Turning Training into Everyday Practice
ShineWell Toolbox helps early childhood programs turn positive behavioral support and tiered prevention training into everyday practice.
Designed for leaders, manager/coaches, and front-line staff, the toolbox provides practical, reflective tools that strengthen social-emotional development, build adult confidence, support family partnerships, and foster nurturing learning environments.
7
Pathways
3
Audiences
Flexible
Entry Points
Free
Resource
What Is ShineWell Toolbox?
The Problem
Training Is Not Enough
Many programs have already trained staff on positive guidance and behavior support. Yet leaders report that staff struggle to consistently apply those strategies in real classroom situations. ShineWell bridges the gap between training and daily practice.
The Fit
Works with Your Existing Framework
Programs often use the Pyramid Model, PBIS, or MTSS to guide behavior support. Those frameworks explain the WHY. ShineWell Toolbox is the HOW — practical tools that help programs implement those approaches in everyday practice.
The Approach
Flexible Entry Points
Rather than introducing a new framework, ShineWell helps programs apply the strategies they already know — through coaching, supervision, professional development, collaborative teaming, and daily interactions with children and families.
Who It's For
Three Audiences
Pathways
Find Your Starting Point
Programs can explore the ShineWell Toolbox in different ways depending on staff capacity-building priorities, audience or roles within the program, types of tools required, or current situations and needs.
Core
The Core pathway is foundational and underpins the other pathways, but it is not required as a starting point. It helps teams build a shared understanding of children's behavior by viewing behavior through a developmental lens and recognizing it as communication. This pathway also supports teams in identifying underlying contributors — such as classroom practices, adult actions, and program systems — to guide next steps.
Program-Wide Practice & Leadership
Focuses on the program-level practices, leadership actions, and systems that support consistent, reflective approaches to positive behaviors across the organization. Supports collaboration and teaming, shared expectations and policies, and values-aligned practices that promote wellness. Several tools in this pathway can serve as a starting point for building the culture and conditions needed for reflective practice.
De-Escalation of Children
Focuses on strategies educators can use when children become dysregulated or escalate. It supports adults to respond calmly and effectively in the moment, helping children regain regulation and return to learning, while also reflecting on how adult actions influence escalation or de-escalation.
Nurturing Relationships
Focuses on building strong, responsive relationships between educators and children. Supports teachers in developing trust, connection, and positive, responsive interactions that help children feel safe, understood, and supported. Strong relationships are a foundation for preventing and responding to behavior challenges.
Supportive Environments
Focuses on everyday classroom structures and routines that help prevent behavior challenges. Supports teachers in intentionally designing routines, supervision, transitions, and classroom setup, while examining how expectations and the environment influence children's behavior.
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills
Supports educators to intentionally teach the skills children need to manage emotions, solve problems, and interact successfully. It focuses on integrating social-emotional learning into daily routines and interactions, and creating opportunities for children to practice skills such as communication, cooperation, and self-regulation.
Partnering with Families
Strengthens partnerships between educators and families when a child's behavior challenges adults. Supports staff to approach conversations without judgement, and to build trusting relationships with families. The goal is to ensure that families and educators feel supported as partners to promote children's well-being and development across home and school.
How-To Videos
See ShineWell In Action
Short video walkthroughs for getting started with each pathway. Learn how to select tools based on your program context, staff role, or current situation.
Introduction to the ShineWell Toolbox
An overview of what the ShineWell Toolbox is, how it connects to frameworks like the Pyramid Model, PBIS, and MTSS, and how to navigate the seven pathways.
Using Tools to Support De-Escalation
Walk through the De-Escalation pathway — how to select tools that help educators respond calmly and effectively when children become dysregulated.
Building Nurturing Relationships in the Classroom
Explore tools from the Nurturing Relationships pathway that support educators in developing trust, connection, and responsive interactions with children.
Program-Wide Practice & Leadership Tools
Learn how leaders and coaches can use the Program-Wide Practice pathway to build shared expectations, collaborative teaming, and conditions for consistent implementation.
Need more help? Reach out to your Shine Early Learning consultant.
Contact Your Consultant