Child Guidance & Positive Discipline Flashcards

A visual schedule posted in a child's play area primarily serves to:

Answer: Reduce anxiety by helping children predict the sequence of daily activities

Visual schedules provide predictability that reduces anxiety, supports independence, and helps children transition between activities more smoothly.

Task analysis, breaking a task into small sequential steps, is MOST beneficial for:

Answer: Teaching children new self-care or behavioral skills

Breaking a skill into small, achievable steps allows children to experience success at each stage, building competence and confidence gradually.

When a child exhibits aggressive behavior such as hitting, the nanny should FIRST:

Answer: Ensure safety, calmly state the limit, and address the emotion behind the behavior

Safety comes first, then a calm brief statement of the limit, followed by helping the child identify and express the underlying emotion in an acceptable way.

Consistency in child guidance primarily means:

Answer: Following through on stated limits and consequences each time they occur

Consistent follow-through builds trust and helps children learn that limits are real, predictable, and reliable.

Which strategy BEST supports a child's ability to develop self-regulation over time?

Answer: Gradually reducing adult support as the child demonstrates the ability to regulate independently

Scaffolding support—offering help when needed and fading it as the child grows more capable—builds genuine self-regulation rather than dependency.

A nanny uses the phrase 'When you finish cleaning up your blocks, then we can go to the park.' This is an example of:

Answer: The Premack Principle, using a preferred activity to motivate a less preferred one

The Premack Principle (often called 'first/then') uses a preferred activity as a natural motivator following a less preferred one, which is an effective and positive guidance strategy.

Which of the following BEST describes a child-centered approach to behavioral guidance?

Answer: The nanny considers the child's developmental stage, individual temperament, and emotional needs when choosing guidance strategies

A child-centered approach tailors guidance strategies to each child's unique developmental level, temperament, and emotional needs for maximum effectiveness.