Sample Lesson Plans for Study Chapters

These are from an AMI chapter in Logan which is studying Dr. Glenn Latham's book "The Power of Positive Parenting," for the next two years. You may copy them for your study chapters, but please attribute the information to Dr. Glenn Latham on each copy made. Thanks!

Lesson #2
How behavior develops: Do as I say not as I do?
(Based on "The Power of Positive Parenting" by Dr. Glenn Latham)

"We should be what we want our children to become"- Daryl Hoole
"It takes just as much time to be a bad example as a good one" - Daryl Hoole

"…research in human behavior has taught us about laws that govern human behavior and how to predict human behavior given a description of the environment within which it will occur."
"Human behavior is also predictable in light of the environment within which it occurs. It is not as absolutely predictable as is the case with science, but it is predictable enough for us to know generally what will happen under given conditions… with knowledge about human behavior, we can improve the quality of the environment within which we live. We can build a better world for all, including our children- and grandchildren."

Our Environment
4 Principles that concern or effect behavior
1- Behavior is strengthened or weakened by its consequences.

• "If you ever wonder why individuals continue to behave the way that they do, you needn't wonder long. Just observe the events that follow that behavior and you will know why the behavior persists. And by the same token if you ever wonder why a behavior ceases to exist, wonder no longer. We call the events that follow Behavior Consequences."

2- Behavior ultimately responds better to positive consequences.

• "My eighth-grade educated mother understood this principle very well and said it to me many times as a boy, "A cup of honey will draw more flies that a bucket of gall." Despite this age-old truth the tendency of parents is to use negative, coercive, punitive means of stopping or eliminating behavior rather than a positive, pleasant reinforcing means of strengthening behavior."
• "A child misbehaves, the parent immediately scolds, spanks, or screams at the child and the inappropriate behavior stops. The immediate consequence of the scolding, spanking, or screaming was exactly what the parents wanted: the child immediately quit misbehaving. The child will misbehave again because the scolding, spanking or screaming will have only a short-lived effect on the child's behavior."

Example of a child playing in the street
1- Spanking or coercive reaction
2-Explanation, "No you can not play in the street, please play here." Repeated as necessary.
In the first case the child has been taught nothing about where he should play, but he was learning a lot about the distasteful effects of coercion, aversion and pain.

• "As parents we must not be seduced into believing that because we get immediate results from scoldings, spankings, and screamings that these are appropriate ways to respond to inappropriate behavior. In the long run behavior responds better to positive rather than negative consequences.

3- Whether behavior has been punished or reinforced is known only by the course of that behavior in the future.

• "If you are always going to do what you have always done, you're always going to get what you have always gotten."

"Research has shown that the most effective way to reduce problem behavior in children is to strengthen desirable behavior through positive reinforcement rather than trying to weaken undesirable behavior using aversive or negative processes."

4- Behavior is largely a product of its environment.

• "Fix the kid?" "Well there is a better way, and this fourth principle of human behavior teaches us what that better way is: Fix the environment and you will fix the behavior. There it is in its simplest, purest sense, a disciplined child is a product of a disciplined environment."
• "Why should children behave inappropriately when they are getting all of the attention they need by behaving appropriately? Remember it is your attention they are after. They would rather have your attention for behaving appropriately than for hitting or crying."

"Our job as parents is to create the environment in our homes that will remarkably increase the probability that children will behave appropriately and that they will be happy, productive, and contributing members of society."

Assignment #1
Track your children's undesirable behavior for one day this will allow you to determine some "hot spots" during the day. For example getting ready for school, during homework, completing chores, etc. This will help you to focus on certain children during their "hot spots" during the day and help you to see which environments could use some organization and positive reinforcement.

Date: Child: "Hot spots":

Experiences:

Assignment #2
Glenn Latham suggests "20 positive interactions per hour without it taking more than a minute per hour, by using a wink, a smile, a pat on the back or by simply saying, "You boys are playing so nicely together." All of it was to be done in a very natural way in the course of parents comings and goings."
Pick a different day of the week and during your child's "Hot Spots" use Dr. Latham's advice and give that child 20 positive interactions during that hour. Also look into the environment in which these events are taking place. Could you change something in the environment to help encourage good behavior? For example good music, a snack, note from mom, favorite spiritual pictures, etc.

Experiences:

"Read before you sign"
I was purchasing some children's books for adoption to use for a display at one of our recent activities and in a rush I looked at the titles, purchased them and quickly returned home. In my haste I signed my name in permanent magic marker before I read the books. I decided to quickly read through them and picked up the first one titled, "Heather has two mommies." To my shock and horror this was not an adoption book but a book about a child who literally has two mommies. I am pretty sure that I will now become a nation wide statistic of the only woman in Utah who has purchased this book and supported that cause. In the future I will "read before I sign my name on something".