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Discipline in a Day Care Setting Discipline used as a noun means arranged, proscribed behavior. The verb "to discipline" means different things to different people. Most definitions of "to discipline" fall into two general camps: 1) to control, punish, and correct; or 2) to teach, guide, and influence. The majority of studies today show, that the second definition is more effective in producing the desired behavior. The word discipline is often used as a synonym for punishment, but this is wrong. Discipline is a system of actions or interactions intended to create orderly behavior.
There are a variety of disciplinary systems, which show varying degrees of success. Some disciplinary systems use punishment as a tool; others shun punishment, believing it is at best ineffective, at worst destructive. Disciplinary systems have been the norm in the West for centuries. Judaeo-Christian religion has traditionally been seen to promote authoritarian parenting: "Spare the rod, spoil the child" is an oft-quoted pseudo-Biblical injunction (the only actual words similar to this in the Bible are "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him" -- Proverbs 13: 24, Revised Standard Version). Some conservative Christians and Jews continue to hold to this style of discipline in the belief that punishment is the only way to teach children proper submission and obedience to parents, other adults, and ultimately God. (Gordon, 1991).
Other systems of discipline reject harsh, physical violence. Practices of "logical consequences" and "time out " are two well-known examples. Both are behavior modification techniques that are used to train a child to behave in socially, or parental, acceptable ways. Rewards and punishments are used to control a child's actions. This can be effective in modifying external behaviors, but it does little to change underlying motivations or attitudes. In fact, attempts to control a child actually prevent any lasting influence from occurring.
Children instead simply rebel against the imposed limitations, resist authority, and resort to lying, evasion, or manipulation to get their needs and desires met. (Nelsen, 1996). Harshly punitive measures of discipline have been shown to create anxiety, fear, anger, hatred, apathy, depression, obsessiveness, paranoia, sadomasochism, domestic violence, aggression, crime, and apocalyptic religious views, none of which promotes stable, orderly, socially creative behavior. When children are punished harshly, they remember only the pain and humiliation of the punishment, not the reason for the discipline. They lose trust in their parents and become less likely to accept their authority in the future. Physically violent discipline actually promotes further violence by teaching a child that force is a means to gain control, and that violence is acceptable in "loving" relationships. Perhaps the biggest problem with punitive systems of discipline, whether violent or nonviolent, is that eventually the parent runs out of means of control.
As the child grows, physical force is less and less effective, and the child continually learns new ways to evade other forms of punishment. At some point, the child becomes immune to discipline. In spite of this reality, however, Western culture remains wedded to punitive discipline in the vast majority. A survey conducted in 1980 by Murray Straus, Richard Genes, and Suzanne Steinmetz showed that 70 % of parents randomly sampled viewed slapping or spanking children as "necessary"; 77 % viewed these forms of discipline as "normal"; and 71 % viewed them as "good. " Nearly three-fourths (73 %) of the parents had used some form of physical discipline on their child at some time in that child's life. (Gordon, 1991). Millions of children have been kicked, bitten, or punched by a parent some even beaten up. It is clear from these statistics that punitive discipline is common and frequent in Western society today.
In the 1980 s and 1990 s, however, a shift has begun away from punitive discipline toward a more relational style based on attachment, mutual trust and respect, and equality. This has occurred for a number of socio-cultural reasons. First of all, the increasing frequency of self-destructive and socially destructive behaviors on the part of increasingly younger children is clear evidence that common forms of discipline now in use are not working. The rise in crime, drug and alcohol abuse, school drop-out rates, and suicide show a dangerous lack of discipline among children.
Punitive measures, such as the "war on drugs, " or "getting tough on crime, " have been ineffective, if not counterproductive. In response, therefore, a number of adults have begun to explore alternative systems of discipline that do not rely on control or punishment. (Nelsen, 1996). A basic tenet of successful democracy is that with freedom comes responsibility. Equality-based disciplinary systems are not permissive; rather, parents seek to guide children to responsible choices.
Parenting is authoritative rather than authoritarian. Children cannot be taught to take responsibility unless responsibility is given to them. (McCord, 1995). Therefore, appropriate amounts of freedom to choose, and to experience the consequences of those choices, are granted to children according to their developmental level. These stages determine the type of guidance given to a child by the adult caregiver, and the amount of self-determination the child is allowed.
Ideally, the parent or other adult caregiver develops an intimate knowledge of the child, a connection based on close awareness and attachment, so that the adult can provide the guidance needed by that particular child. (McCord, 1995). The philosophy of linear development underlies traditional methods of education (i. e. , children get a little smarter every year). Montessori believed that intellectual development takes place in four distinct periods called "planes" that correspond to the chronological stages of birth to age 6 - 12, 12 - 18, and 18 - 24. Moreover, development within each of these planes surges and then declines, with the developmental peaks occurring at the ages of 3, 9, 15, and 21.
Montessori's ideas resemble those of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget in that she believed the nature of intelligence and learning is qualitatively different at each stage of development. For example, she contrasted the rapid, instinctive learning of children up to the age of six with the more deliberate learning styles of older children and adults. She labeled preschoolers' ability to "soak up" aspects of their environments the "Absorbent Mind. " (Gettman, 1987). Also like Piaget, she theorized that accomplishments at each stage build on those of the previous ones, and that inadequate development at any stage will influence the ability to carry out the developmental tasks of later stages.
Although livelier than an ordinary classroom, the Montessori environment is an orderly and industrious one, with children totally absorbed in their tasks, at which they can work uninterrupted for hours at a time if they choose. Montessori believed that interruptions, even for such worthwhile activities as gym or music, do not allow children to achieve their full learning potential, so her teaching method calls for two uninterrupted three-hour periods every day in which the children pursue their educational activities, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In addition to the prepared educational materials, the typical Montessori classroom at the elementary level also includes items such as dishes, kitchen utensils, and plants, which aid in the development of gross and fine motor abilities by making everyday domestic activities part of the educational setting. (Gettman, 1987). The past 30 years have seen the founding of over 3, 000 Montessori schools affiliated with either a national or international Montessori association, as well as many others without such affiliations. Initially most Montessori schools were established at the primary level for children aged three to six, but many private schools have extended their programs to the elementary-school level, especially since the 1980 s. The 1990 s have seen many programs extend even further upward through the ages of 12 - 15 and also downward to include parent-child programs for children under the age of three. (Montessori, 1973).
Public school programs are generally offered in one of two formats, as magnet school programs or as charter schools funded by the states and operated independently from local school districts. One of the challenges facing Montessori educators is working out the details of programs for adolescents and young adults ages 12 - 24, for which Maria Montessori was only able to formulate a theoretical framework but not develop specific programs based on day-to-day teaching experience. Another challenge is maintaining the quality of Montessori education as programs proliferate and expand. Bibliography: Gettman, David. Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives. New York: St.
Martin's Press, 1987. Gordon, Thomas. Discipline that Works: Promoting Self- Discipline in Children. New York: Plume, 1991. McCord, Joan, ed. Coercion and Punishment in Long-Term Perspectives.
Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Montessori, Maria. From Childhood to Adolescence. New York: Schocken Books, 1973. Nelsen, Jane.
Positive Discipline, rev. ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996.
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