Think about a classroom where the children are aware of their ABCs, they can sing the alphabet, sound out words and even read simple stories. However, in that classroom, there are those children who shout out of turn, deny their turn, push others and have tantrums. Although they are aware of their letters, the teacher takes more time to control their behaviour than educating them on new things. This is revealing a large, significant fact: behaviour is as important to teach as ABCs.

The Big Picture: Why Behaviour Is Important?

Good behaviour makes the children feel safe, respected and prepared to learn. Learning becomes easier when children learn how to be nice, quiet, wait their turn, and cooperate. When behaviour is disorderly, lessons are disrupted and children waste time and attention. Studies indicate that behaviour must be taught in a formal manner, as any other subject.

It is not merely about punishment of bad behaviour, but it is more about skills building. Children should be taught self-control, empathy, responsibility, and social habits. These are skills in life that will not only assist them in school but everywhere.

How to Teach Behaviour: What Works

Teaching behaviour is not about punishment or just telling children “be good.” It should involve clear routines, guidance, and gentle correction. Here are some steps that help:

1. Create Routines

• When children follow routines, like lining up, entering class, greeting the teacher, sitting quietly, these become habits. Routines help behaviour become automatic. 

• Routines give children a sense of safety. They know what to expect. 

2. Model Good Behaviour

• Teachers and caregivers act as role models. The way adults speak, treat each other, and handle conflict teaches children a lot. 

• Showing respect, patience, and calmness encourages kids to mirror these behaviors.

3. Use Positive Reinforcement

• Rather than punishing children every time they slip up, praising them for good behaviour works very well. 

• Rewarding small steps (like waiting quietly, sharing, or helping) builds confidence and good habits.

4. Teach Empathy and Responsibility

• Help children understand how their actions affect others. Use gentle conversation, stories, or role-play to develop empathy. Teach them to take responsibility, for example, saying sorry, cleaning up, or admitting mistakes. 

5. Listen to Behaviour

• Sometimes a child’s misbehaviour is saying something important, maybe they are anxious, hungry, or sad. Adults should try to understand the cause. 

• When we listen and then teach skills (instead of just punishing), children learn better ways to express their feelings.

6. Use Positive Behaviour Support

• This means understanding why a child behaves in a certain way (for attention, escape, sensory need) and then teaching an alternative behaviour. 

• Use consistent support and praise for improvements.

Read More: How do Stories help Children Understand Indian Festivals?

Why Ignoring Behaviour Hurts Learning?

How Bedtime-Wonders Books Can Help Teach Behaviour

• Stories are effective at bedtime. The Lil Legends Books Bedtime Wonders series is based on soft stories that make children reflect on emotions, kindness, and positive habits. These stories may be used to teach behaviour in the following ways:

• Positive Choices Modeling: Bedtime stories demonstrate how to make positive and respectful choices through characters and with the help of simple stories.

• Developing Empathy: Children learn to know their feelings and those of other people when they read (or hear about) feelings.

• Strengthening Routines: Bedtime stories themselves can be incorporated into a bedtime routine, which will make the children feel safe and relaxed at the end of the day.

• Promoting Self-Thinking: Parents may pose simple questions at the end of the story such as, how did the character feel? or what else might they have done? This helps children think about behaviour.

By combining storytelling with explicit behaviour lessons, grown-ups can teach good social habits in a warm, loving way.

A Closer Look: Connection Between Behaviour and Learning

• Learning is emotional: When behaviour is taught properly, children become more confident and emotionally safe. That makes them willing to learn.

• Behaviour is a skill: Children require repetition, correction and feedback to learn behaviour just like the ABCs.

• Teachers and parents are role models. Their actions influence the behaviour of children.

• Listening + teaching = growth: When we listen to what children are doing (angry, scared, confused) and explain to them how to do it better, we are helping them become better characters and better behaved.

Why Parents and Teachers Should Care?

By teaching behaviour intentionally, we provide a secure and relaxed learning environment.

• It makes children good, responsible, and considerate, not only to be smart in reading and writing.

• It conserves the teaching time: less interruption equals more time to study.

• It develops long-term life skills: children who learn to control themselves, take care of others and make good decisions will not only perform well in school, but also in life.

In Summary

It is equally important to teach behaviour as it is to teach ABCs. Children cannot be taught to read and write and not know how to act nicely, wait, and be empathetic. We teach children to be social and emotional by clearly showing them how to act by using routines, modelling, praise, and understanding.

Stories about bedtime wonders by Lil Legends Books can be an affectionate method to reinforce these lessons, to teach little children to develop significant habits and learn about feelings. And when we also refer (in grown-up conversations) to human behaviour books or the best books for human behaviour, even parents and teachers can learn more about how to guide children better.

FAQs

Q: How do children learn behaviour?
A: Kids learn behaviour in many ways — by watching adults, by following routines, and by practicing daily. When a teacher shows calm, patience, or kindness, children often copy that. 

Q: Isn’t behaviour something kids just pick up?
A: Not really. Behaviour doesn’t just happen on its own. Teachers must teach behaviour the same way they teach reading or math: slowly, clearly, and repeatedly. 

Q: What happens when behaviour is not taught?
A: If we don’t teach behaviour, children may act out more, making the classroom noisy, stressful, or even unsafe. This makes learning hard for everyone. 

Q: Can bad behaviour sometimes tell us something?
A: Yes — children’s behaviour often shows how they feel or what they need. They may misbehave because they are upset, confused, or don’t know how to ask for help. Teaching behaviour means listening and understanding.