all of the columns in the guide
(function, prevention strategies, ways to respond to behavior,
and new skills) to develop a support plan that will be
effective for the child.
A blank section is provided at the end of each routine chart to
encourage teachers to develop their own ideas if the
suggestions that are provided do not fit the child/situation of
concern.
The Early Elementary Classroom Routine Guide is
organized the same way as The Routine Based Classroom
Support Guide (toddlers and pre-k) & is adapted for the
different activities and demands of early elementary
classrooms (K-2nd
). The guide provides suggestions for the
school setting across the day.
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching Problem
Solving Skills
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Resources for Teachers/Caregivers and Families: Routine Based Classroom & Family
Support Guides
The Family Routine Guide (available in Spanish) was
developed to assist parents and caregivers in developing a
plan to support young children who are using challenging
behavior. It includes strategies for the common routines
and activities that occur during the family’s week:
1. The first column in each routine is titled "Why might
my child be doing this?” This column provides ideas
that will assist parents/caregivers in thinking about
what the child may be communicating through his/her
challenging behavior.
2. Once the parent/caregiver is able to identify what the
child is communicating through challenging behavior
(i.e., the function), he/she can proceed with
developing a plan of support by then examining the
next column in the chart, "What can I do to prevent
the problem behavior?”. The prevention column
provides strategies that will help the child participate
in the routine without having challenging behavior.
3. The next column, "What can I do if the problem
behavior occurs?" provides the parent/caregiver with
ideas on how he/she can respond in a way that does
not maintain the problem behavior (or keep the
behaviors from happening).
4. Finally, "What new skills should I teach?” suggests
new skills to teach to replace the challenging
behavior.
Many of the strategies mentioned in the guide are quick and
easy to implement. It is important to use all of the columns in
the guide (function or why, prevention strategies, ways to
respond to behavior, and new skills) to develop a support
plan that will be effective for your child. The guide provides
ideas about commonly occurring situations and children’s
behavior. Please note that this list many not address all
situations or reasons the child is using challenging behavior.
If the child’s purpose of challenging behavior is not
represented on the chart, the parent is encouraged to write
down the purpose and then think of prevention strategies,
new skills to teach, and ways to respond to behavior.
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching Problem
Solving Skills
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Resources for Teachers/Caregivers and Families: Routine Based Classroom & Family
Support Guides
The Early Elementary Family Routine Guide is organized
in the same way as the Family Routine Guide but the daily
routines are based on what a school aged child would do each
day.
Building Relationships-Infant Routine Guide was
developed to assist parents and caregivers in building
relationships with their infants as well as in developing a
plan to support their infants. The guide includes strategies for
common routines and activities that occur during a family’s
week.
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching Problem
Solving Skills
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Other Resources for Families to Use with the Pyramid Model
Positive Solutions for Families (English & Spanish)
This brochure provides parents with eight practical tips they can use when their young children exhibit challenging behavior. These tips are for all families and includes a brief explanation and an example to show parents how they might use the specific approach with their own family in everyday life These tips are used in Team Tennessee’s family support groups: Pillars of Positive Solutions for Families
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching Problem
Solving Skills
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
CSEFEL: What Works Briefs
These 22 articles discuss “Effective Practices for Supporting
Children's Social-Emotional Development and Preventing
Challenging Behaviors.”
The briefs describe practical strategies, provide references to
more information about strategies that can assist caregivers,
support providers and teachers working with children. The
Briefs also include a one-page handout that highlights the
major points of each brief and might be used for parents.
Material Activities Pyramid
Model Module
Other Resources for Families to Use with the Pyramid Model
TACSEI: Backpack Connection Series This parent handout series was created by TACSEI to give
teacher a way to partner with parents to connect Pyramid
Model skills to the home and help young children develop
social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior.
• Teachers can send a handout home in each child’s
backpack when a specific activity or skill is introduced to
the class
• Teachers/Home Visitors/Providers can send (give) specific
topic handouts to give ideas on how to use the strategy or
skill at home.
• There are 25 different topics.
Building Positive
Relationships
Teaching Problem
Solving Skills
Behavior
Expectations &
Rules
Zero to Three Age-Based Development Handouts These 9 handouts assist providers & parents know what to
expect developmentally as their infant/toddler grows (from
birth to 36 months).
The following websites are full of resources for Teachers/Caregivers and Parents:
Center on the Social Emotional and Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) – http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/
Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) –
http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/
The Pyramid Model Consortium
http://www.pyramidmodel.org/
Team Tennessee http://teamtn.tnvoices.org/
Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/
The content of this guide was adapted by Team Tennessee using the above websites & the following
resources:
Joseph, G. & Strain, P. (2003). Social emotional teaching strategies. Administration for Children, Youth, and
Families. www.csefel.vanderbilt.edu
Lentini, R., Vaughn, B. J., & Fox, L. (2004). Routine Based Support Guide for Young Children with
Challenging Behavior. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida, Early Intervention Positive Behavior
Support.
Lentini, R., Vaughn, B. J., & Fox, L. (2005). Teaching Tools for Young Children
with Challenging Behavior. Tampa, Florida: University of South Florida,
Early Intervention Positive Behavior Support.
Creation of these materials is supported by the Child Care Consultation grant through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.(2014)
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