Need effective discipline for four year old

We have three children, ages 9, 7, and 4.  The four year old will be five in three months.  She is very strong willed and resists discipline.  She can be a very sweet girl, but she can also be very mouthy.  When she misbehaves it is usually bossing me around, not doing as I ask, talking to me in a not nice voice, or being disruptive in church.  This can escalate into her hissing at me, biting me, and trying to hit/kick me.  I have tried all the discipline tactics that worked with our older children at this age: timeout, taking away toys, cancelling outings; all to no avail.  Ironically, her preschool teacher tells me she is wonderful at school and enjoys having her in class.  By the time her siblings were this age, they knew how to behave.  What can I do to change her behavior?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

If you read this Forum regularly you will already know waht I am going to suggest. Read (and follow precisely) Lynn Clark's book SOS Help for Parents and you will have at your fingertips the route to improvement. [Note: see sosprograms.com]

[PARSLEY424]

If the book Dr. Kennedy doesn't work I would have her evaluated for ADD/ADHD. By taking her to a physcatrist that deals w/ ADD & doing a test to rule it out. If it's ruled out wonderful. If she does have ADD/ADHD then the correct behavioral modification can be used. The consequences aren't always handled the same. & also diet can have a lot to do w/ behavior. A lot of times people don't think of ADD for issues like this,but ADD has many different symptoms. My son's ADHD is so severe he has speech delays, behavior issues,learning delay. Can b aggressive towards me & yet when at school he follows all the rules, reminds other kids to do the same, Very sweet, shy, loving. You would never know he had ADHD or any other issues except he has trouble staying on task. Good luck. It can be hard to figure out sometimes.

PARSLEY424