The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the Cool Kids social skills program. Fister, Conrad and Kemp (1998) created this program as a way to teach students basic and specific social skills that would enable them to succeed academically as well as socially.
Entering into a school social environment is a significant and foundational experience for children. Elementary age students must successfully transition from well-established, comfortable social interactions with caregivers to explicit and implicit social rules and interactions in a school environment. Being able to successfully make this transition with teachers and classmates is often key to a successful school experience (Dereli 2009).
Early behavior problems in children put them at risk for escalating academic problems such as grade retention and school dropout. Not only is a student’s behavior significantly related to grades, it has also been found that inadequate social skills can increase vulnerability to depression as well as social anxiety. Further, one of the more crucial findings was the correlation between poor social skills, aggression and violent behavior. Studies show that 10% of early school age children entering the educational system each year display prevalence for aggressive behavior problems; for socio-economically disadvantaged children it may be as high as 25% (January and Casey, 2011).
Studies points to the fact that a valuable and cost effect means of interrupting the progression of behavior problems in children is to intervene with social skills education when they are young and most impressionable (Webster-Stratton & Reid, 2004).While educators would like to focus on just academics, social-emotional growth seems to have...
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Second, few studies followed teaching staff and their fidelity to specific social skills programs. The use of triangulation in observing the classroom would be a strong improvement as a way to not only verify teacher fidelity to the program but to confirm reports of changed classroom behavior. The question is, to what extent is Cool Kids associated with higher teacher ratings of social competence and lower ratings of antisocial behavior for elementary age students? Multiple observers would be the best way to answer this question.
Works Cited
Dereli, E. (2009). Examining the permanence of the effect of a social skills training program for the acquisition of social problem-solving skills. Social Behavior and Personality, 37(10), 1419-1428.
Fister, S., Conrad, D., Kemp, K. (1998). Cool kids; A proactive approach to social responsibility. Longmont: Sopris West.
...l behavior by educating youth, and youth are more likely to respond positively when being taught by other youth (Strobel, p.1).
Koegel, R. L., Koegel, L. K., Vernon, W. T. (2009). Improving Social Initiations in Young
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According to Jones, Burks, and Jones (1936) there are many different ways that a classroom can strengthen or hinder a students self worth; for example, relationships between students, class activities, interests, and personalities. Research has shown that many young children in school prefer friendships with peers of the same s...
Every Monday and Friday for 30-45 minutes the entire student body participate in a lesson from The Boys Town Education Model Building positive relationships. At its foundation, the BTEM is about building healthy, positive relationships between students and one another, as well as between students and staff. The goal of the BTEM is to create a healthy school environment through effective classroom management techniques, relationship building, and social skills instruction. The Boys Town Education model can also be divided into four topical components: building positive relationships, teaching social skills, reinforcing social skills, and responding to problem behavior. Similar to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, the BTEM is based on research in applied behavior analysis and social learning theory (Hensley et al.,
Childhood Disruptive Behaviors Early Childhood Children at this stage (aged 4 to 8) understand the world by perceiving it, being influenced by it, and acting on it. In turn, the surrounding world shapes the child. This demonstrates the role of nurture within the child’s environment, as well as its role in developing behavior patterns. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated that behavior patterns and personality are established during the early formative years. Research suggests that, when children come from unhealthy backgrounds, such as dysfunctional, abusive homes, they are much less likely to develop adequately physically, academically, and emotionally.
Patterson, G.R., Debaryshe, B.D., & Ramsey, E. (1989). A developmental perspective on antisocial behavior. American Psychologist, 44(2), 329-335.
Russell, A., Hart, C. H., Robinson, C. C., & Olsen, S. F. (2003). Children's sociable and
Another factor in the development of children is the education that they receive. If a child has a good experience in school, they will come out a better person. If the child has antisocial behavior, the experience in school may make that behavior wor...
Effective teachers handle the problem quickly when inappropriate behavior occurs in order to keep the behavior from continuing and spreading. Most behavior can be handled with unobtrusive techniques, though some misbehavior requires more direct intervention. Whether orderly structures have bee...
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Zins, J. E., Bloodworth, M. R., Weissberg, R. P., & Walberg, H. J. (2004). The Scientific Base Linking Social and Emotional Learning to School Success. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University .
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Teachers see pupils exhibit a high rate of undesirable social skills, manners, and respect for others and themselves. Instructors have seen an escalation
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