Vocabulary
Guidelines for Setting Limits
Communicating, Enforcing & Evaluating Limits
Specific Limits 1
Specific Limits 2
100

 Can be adapted to the needs of an individual or situation

 Flexible Limits

100

When setting limits for children, make them what?

Short and positive 

100

The way you react to children who break limits affects children’s feelings of this.

security 

100

These are suggested limits for the cooking area in a classroom. 

  • Wash hands before cooking.
  • Wear an apron or smock.
  • Wipe up spills immediately.
  • Only teachers pick up hot cooking utensils, pots, pans, or foods.
  • Everyone assists with cleanup.
  • Eat prepared foods only during lunch or snack time.
100

These are suggested limits for the art area

  • Wear smocks for messy activities.
  • Wipe up spills immediately to prevent slips and falls.
  • Return art materials to the shelf after use.
  • Work only with your own materials
200

Quality of being the same every time

consistency 

200

If you determine that a limit no longer fits the group’s needs you should do this. 

discard it 

200

Some teachers divide their limits into these three categories.

  1. Be safe.
  2. Be kind and respectful.
  3. Be neat and responsible.
200

These are suggested limits for the block building area 

  • Use blocks for building only.
  • Keep blocks in the block-building area.
  • Touch only your own building projects unless you ask permission.
  • Return blocks to the storage shelves after use.
200

These are suggested limits for the library/book area

  • Handle books gently.
  • Turn one page at a time.
  • Give torn books to the teacher for repair.
  • Return books to the shelf after use.
300

These are limits 

guides to actions and behaviors that are necessary for children in early childhood settings

300

This may happen if you have too many limits

The children will forget them, and teachers may have trouble remembering and enforcing them.

300

 Staff need to evaluate individual classroom limits by asking themselves what questions?

  • Is the limit necessary?
  • Does the limit respect the rights of individual children?
  • Does the limit support the children’s safety or health?
  • Does the limit support the children’s development?
  • Does the limit support the children’s learning?
  • Do the children and staff know and follow the limit?
300

These are suggested limits for the music area

  • Select the rhythm instruments you want to use.
  • Use musical instruments only for creating sounds.
  • Return rhythm instruments to their assigned places on the shelves after use.
300

These are suggested limits for the science area

  • Feed pets and water plants only with a teacher’s supervision.
  • Handle pets with care.
  • Wash hands after touching pets, feeding, or cleaning cages.
  • Keep science equipment in the area.
400

holds a variety of items for children to experience. 

sensory table

400

Children are often confused by general words such as these when setting limits.

 be nice, stop it, or behave

400

Enforcing limits also requires that limits be what?

Flexible

400

These are suggested limits for the dramatic play area

  • Respect the participation of others.
  • Wipe up all spilled water.
  • Put materials away correctly after use.
  • Be a good friend to everyone.
400

These are suggested limits for the outdoor sand area. 

  • Sand and sand toys stay in the sandbox.
  • Touch only your own sand structure unless you ask permission.
  • Report seeing insects and animal feces in the sandbox to the teachers.
  • Wash hands after playing in the sand.
500

 letter knowledge, concepts of print, phonological awareness, and language skills.

Pre-reading skills

500

Limit changes need the entire staff to discuss the changes. However, they also require what?

discussion with the children who are preschool age or older.

500

 Sometimes, stating limits in simpler terms is necessary, for this reason. 

so the children understand them

500

These are suggested limits for the sensory area 

  • Wear smocks for all wet or messy activities (Figure 15.4).
  • Wipe up splashes and spills immediately.
  • Keep sensory materials inside the table.
500

These are suggested limits for the swings outside. 

  • Only one child is on a swing at a time.
  • Sit in the center of the swing.
  • Use both hands to hold on.
  • Stay on the swing until it has stopped.
  • Only teachers push children on swings.
  • Keep clear of moving swings.
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