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Deann Weeks, District Commissioner for Wareham and the Isle of Purbeck, has put together a very useful package of templates and ideas that may help you tackle challenging behaviour in your Section. They can also be adapted to record a young person's progress in other areas, such as activities, involvement and skills. These tools will be particularly useful for Leaders working with the younger Sections, but in some cases, and with some modifications, they could be suitable for older children and young people.

The idea is that you create the recording tool for the young person who is targeting a particular area and they can collect or build up their parts to the overall picture and see their progress grow.

Deann uses materials from the local Scrap Store and pictures and cuttings from Scouting magazine to make the 'tools' attractive (and cheap). You could also use clip art, which you can download from ScoutBase: http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/clipart/

Here are her suggestions for using the Small Steps Tools successfully...

• Depending on the age/maturity of the young person, don't tackle too many areas at a time.
• Discuss the areas or actions you are targeting with the young person concerned. You might want to tackle the same area several times or you might agree to tackle several different behaviour areas.
• Be positive about the process - 'when you achieve this then your reward will be...' not 'if you don't then... will happen'.
• Be consistent.
• Involve the whole Leader Team who need to be positive and consistent too.
• Give responsibility for the Tools to the young person - either suggesting when they might uncover a picture or getting them to look after the star. You might also want to involve them in making the tool.

Depending on which template you use, you will need:

• Card
• Coloured Paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Felt pens or crayons
• Paper glue
• Template
• Pictures - you could use Scouting magazine and clipart

You can download the templates as a PDF document here:

• Templates.pdf (33 KB)

Quarter Circle and Tri Circle

Use the template to cut out a large circle and either four quarters or three thirds from the card.

Decorate the circle base with some pictures. You might like to draw the segments onto the circle so you can place the pictures within each segment.

On each of the segments write the area/action that you want to tackle with the young person.

Every time young person conforms to area on one of the segments, remove the appropriate segment to reveal the Scouting picture beneath it. Continue until the young person has removed all the segments and then give a reward.

Double Star

Use the template to cut out a large star from card and a smaller star from coloured sugar paper.

Fold the points of the smaller star towards the centre of the shape. Stick the smaller star to the centre of the larger star, so that the points lie along the larger points.

Open the smaller star up so the points lie flat and stick pictures on the points and in the centre of the star.

On the back of each of the point write the area/action that you want to tackle with the young person. Fold down the points so that they cover the pictures.

Every time the young person conforms to area on one of the points, lie it flat to reveal the picture. Continue until the young person has opened all the points and then give a reward.

Small Stars

Use the template to cut out as many small stars as you need from different coloured card.

You could stick magnetic strips on to the back of the stars. You can then stick the stars to an old tin tray.

On each star write the area/actions that you want to tackle with the young person.

Every time the young person confirms to the area on a star place the star on the tray or stick it to a wall. Continue until the young person has gained all the stars and then give a reward.

Five and Six Point Stars

Use the template to cut out either five or six of the star points, depending on which template you choose.

Decorate the star points with pictures and drawings, and write the area/s you are tackling on each point.

Every time the young person conforms to an area on a point, place it on a table or pin it to a wall. Continue until the young person has gained all the points and has built up a complete star, and then give a reward.