Equipment and Resources
Guiding the Behaviour of Children and Young People: Linking theory and practice 0-18 years
by Jennie Lindon (Hodder Arnold, £21.99, ISBN 978-0340983980)
Reviewed by Michael Pettavel, head of Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre, London
This new book by Jennie Lindon takes a thorough and informative approach to understanding behaviour in all the contexts of children and young people. She has taken a robust attitude towards how we play a part in other people's behaviour, making this a reflective read that prevents us from falling into many of the 'reactive' strategies that are so common in nurseries and schools.
We are encouraged to think about different scenarios through 'Look, Listen, Note, Learn' sections in each chapter that provide a good basis for trainers and advisors as well as practitioners and settings to encourage conversation and contemplation about situations that are not necessarily clear or straightforward.
The book is packed with strategies and practical ideas for supporting the behaviour of children from birth to adulthood. This will make it valuable reading for students in childcare and teacher training, where it helps to have some clear suggestions about supporting children in regulating their own behaviour.
It is good that there is now a single text that gathers the many ideas and theories together and brings them into one neat package that can be used for reference, for training or just to browse through in order to stimulate your own thinking about general or particular issues that arise. Highly recommended.
