Removing Provision & Resources as a Behaviour Management Strategy.

Original Article by Dr. Alistair Bryce-Clegg

Removing Provision & Resources as a Behaviour Management Strategy.

By Dr. Alistair Bryce-Clegg

At this time of year, I often have conversations with practitioners around how to manage situations when children aren’t ‘respecting the resources’ or ‘following the rules’.

It often leads to areas of provision being ‘closed’ or ‘taken away’ until the behaviour is modified.

When you’re in the thick of things and provision feels chaotic, you might feel that the quickest way to restore order is to take it away. It feels like a clear consequence, a way of showing the children that their behaviour has an impact. And goodness knows, we’ve all had those days!

But, if we step back and think about what we know from child development, brain science and our own professional experience, removing provision doesn’t teach the lesson we think it does. In fact, it can often take away the very thing the children need most in that moment.

Especially in times of change and transition like the beginning of the academic year.

Behaviour as Communication

One of the most useful shifts in mindset we can make is to see behaviour not as defiance but as communication. When children tip out the small world, climb the bookcase, or get ‘silly’ in the role play, they’re telling us something. It might be that they’re overwhelmed, tired, hungry, excited, or that the way the provision is set up just isn’t working for them.

Instead of asking ‘Why don’t they follow the class rules?’ we could reframe that as ‘What is this behaviour telling me?’

That doesn’t mean ignoring it or letting chaos reign, but it does mean responding with curiosity and knowledge instead of blame.

Development, Not Defiance

It’s easy to forget just how young our children are. A four-year-old has only had 48 months on the planet. They’re still at the very beginning of learning how to manage emotions, share space and regulate impulses.

Neuroscience tells us that the part of the brain that controls reasoning and self-regulation isn’t fully developed until well into adolescence. In moments of upset or excitement, children literally can’t access the logical, ‘sensible’ part of their brain. That’s why they need us alongside them, co-regulating, modelling, and teaching.

So, when provision goes a bit haywire, it isn’t usually because the children are choosing to be disrespectful. More often, it’s because they haven’t yet learned what ‘respectful’ looks like, or they don’t have the tools to manage themselves in that moment.

Provision is the Curriculum

The EYFS is clear that play isn’t an add-on, it’s the core of learning. The blocks, the sand, the outdoors, the paint, the small world, these are not extras. They are the curriculum.

When we close an area as a punishment, it’s a bit like taking maths away from a Year 2 child because they didn’t use the counters properly. We wouldn’t do that. We’d reteach, scaffold, and support until they could use the resource effectively. Early years is no different. If children are struggling in provision, that’s where the teaching, scaffolding and modelling needs to happen.

Safe Spaces, Not Privileges

Calm corners are a good example. They’re not treats to be earned, they’re tools for regulation. If we remove them, we take away the very support that helps children manage big feelings. But the same is true across all provision.

Outdoor play isn’t a bonus, it’s essential for physical and cognitive development. Block play is foundational for problem-solving and collaboration. Role play underpins language and empathy. These spaces aren’t privileges - they’re the building blocks of learning.

What Do Children Really Learn?

When we remove provision, the message children receive isn’t always the one we intend. From what we know about child development and neuroscience, the lessons they’re more likely to take away look something like this:

- When children are dysregulated, their brains can’t easily access the rational, problem-solving bit we hope for. If we close provision at that point, we’re removing the very opportunities that help them rehearse calming and regulating

- Self-regulation doesn’t just appear, it grows out of repeated, supported experiences with a trusted adult. Taking provision away reduces the number of times children get to practise those skills in context.

- Emotional security comes from knowing the environment is safe and consistent. When areas of provision are withdrawn as a sanction, children can end up feeling more anxious and uncertain rather than reassured.

- Mistakes are how the brain grows; they’re literally part of the learning process. If errors in play lead to losing access, children can start to connect mistakes with loss instead of with learning.

We know that warm adult/child relationships are the strongest protective factor when it comes to behaviour. If resources or spaces are removed, the unintended message can be that adult connection is conditional, and that risks weakening the trust children need most.

These are not the lessons we want for our youngest learners.

Our aim is to help them practise, to feel safe enough to try again, and to know that even when they get it wrong, the opportunities, and the relationships, are still there for them.

Reflecting on the Environment

So, what can we do when an area feels out of control? Rather than shutting it down, it’s worth asking:

• Have we modelled clearly how the space can be used?

• Do the children need a reset - some role play or guided time in that area with an adult?

• Is there too much in there? Too little? Are the resources matched to the children’s stage of development?

• Are the expectations realistic for the age and stage of the group?

Often a tweak to the setup, the routine, or our presence in the space can make all the difference. It is really important that we never ‘blame’ the children or their behaviour, but always reflect on the provision and routines.

Alternatives to Closing It

That doesn’t mean we just leave provision wide open no matter what happens. Sometimes things do need a pause, but it’s about how we do that.

• Reset instead of remove

Briefly pause the area to tidy, regroup and remind, then reopen with the children involved.

• Model and practise

Act out what respectful play looks like. Let children rehearse it in a low-stakes way.

• Use natural consequences

If resources are thrown, the children help restore them. If something breaks, they help fix or tidy.

• Be present

Sometimes the simplest answer is to join in, modelling calm interaction and supporting turn-taking from the inside.

Relationships

Above all, what changes behaviour in early years is relationship. Children who feel secure, understood and cared for are far more likely to engage positively with their environment. When they feel that mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, not reasons for exclusion, they build trust and resilience.

Keeping it Real

We’ve all had those moments when removing provision felt like the only option. But keeping it real in early years means keeping it developmentally appropriate. It means remembering that behaviour is communication, that provision is learning, and that understanding the consequences of your actions should help children move forward, not shut them down, but this takes time.

So next time you feel tempted to close the block area or ban the water tray, ask

- What is this behaviour showing me?

- What can I adjust in the environment, in my expectations, or in my support?

You’ll usually find the answer lies not in removal, but in reflection and adjustment.