Unpacking the Pyramid Model

A Practical Guide for Preschool Teachers

edited by Mary Louise Hemmeter, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee and Michaelene M. Ostrosky, Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois and Lise Fox, Ph.D. University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

With invited contributors

Unpacking the Pyramid Model

Introduction

CREATING A FRAMEWORK OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES: BUILDING THE PYRAMID MODEL

Teaching young children is rewarding, inspiring, fun, meaningful, exhausting, and challenging! Teachers of preschool children have responsibility for providing a welcoming, engaging, and nurturing classroom that fosters early academic skills and promotes social-emotional competence. In addition, early educators need to be prepared to guide the development of children from a variety of backgrounds, and with diverse interests, and abilities. The Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence In Infants and Young Children was developed to provide early educators with guidance on the research-based practices they can use to promote the social-emotional competence of all children, prevent social-emotional delays in children who are at risk for emotional and behavioral issues, and intervene effectively with the few children who engage in ongoing, persistent challenging behavior.

Guiding Assumptions

The Pyramid Model was developed based on several assumptions about young children’s social-emotional development. These assumptions are grounded in research and are recommended practices in the fields of early childhood and early childhood special education (DEC, 2014; NAEYC, n.d.). The Pyramid Model focuses on promotion and prevention, rather than being reactive and concentrating primarily on intensive interventions. In other words, the emphasis is on enhancing social-emotional skill development and preventing challenging behavior through the careful and intentional arrangement of early childhood environments that are inclusive, developmentally appropriate, and validating of the different lenses teachers, children, and families bring to the classroom.

The Development of the Pyramid Model

Although we developed the Pyramid Model in response to concerns about children’s challenging behavior, we knew that the most effective practices would be those that prevented challenging behavior and promoted appropriate social-emotional behaviors that children could use in place of challenging behavior. We wanted to develop a model that would guide behavior support practices across a range of early childhood settings. This required a tiered model of supports that included prevention, promotion, and intervention practices. The development of the Pyramid Model was influenced by public health models and by Positive Behavior Interventions and Support models that are used in many K–12 settings.

The Pyramid Model Practices

Tier 1: Universal Practices

Tier 1 involves two sets of practices: responsive and nurturing relationships and high-quality, supportive environments. These practices are designed to promote children’s social-emotional development and prevent challenging behavior.

Tier 2: Targeted Social-Emotional Supports

This tier of the Pyramid Model is focused on supporting children’s development of social-emotional competence by providing high-quality instruction that includes increasing levels of support to meet the needs of all children.

Tier 3: Intensive Interventions

This tier of practices is designed for children whose challenging behavior is persistent and not responsive to the practices implemented in the other tiers of the Pyramid Model.

Power Up the Pyramid Model Through Family Engagement

The foundation of the Pyramid Model— nurturing and responsive relationships— includes the development of strong relationships with families as a key component. However, working in partnership with families is part of each tier of the Pyramid Model and all the key practices.

What It Means for a Teacher to Use the Pyramid Model

A preschool teacher who uses the Pyramid Model framework can reflect on his or her teaching practice with his or her team by using the checklists provided at the end of Chapters 3–16.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the Pyramid Model a curriculum that I can purchase? The Pyramid Model is not a curriculum; rather, it is a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s social-emotional development.
2. Can I use the Pyramid Model with children who have special needs? Yes, the Pyramid Model was designed to include practices that promote the social-emotional competence of all children, including those with or at risk for developmental disabilities.
3. Will the Pyramid Model help reduce challenging behavior in my classroom? Yes! Implementing the promotion and prevention practices in the Pyramid Model helps teachers manage their classrooms and reduce challenging behavior for most children.