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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Behaviour and Guidance

Consequence

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

/ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/nounCommon term

In child development & early education, consequence means: What happens as a result of a child's behaviour, either naturally (a toy left in the rain gets wet) or arranged by an adult and clearly linked to the behaviour.

In Turkish: sonuç, doğal sonuç, mantıksal sonuç

How it is used

Used in behaviour policies, often as natural consequences and logical consequences. Staff explain consequences calmly and keep them short and related to the action. In an ABC chart, the C stands for consequence.

Example sentences

  1. The consequence of throwing the blocks was that the block area closed for ten minutes.

  2. A logical consequence is linked to the behaviour: if you spill the paint, you help wipe it up.

Common collocations

  • natural consequences
  • logical consequences
  • explain the consequence
  • face the consequences
  • boundariesClear and consistent limits that adults set for children about what is and is not acceptable, so that children feel safe and know what to expect.
  • positive reinforcementEncouraging a behaviour to happen again by following it with something pleasant, such as praise, a smile or a sticker.
  • challenging behaviourBehaviour that is difficult for adults to manage or that may harm the child, other people or property, such as biting, hitting or frequent long outbursts.
  • time-outA behaviour strategy in which a child is briefly taken away from an activity to a quiet place after unacceptable behaviour, so that they can calm down.

More terms: Behaviour and Guidance

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