Looking Beyond The Behaviour: What Does This Child Need?

Understanding children’s behaviour through reflection, curiosity and professional judgement.

Behaviour is communication, but understanding what a child may be trying to tell us isn’t always straightforward.

This collection of reflective prompts has been created to support practitioners in looking beyond the behaviour and considering the possible needs, emotions and experiences that may be influencing what they see.

Each sheet focuses on a common behaviour or concern experienced in Early Years settings and includes:

What the child could be communicating
What you might notice
Practical strategies to try
A reflective question to encourage professional thinking

These prompts are not intended to diagnose or label children. Instead, they provide starting points for meaningful observation, discussion and reflection, recognising that every child is unique and behaviour is influenced by many different factors.

Created from my own experience as a Reception teacher and informed by child development, attachment, communication, self-regulation and play, this resource has been designed to encourage thoughtful, child-centred practice.

Perfect for:
EYFS practitioners
Reception teachers
Nursery and preschool settings
Childminders
SENDCo discussions
Staff meetings and CPD
Supervision and coaching sessions
Supporting Early Career Teachers
Reflecting on individual children

Whether you’re supporting a child who struggles with transitions, finds friendships difficult, avoids speaking, or simply leaves you wondering “what’s going on here?”, these prompts will help shift the conversation from managing behaviour to understanding it.

© 2026 EYFS with Mrs S. All rights reserved.