What is guidance and how does it differ from punishment?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Guidance refers to a process that helps children develop self-control — to understand and use constructive behaviors instead mistaken behavior. Teachers who are guiding children assist or lead them in learning appropriate behavior through a process that results in the development of thought and internal control. In contrast, punishment can be defined as a rough or injurious penalty. It is designed to stop unwanted behavior by inflicting painful or unpleasant retribution.

Guidance is more consistent with early childhood core values of respect, trust, and appreciation for children because it involves strategies for influencing children's behavior that will lead to long-term goals such as developing inner strength, self-confidence, self-control, critical thinking skills, and skills for living in a community with others. Punishment tends to focus on eliminating unwanted behaviors in the present. Any use of physical punishment is never acceptable because it teaches children that it is okay to hurt someone if you are bigger and stronger. But, in addition, punishment leads to children seeing adults as the ones who control their behavior rather than assuming any responsibility for learning to regulate their own behavior. Thus, children learn to behave only in the presence of an adult.
(See the section Guidance Is Different from Punishment)