The SHINE 30 Program
Improve one behavior at a time.
Their path. Their pace. Their progress.
SHINE 30 is a simple social-emotional observation and skill-building process for young children. It focuses on 30 common behaviors that can interfere with safety, relationships, routines, learning, or a child’s comfort, and gives the adult a clear path from concern to action: screen, pick one priority, practice a replacement skill in small steps, track, and fade support.
The SHINE 30 Cycle
The purpose is not to label a child. The purpose is to identify a skill that needs support and help the child practice it in small, achievable steps, using the Zone of Proximal Development as a practical teaching idea: work on the next skill the child cannot yet do alone, but can do with the right amount of help.
- 1
Screen
Complete the 30-item assessment form using observations from normal daily routines.
- 2
Select
Choose one priority behavior. Start with safety, major participation barriers, or the behavior causing the greatest difficulty.
- 3
Define a small goal
Describe exactly what the child will do instead. Make the first goal just beyond what the child can already do alone.
- 4
Practice
Use short one-on-one or small-group activities while the child is calm, before the difficult moment occurs.
- 5
Track
Record whether the activity was practiced and give the behavior a 0-3 rating for each day.
- 6
Review and fade support
When the child is succeeding consistently, reduce prompts and adult help. Then choose the next priority behavior.
The central rule: do not try to fix five behaviors at the same time. Select one priority behavior, identify the replacement skill, practice it repeatedly, and make the next step small enough for the child to succeed.
The 30 Behaviors
Six areas, five behaviors each. Every behavior has eight short practice activities and its own set of activity cards in both books.
Safety & Aggression
- Hitting
- Biting
- Kicking, Pushing & Rough Hands/Feet
- Throwing / Knocking / Destroying
- Hurting Self
Emotional Regulation
- Frequent / Intense Tantrums
- Screaming / Prolonged Crying When Frustrated
- Difficulty Calming Down After Becoming Upset
- Big Reactions to Small Disappointments
- Difficulty Accepting No / Waiting / Not Getting What Is Wanted
Directions, Routines & Transitions
- Not Responding to Adult Directions
- Refusing or Resisting Transitions
- Refusing to Stop a Preferred Activity / Clean Up
- Resisting Bathroom / Toileting Routines
- Difficulty Participating in Meals, Rest, or Daily Routines
Peer Relationships & Social Skills
- Grabbing Toys or Materials From Other Children
- Difficulty Sharing or Taking Turns
- Difficulty Respecting Personal Space or Another Child's STOP
- Difficulty Joining or Maintaining Play With Other Children
- Controlling Play / Upset When Peers Have Different Ideas
Impulse, Attention & Sensory Regulation
- Running Away From Adult / Group / Designated Area
- Acting Before Thinking / Grabbing / Pushing Ahead / Touching Everything
- Difficulty Staying With the Group / Short Group Participation
- Unsafe Climbing, Jumping, Crashing & Sensory-Seeking
- Putting Toys or Other Materials in the Mouth
Security, Communication & Flexibility
- Significant Difficulty Separating From Adult/Caregiver
- Excessive Dependence on One Adult / Constant Adult Attention
- Difficulty Communicating Wants, Feelings, STOP, or HELP
- Extreme Difficulty With Changes
- Withdrawal, Isolation, Fearfulness, or Limited Participation
Two Books, One Method
Written by Madan Bellam and Anjali Jetti, directors of Shine Preschools. Choose the book you have to read it online and print its forms and activity cards. The forms and cards differ between editions, so pick the one that matches your book.
Which book would you like to see?
Teacher Edition
SHINE 30 for a Happy Preschool
Intentional activities for preschool teachers to improve 30 social-emotional behaviors.
Gives preschool teachers a clear path from concern to action: 30 common classroom behaviors, short practice activities for every one of them, printable activity cards, a student assessment form and a monthly tracking form, all built on a step-by-step ZPD approach.
- 30 behaviors
- 240 practice activities
- 92 activity cards
- 292 pages
This book is for you if
- You teach or lead a preschool classroom.
- You want a shared language for the whole teaching team.
- You need forms that fit a classroom day and a month of tracking.
By Madan Bellam and Anjali Jetti · ISBN 979-8-234-19496-1 · First Edition
Family Edition
SHINE 30 for a Happy Family
Improve one behavior at a time. Their path. Their pace. Their progress.
Parenting a young child is rewarding, joyful, and sometimes challenging. SHINE 30 for a Happy Family gives you practical, easy-to-use tools to help your child build social-emotional and behavior skills at home: 30 common behaviors, simple activities you can practice in everyday routines, printable cards, and a child assessment form and tracking form written for parents.
- 30 behaviors
- 240 practice activities
- 92 activity cards
- 292 pages
This book is for you if
- You are a parent, grandparent or caregiver of a young child.
- You want small, respectful steps that fit into daily routines.
- You want to celebrate progress, no matter how small.
By Madan Bellam and Anjali Jetti · ISBN 979-8-234-22253-4 · First Edition
Print the forms and activity cards
Each book’s assessment form, tracking form and card pages can be printed from the online book, one page at a time or all at once. The QR codes printed in the books open these pages directly.
Teacher Edition
© SHINE Schools LLC. Print for your own use with the book.