Useful Information About Feasibility

12 Levels of
Behavior Intervention
for Implementing
Positive Child Guidance
Dr. Will Mosier

Professor
Wright State University
Director of Research
Center for the Study of
Child Development
How to use the 12 levels of
intervention
1. Always start with the beginning intervention first
2. When the desired change is not achieved at a lower level of
intervention, add-on the next level of intervention while continuing
the previous strategies
3. Never go backwards! Do not remain using only a level of intervention
previously used, without adding-on a higher level of intervention, if a
specific undesired behavior continues. (If an undesired behavior
continues from one day to the next, even if days are not consecutive,
add the next higher level of intervention while continuing with the
previously utilized lower levels of intervention.) This is key to
reinforcing self-control! If you revert to the same level of intervention
that didn’t work yesterday, don’t be surprised if the behavior
continues. YOU are reinforcing the behavior if the child is receiving
the same attention he/she received yesterday with no evidence of
diminished unacceptable behavior.
4. Do not skip levels of intervention! Increase the levels of intervention,
in order, as needed.
drwillmosier@yahoo.com
12 steps toward positive child guidance
1. “Ignore” unwanted behavior (Any attention will tend to reinforce
reoccurrence of the behavior)
2. Arrange environment to minimize disruptive behavior
(Rearrange room to avoid repeat of disruptive behavior)
3. Use “neutral time” to discuss alternative behavior (circle time,
story time)
4. Verbally commend the child when he is doing something
acceptable (Draw attention to other children when they are displaying
acceptable behavior) Reinforce acceptable behavior
5. Approximate the child (Start walking toward the child)
6. Stand next to the child
7. Stay with the child for an extended period of time
8. Apply gentle appropriate touch (Place your hand on child’s
shoulder)
9. Verbally cue expected behavior while touching the child (You
must apply gentle tactile stimulation before providing verbal cue)
10. Undo/Redo (manually facilitate guiding the child’s actions)
11. Keep the child with you for one transition
12. Keep the child with you through as many transitions as
necessary to extinguish the disruptive behavior
Level 1: Avoid giving attention to
unwanted behavior (ignore)
 The first time you notice a
child doing an unacceptable
behavior, the behavior
should be ignored
 The child may stop the
unwanted behavior without
any an additional steps
 Do not give attention to
unwanted behavior
Level 2: Arrange the environment
to avoid disruptive behavior
 See what changes to  Examples:
the environment can  Move student’s desk
be made to help limit closer to you
unwanted behavior  Take down distractions
hanging from the ceiling
 If the way the that may cause student to
environment is loose focus
arranged is not  Bring the child closer to
helping to discourage you
disruptive behavior,  You stay closer to the
rearrange it child
 Plan ahead to
minimize the risk for
repeat disruptions
Level 3: Discuss the behavior at a
“neutral time”
 Use a neutral time to  Reading books about the
discuss unwanted behavior can lead to
behavior that is great problem-solving
occurring in your class discussions
 “Circle time” is a  After reading a book you
great opportunity to can talk with the children
address unwanted about the behavior and
behavior find child-centered
solutions to the problem
Level 3: Address the problem
during a “neutral time” (continued)
 It is important to discuss the behavior only at a neutral
time, such as circle time – Not at the time of the behavior
 During a neutral time you can read a book about the
problem behavior
 Example:
 If a child hits someone, later in the day read a book about hitting
 Use a “Neutral Time” to sing a song about being kind to others
 The students could watch a video that deals with socially
competent ways of resolving conflict
 The students could role-play what to do in similar situations
 You could use puppets to talk about the problem behavior
Level 3: Discuss the problem during
a “neutral time” (continued)
 When addressing a problem behavior
during circle time it is important to
reference the specific child who displayed
the unacceptable behavior
 However, this must be done in a non-
blaming manner: “ Since Billy hit Sara
today, we are going to talk about hitting,
sing a song about not hurting others and
read a book about how to solve problems
without hurting others.”
Level 4: Catch the child being
“good”!
 This level of intervention is the most important for
prevention
 Comment on individual children demonstrating
acceptable behavior
 If the child continues unacceptable behavior, continue
commenting on other individual children doing
something acceptable without drawing attention to the
child who is displaying the unacceptable behavior
 Even if the child only does something acceptable for
“one second”, take the time to notice and comment on it
– at that moment
Level 4: Watch for positive
behavior in other children (continued)
 Catch the student who  Use a three-part “I”
typically is displaying message for reinforcement
unwanted behavior acting  Examples:
appropriately, even if it only  Wow ____(child’s name)!
lasts a brief moment When I see you ______
(identify acceptable
 While you ignore the behavior), it makes me so
unwanted behavior, draw ____ (identify your feelings
attention to acceptable about the behavior) that I
behavior being modeled by want to ______(identify
what it makes you want to
some other student in the do)
classroom (or the disruptive  “Oh Hayden! When I see
child at a moment when he you sitting there with your
is not being disruptive) pencil in your hand I feel so
happy I just want to say
hurray for Hayden!”
Level 5: Approximate
 “Approximate” means to start Example:
walking in the general  Slowly start walking in the
direction of the child direction of the disruptive child
 Approximate the child, still  It may not be necessary to go
giving no attention to the all the way to the child
unwanted behavior, while  Stop moving towards the child
pointing-out the acceptable when you notice the behavior
behavior modeled by another stop
student using a three-part “I”
 Continue with positive three-
message
part “I” messages as
 Do not look directly at the reinforcement for acceptable
student, just be within eye behavior that you see in the
shot of him/her room
 If the child sees you he may
stop the disruptive behavior
Level 6: Stand by the child
 If unwanted behavior  If after the teacher leaves
the unwanted behavior
still persists starts up again,
approximate the child, approximate next to child
for a longer period of time
still ignoring unwanted while continuing with
behavior and using positive three-part “I”
message
positive three-part “I”  Walk to the student and
messages to reinforce stop
acceptable behavior,  Continue teaching or
directing the rest of the
when you reach the class from that position
child stay by the child  The child will notice you
until unwanted standing next to her and
this may motivate the child
behavior stops to discontinue
unacceptable behavior
Level 7: Stay by the child
 When the child does not initially respond

to you standing next to her, stay there for
an extended period of time
 The child may need time to get the
message that you are there to stay until
the behavior stops
Level 8: Apply Gentle,
Appropriate Touch
 Sometimes children do not respond to the simple presence
of an adult
 So, the next step is to use physical stimulation in the form
of gentle touch to communicate your expectation
 Just lay your hand gently on the child’s shoulder
 It is important to continue positive verbal interaction with
other students using three-part “I” messages while touching
the child who is doing the inappropriate behavior
 Example:
 If unwanted behavior persists, rest your hand on the disruptive
child’s shoulder while providing positive verbal attention to children
displaying acceptable behavior
 Positive reinforcement must be done using three-part “I” messages
Level 8: What Can I Do if the Child
Does Not Want to be Touched? (continued)
 Some children become defensive when a teacher
touches them, even when this is done gently
 Simply remain at Level: 7 occasionally patting
the child on the shoulder until they are
desensitized to the “fear of being touched”
 You are still touching the child, only in a less
threatening way for that child
 This is still effective and the child will eventually
become responsive to gentle, appropriate touch
as a tool to facilitate redirecting of behavior
Level 9: Verbal Cueing (while
applying gentle touch)
 State direction in first-person Example:
singular while touching the If the child is to put his
child name on his paper and
 Each time the directive is is not following the
repeated it must be in first- directive, physically
person singular while gently touch the child gently
touching the child (Never on the shoulder and
initiate verbal cue prior to restate the directive in
touching the child when you first-person singular
are at intervention Level 9) “I am going to pick-up my
 First: Gently touch the child pencil and write my name on
my paper, now.”
 Second: Verbally cue the desired
behavior
Level 10: Undo Redo
 Hand-over-hand  Example:
reinforcement If the directions are for
 Undo/Redo means to the child to write his or
physically assist the child her name on the top of
to undo their the paper, a teacher
unacceptable act and would say, “ I will write
replace it with the my name on my paper
acceptable act now” )while guiding the
 This requires using first- child’s hand to complete
person singular to model the task)
positive self-talk for the
child
Level 10: Examples of undo/redo
(continued)
Examples:
 If a child hit another child, to undo the act the teacher will
gently take the child’s hand and facilitate it moving toward
the other child’s arm modeling how to use gentle touch
 The adult will say “ It’s not like me to hurt my friend, I
touch my friend gently.”
 If a child is distracted from the task of writing her name on

her paper take the child’s hand and physically facilitate her
writing her name on the paper while stating: “ I’m going to
write my name at the top of my paper, now.”
Level 11: Keep the child with you
 If unacceptable behavior  When keeping child with

persists, keep child with you for one transition you
you for one transition should state:
 Use three-part “I”  “When I see you hit Mary
message to explain why (child’s behavior), I feel
scared (Your feeling). So, I
the child must stay with am going to keep you with
you me (what you are going to
do) until I feel safe that
you understand that I
touch other people gently
Level 11: Keeping the child with you
(continued)
 If the child’s behavior continues after

Undo/Redo, keep the child with you for one
transition
 This requires the student to sit next to you
during an activity, or go wherever you go in the
classroom
 When there is a change in activity, the child is
allowed to leave your side
Level 11: What to say to the child when
he asks to leave your side prior to the
next transition (continued)
 When you have the child with you for a transition,
the child will inevitably ask to be allowed to do
something else. You say:
 “ You really want to play with the blocks , when I feel
safe that you understand I touch my friends gently,
then you can play with the blocks – maybe later.”
 “ You really want to go outside now but remember
when you pulled Sara’s hair, when I feel safe that you
know that I touch my friends gently, then you can go
outside – maybe later.”
 “ You want to work in the art area, but remember when
to threw the chair. When I feel safe that you
understand that I sit on my chair then you can work in
the art area – maybe later.”
Level 12: Keeping the child with
you over multiple transitions
 If after one transition the  Example:
unwanted behavior is still If the consequence is for the
child to stay with you until the
going on you will keep the next transition - be empathic but
child with you for more than don’t break the rule
one transition To a request for being allowed to
 Use empathic understanding not remain with you say:
and three-part “I” messages  “You would really like to play
outside with your friends, but do
to address the child wanting you remember earlier when you
to do something other than hit Susie? Until I feel safe that
stay with you you understand that I touch
Susie gently you will have to
 This is the most appropriate stay with me for the rest of
way to address the child’s recess, maybe after recess is
over you can do something
behavior without damaging else.”
self esteem
you for a longer period of time
(continued)
 If the child has been with you for multiple

transitions and the unacceptable behavior
continues, keep the child with you permitting
intermittent trials of independence
 Tell the child that he has to stay with you for
another transition until you feel safe that the
disruptive behavior will stop
 Use empathic responses and three-part “I”
messages with the child throughout the duration
of the “time-out” period of being with you
you for a longer period of time
(continued)
 Hopefully by now the child will realize that if he
does not want to be with the teacher all the time
he needs to discontinue the unacceptable
behavior
 However, some children will continue with
disruptive behavior for a protracted period of time
 This does not mean that this step will not
eventually work – it only means that the child has
a greater problem with impulse control
 This method will eventually work – if you are
consistently persistent
Two points to remember
 The two skills that are most useful for

facilitating behavior change without
damaging a child cognitively,
emotionally or socially are:
 Communicating empathic
understanding
 Using three-part “I” messages
Communicate empathic
understanding
 When a child comes to you with a problem
use empathic understanding to touch the
child’s feelings so they may become
independent in their thinking
 Child: Teacher what do you think of my
picture?
 Teacher: Wow, you are really excited about
your picture, you must really like it.
Three-part “I” message
 To reinforce positive  To discourage negative
behavior behavior
 “When I see you… (child’s  “When I see you…
action)” (child’s action)”
 “It makes me feel… (your  “It makes me feel…
positive feeling)”
(your feeling)”
 “I just want to say hurray
for you.” (your action)  “I just want to cry.”
(your action)
 “When I see you writing
with you pencil it makes  “When I see you hit
me so happy I just want Sally, it makes me so
to say hurray for you!” sad I just want to cry.”
3-part “I” messages (continued)
 The Three Part “ I” Message is a

statement about the child’s behavior but it
focuses on the feelings of the teacher
about the behavior and what the teacher
wants to do because of her feelings
Examples of What to Say Using the
Three-Part “I” Message for positive
reinforcement (Three-part “I” messages-continued)
 “ When I see you coloring with that crayon, I
feel so happy, I want to say “Yahoo!”
 “When I see you reading the directions on your
paper, I feel proud, and it makes me want to
smile.”
 “ When I see you putting away your papers, it
makes me feel so excited that I want to do a
dance.”
 “When I see you sharing your markers with
Sara, I feel so happy. It makes me want to jump
up and down.”
3-part “I” messages (continued)
 When a child is doing an unacceptable

behavior repeatedly, it is important to “
Catch him being good.”
 Comment on anything the child is doing
right
 It may seem small, but giving the child
recognition for that will help him focus on
positive change
Conclusion
 These steps are developmentally appropriate
ways of behavior modification
 These steps do not damage the self esteem of a
child or degrade the child in any way
 Following these steps will lead to a more
peaceful classroom

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12 Levels of

Dr. Will Mosier

 When the child does not initially respond

 If a child is distracted from the task of writing her name on

 If unacceptable behavior  When keeping child with

 If the child’s behavior continues after

 If the child has been with you for multiple

 The two skills that are most useful for

 The Three Part “ I” Message is a

 When a child is doing an unacceptable

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