That’s right, Zenith is making a list. Look out Buzzfeed!

Zenith Preschool has had a lot of interviews with prospective parents and we’ve observed some questions that come up more often than others. Questions about discipline are not usually among them. If they do come up, it is well into the interview, often with mild discomfort. I love when parents ask about discipline because it usually leads to enlightening chats about other preschools and their approaches. So far, nothing I’ve heard sounds like anything we do at Zenith. 

That is fairly strange. 

What are these techniques, and why doesn’t Zenith use them? Let’s get into it.

 #5: The Punishment of EXTRA WORK.

This one sounds like such a good idea. You want kids to do their assigned work and you want them to be disciplined. Who knew that one could lead to the other? 

First off, let’s clarify that we are referring to schoolwork like writing, reading, etc. With this technique, you’ll probably see some decrease in unwanted behaviour (UB). More work induces stress and our psychology is designed to avoid stress, so children may decide to stop the UB to avoid this discomfort.

One Reason Zenith Doesn’t Use This Technique:

What does one do at school? 

That’s right, ‘work’. 

Well… Zenith doesn’t usually use that word, because it has a heavy connotation. When we hear work, we’re not encouraged to think about an enjoyable or fulfilling activity. However, activities in school can easily be enjoyable, and research shows that if the information is collected in a fun way, it increases retention. We want our students to be interested in attaining knowledge and skills so the last thing we would do is purposefully transform learning into a punishment. Not to mention, that they’re preschoolers, and this is not the time in their life to overwhelm them with ‘work’.

Summary: Punishment is bad. ‘Work’ is Good. Therefore, ‘Work’ should not be a punishment.

 #4: Time-Outs.

“Oh gosh, she’s screaming again. Did she just hit him?”  

“That’s it, time out for you, missy!” 

Often when a loud or explosive sort of UB occurs, educators pull out the Time-Out card. The most famous being Super Nanny’s time-out, ‘The Naughty Corner’. For years it has been seen as the magic technique to deal with UBs. If you’ve tried it, I’m sure you’ve seen some sort of result quickly, and who can argue with the results?

 … 

Hi, I’m Zenith Preschool! I’m here to argue with the results.

One Reason Zenith Doesn’t Use This Technique:

There is just too much to lose in using this technique. 

Behaviours like shouting, hitting etc, come from a lack of communication skills/tools. Children with this UB haven’t developed the skills to talk about their feelings, solve their problems calmly, or accept not getting their way (likely a result of underdeveloped empathy). Putting them in a time-out is like punishing a child for falling off their bike by making them carry it on their back. 

Yes, the technique might stop the UB, but it does not help the child to develop the skills they need to solve their problems or communicate effectively. Not only does it not help their communication skills, but it also stunts them. By putting a child in a time-out, when they express their emotions, you’re teaching them that expressing themselves is wrong and warrants punishment. The last thing you want for your child is for them to stop expressing themselves. 

So for Zenith, this technique is in no way worth the appearance of effectiveness.

Summary: We want children to develop their communication skills and encourage them to express their emotions, time-outs work against this goal.

#3: Withholding of a Break or Fun Activity.

Here is another obvious one. 

If the child wants to do something, they’ll avoid behaviour that will rob them of the chance. If properly explained so that the child makes the connection between the UB and the punishment, then this could show results.

One Reason Zenith Doesn’t Use This Technique:

Do you guys remember recess? 

SO GOOD!

It is so important too! 

The mind needs breaks. A break allows one to reset their stress levels to allow for further focus.
Kids are going to be doing a lot of play during break time and that is also very important. Physical play releases so many important chemicals into the body that assist with cognitive tasks and the retention of information. 

Simply put, breaks/ fun activities are the glue that holds the entire academic world together. Now, why would you take that away from a child? 

If they’re acting out, chances are they’re already stressed. If you don’t let them reset, what sort of results do you truly hope to achieve?

Summary: Break time is sacred. Zenith will not take it away.

#2: Boofing/Buffing Up.

How do you even spell that word?! 

Either way, we’ve all been shouted at, and most of us have seen children being shouted at. They usually quiet down or cower away and the UB usually ceases. It seems like this approach works, but how lasting is this effect? 

Do you remember being shouted at in school for talking? Sure, you got quiet but thirty minutes after the boofing, were you still just as quiet?

One Reason Zenith Doesn’t Use This Technique:

Shouting in response to an UB usually just comes across as weak. 

I had a substitute teacher take over one of my classes years ago. She complained about how much shouting she had to do. That was surprising since I have never shouted in a class and don’t ever expect to. At Zenith, we train hard to develop our abilities to communicate so that we don’t need to rely on shouting. If we did, it would only teach the children that shouting is an acceptable way to solve one’s problems. 

As an adult, have you ever been more moved by someone’s point because they were screaming at you? 

Didn’t think so.

Summary: Shouting is not a good communication tool so let’s not teach it to our kids.

#1: Corporal Punishment

Beating, flogging, whipping, lashing. Bring the cane, the stick, the slipper, the pot-spoon…

One Reason Zenith Doesn’t Use This Technique:

I know we said one reason and I’ve worked hard to keep it down to one each but here’s a freebie:

It’s illegal!

Aside from that, so much research has been done in the field of psychology to show that this technique is much more likely to build up resentment than to help in the development of a child. 

Why would a child respect and obey someone they resent or fear?

They don’t. Children just learn how to not get hurt. 

Best way? Don’t get caught. 

What else might they learn? That beating someone is how you get someone to listen. #cycleofviolence

Summary: Might seem like it works but it just doesn’t.

So, that was our list of techniques that we don’t use at Zenith Preschool. I hope to in a later post break down the techniques that we DO use. 

Until then, this is Christopher signing out. 

Thanks for reading!

[ Are you looking for the best preschool in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! ]