In an ideal world, your preschooler would behave as well as he or she does at home at school. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. If your child is having behavioral problems at preschool, here are some tips for managing it. 

Visit the Classroom

There could be a number of reasons why your child is misbehaving at school. In order to deal with the issue, you need to understand why he or she is having problems. The easiest way to pinpoint problems is to visit your child's classroom. Take a day and observe your child's classroom. 

During the observation, you are not only assessing your child's behavior. You are looking at different aspects, such as your child's interactions with classmates and teachers. 

It is important to note that it is quite possible your child will not exhibit any of the behavior that has led to your concerns. If you are concerned that you will be unable to get a full picture of your child's behavior, consider asking a professional to visit the classroom. Professionals, such as a learning specialist or psychologist, are routinely tasked with evaluating behavior in the classroom. 

As you observe your child's behavior, make a list of any issues that you think that could be contributing to his or her behavioral problems.

Create a Plan

Once you have pinpointed the reason for your child's behavior, you can use the list you made to create a plan to ward off behavioral problems before they occur. 

For instance, if you noticed that your child became listless when it was time for him or her to listen to a story, you and the teacher can come up with an alternative activity that is not disruptive to the class but allows your child to remain engaged in the class. The teacher could have your child illustrate the story to occupy him or her. 

Praise Good Behavior

Praising your child's good behavior can act as a deterrent to bad behavior. Consider setting up a reward system for continuous good behavior. For instance, your child could receive a gold star for each day he or she behaves well. Create a list of rewards that he or she can cash in the gold stars for. 

Encouraging good behavior does not always have to involve giving your child gifts. You can also offer verbal praise for behaving well at school. 

Work with your child's preschool teacher or other local preschools, such as Rainbow Montessori, to determine other ways that you can handle behavioral problems.