Directions: Use this checklist to help you become more aware of effective strategies that support social-emotional growth. Review and complete the checklist with a coach, trainer, or family child care administrator who can support your professional development.

Family Child Care Home

Nurturing and Responsive Relationships

• Greet children and families warmly at arrival and departure; pronounce names correctly.
• Create a respectful, welcoming, and safe environment for children and families.
• Communicate with children at eye level.
• Use a calm, positive, supportive tone of voice.
• Verbally interact with children during routines and activities.
• For infants and toddlers: imitate and expand on their vocalizations or actions.
• Encourage back-and-forth exchanges by asking questions and making comments.
• Join children’s play to support and expand peer interactions.
• Spend one-on-one time talking and playing with each child.
• Know each child’s interests and talk with them about those interests.
• Comment on infants’ and toddlers’ actions, interests, and interactions.
• Speak a few important words in the child’s home language if it is different from yours.
• Ask families about their important practices, rituals, and traditions.
• Encourage families to share changes in routines or life circumstances.
• Give positive attention when children are behaving appropriately.
• Use positive descriptive feedback about children’s skills and activities.
• Consistently communicate positively with families at the end of the day.

High-Quality Supportive Environments

The Physical Design 

• Clearly define areas for routines and learning centers.
• Arrange space so children of different ages can interact.
• Provide a safe, open space for tummy time for infants.
• Offer materials in each center that match the developmental stages of all children.
• Consider children's interests and family input when selecting materials.

Schedules and Routines

• Create routines to meet the needs of different age groups.
• Invite families to share their home routines, especially for infants.
• Include both adult- and child-led activities, with more time for child-led play.
• Provide a visual schedule for older toddlers and preschoolers.
• Teach routines using objects or visuals appropriate for age.
• Follow the routine flexibly and consistently.
• Explain any changes in the routine to children.
• Ask families about their home schedules, routines, and expectations.

Expectations and Rules

• Identify 2–5 simple, clear expectations (e.g., be safe, be kind).
• Post expectations with visuals and share with families. Refer to expectations throughout the day.
• For specific activities, set 2–5 positively worded rules tied to expectations.
• Post rules with visuals where children can see them.
• Teach rules using age-appropriate strategies and support.
• Give positive feedback when children follow expectations or rules.

Clear and Effective Directions

• Tell children what to do, not what not to do.
• Give directions calmly and close to the children.
• Use visuals, modeling, or objects if children need more support.

Transitions

• Use strategies to teach steps for transitions based on children’s needs.
• Give a group warning before transitions.
• Use a variety of transition strategies.
• Give positive feedback when transitions go well.

Promoting Engagement

• Plan activities based on children’s interests, age, and development.
• Match teaching strategies to each child's developmental level.
• Make sure all children can take part in the activity.
• Watch for signs of disengagement and adjust the activity as needed.
• Adapt activities so every child can be included meaningfully.
• Give descriptive feedback when children are focused and participating.
• Offer choices within activities to help children stay engaged.

Targeted Social-Emotional Skills

Supporting Peer Interactions

• Teach friendship skills (e.g., sharing, taking turns, helping).
• Encourage positive interactions between children.
• Pair children as buddies during transitions or routines.
• Choose and arrange activities that support interaction.
• Stay close during peer interactions to offer support.
• Use descriptive feedback to encourage social behavior.

Emotional Literacy

• Provide ways for children to learn about and name emotions.
• Teach calming strategies for strong feelings.
• Acknowledge and affirm children’s emotional expressions.
• Show empathy and help children handle emotions.
• Model naming your own emotions.
• Help children recognize signs they are getting upset.
• Guide children in using calming strategies.
• Comment positively when emotions are handled appropriately.

Problem Solving 

• Offer developmentally appropriate opportunities for problem solving.
• Give children time to try solving problems on their own.
• Teach a variety of solutions to common problems.
• Use real situations to help children practice problem solving.
• Help children work through peer conflict with problem-solving steps.
• Give positive feedback when children solve problems.

Responding to Challenging Behavior 

• Use calm, supportive, and age-appropriate responses to challenging behavior.
• Quickly respond to infants and toddlers who are upset.
• Validate the child’s feelings and offer appropriate behavior options.
• Redirect behavior in a supportive way.
• Help children name their emotions.
• Guide children in calming down.
• Support children in solving the problems behind the behavior.
• Reconnect with children using positive attention after the behavior improves.

Individualized Interventions 

• Adjust instruction and supports based on family input and values.
• Create and follow a behavior support plan when needed.
• Work with families to create strategies for social-emotional development.
• Find and connect with additional services if needed.
• Collaborate with others to make sure support is consistent and helpful.
• Use data to track how well the behavior plan is working.

Source:

National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations. (2022, May 16). Pyramid model practices for family child care homes. . https://challengingbehavior.org/docs/FCCH_PM-Practices_Checklist.pdf