Social Skills Development In Early Childhood

Social Skills Developmentin Early ChildhoodEnabling Learning, Growing FriendsStephen N. Elliott, PhD

Stephen N. Elliott, PhDMickelson Foundation Professor of Education&Social and Family DynamicsDirector, Learning Sciences InstituteArizona State University2

Learning is a Very Social Eventfor Most Students & Teachers!1.2.3.4.5.6.7.Children learn many behaviors from observing other children oradults.Children can teach each other important skills.Learning is improved when opportunities to respond areincreased.Learning is improved when time-on-task is increased.Learning is improved when feedback about effort & products isprovided in a timely manner.Learning is improved when reinforcement is provided.Academic performance & classroom behavior are highlyinterrelated.3

Social Skills, Problem Behaviors, andAcademic Functioning are nctioning4

Guiding Questions1. Who needs social skills instruction?2. What are the most important social skills to teach?3. How can you effectively teach social skills topreschoolers?4. What is the most efficient way to monitor outcomes ofyour social skills instruction?5. What if my instruction is ineffective at improving achild’s social behavior?5

Definition of Social Skills orProsocial BehaviorsSocially acceptable learned behaviors that enable anindividual to interact effectively with others and toavoid or escape negative social interactions withothers (Gresham & Elliott, 1990). Major categories of social skills ontrol6

Examples of Social Skills COMMUNICATION – Takes turns in conversations– Makes eye contact when talking COOPERATION- Makes friends easily- Invites others to join in activities – Follows your directionsconflict– Follows classroom rules - Stays calm when teasedASSERTIONRESPONSIBILITY– Respects the property of others– Takes responsibility for own actions SELF-CONTROL- Makes a compromise during a– Asks for help from adults– Questions rules that may be unfair ENGAGEMENTEMPATHY– Forgives others– Feels bad when others are sad7

Social Skills: The Foundationfor Academic Success! Caprara, Barbaranelli, Pastorelli, Bandura, & Zimbardo(2000) found that prosocial skills (cooperating, helping,sharing, and consoling) in 3rd grade was a betterpredictor of 8th grade academic achievement than 3rdgrade academic achievement. Malecki & Elliott (2002) reported similar findings forsocial skills and problem behaviors for an elementarysample, with social skills significantly predicting endof-year achievement test performance on a highstakes test.8

Social Skills: Key Academic Enablers Social skills (i.e., interpersonalskills in the figure) play a keyrole in facilitating a student’sachievement in reading andmathematics by directlyinfluencing motivation, which inturn influences engagement andstudy skills (DiPerna & Elliott,2000).Prior ReadingAchievement0.600.480.620.34Students who are sociallyskilled spend more time on taskand more time helping others.As a result, learning time goesup, classroom problem behaviorgoes down, and achievementincreases.MotivationStudy 29ReadingAchievement

The Top 10 School Social Skills! Listens to OthersFollows DirectionsFollows Classroom RulesIgnores Peer DistractionsAsks for HelpTakes Turns in ConversationsCooperates With OthersControls Temper in ConflictSituations Acts Responsibly With Others Shows Kindness to Others10

Definition of CompetingProblem BehaviorsCompeting problem behaviors are those behaviors thatcompete with or “block” either the acquisition orperformance of socially skilled behaviors. Thesecompeting problem behaviors my be externalizing,internalizing, bullying, hyperactivity/inattention, orautism spectrum (Gresham & Elliott, 2008). Major categories of competing problem activity/InattentionInternalizingAutism Spectrum11

Variables that Influence Social Skills12

Tools to Support Sound Assessment andEffective Intervention with PreschoolersTargetelasreviUn13d

Comprehensive, Multi-Tiered Model forImproving Students Social BehaviorUniversalScreening(Tier (Tier ntionSSIS RatingScales& OtherAssessmentsTargetedAssessment(Tier 3)SpecialEducationReferralTargetedInterventionSSIS RatingScales& OtherAssessmentsSSIS InterventionGuide(Small e: SSISIntervention Guide)ExitExitExitExitExit14Diagnostic& FunctionalBehavioralAssessmentsSPEDPlacement

Classwide/Universal AssessmentThe SSiS Performance Screening Guides: Three levels: Preschool, Elementary, SecondaryFour key areas assessed by Teacher:–––– Prosocial Behavior,Motivation to LearnReading Skills, andMath SkillsEasy to use and time efficientFocus on keystone classroom behaviors and skillsQuickly screen a whole class or an entire schoolMonitor progressProvide documentation on all students, not just thoseneeding instruction or interventionIn 25-30 minutes, a teacher can quickly and effectively screen 25students.15

Criterion-Referenced Judgments UsingPerformance Level Descriptors Each set of descriptors summarizeseveral weeks of teachers'observations and interactions withstudents. The more frequent a studentexhibits a behavior or the morecompetently the skills areexpressed, the higher the level ofperformance for the descriptor. Teachers compare each student tothe behavioral criteria as opposedto comparing students to eachother as commonly done withnorm-referenced assessments.16

Classwide Intervention Program Designed for use by general education teachersin mainstream classrooms. Provides teachers with an easy-to-use,effective, and efficient way to teach 10 of themost important social skills. Blends instructional best practices and provenintervention methods to teach social skills. Three developmental levels:– Preschool/ Kindergarten– Early Elementary– Upper Elementary/Middle17

SSIS Intervention Guide Designed for school psychologists and othereducational specialists providing targetedinterventions Guides intervention planning for keystonebehaviors from SSIS Rating Scalesassessment results Easy-to-implement instructional modelfacilitates intervention planning Builds on the SSIS Classwide InterventionProgram by including modified versions of theTop 10 Social Skills and selected resources18

CIP Resources on CD19

Instructional Approach20

Materials for Teaching Social Skills21

Video Clips Provide Positive & NegativeModels of Social Behavior26 video clips tofacilitate discussion &modeling of skills22

Students Monitor Their Own son23

Social Skills Practice in Varied Settings24

Letters & Notes to EncourageParental Involvement25

Resources to Monitor Student Progress26

Teaching the Top TenSkillsListening to othersUnit 1: Lesson 127

Weekly Lessons Overview Lesson #11. Tell 2. Show 3. Do 4. Practice 5. Progress Monitor6. Generalize Lesson #21. Tell 2. Show 3. Do 4. Practice 5. Progress Monitor6. Generalize Lesson #31. Tell 2. Show 3. Do 4. Practice 5. Progress Monitor6. Generalize 7. Review Week’s work and progress28

Parts of a Lesson: TellTELL: CoachingTeacher leads, students follow in booklet1.2.3.4.5.Provide learning objectiveIntroduce skill via questionsDefine skill and stress key wordsDiscuss skill importanceOutline steps to perform skill29

Parts of a Lesson: ShowSHOW: ModelingTeacher leads, shows video clips, students use bookletsand role-plays1.2.3.4.5.Students work in bookletShow and discuss positive video clip and discussShow and discuss negative video clip and discussPositive example role playNegative example role play30

Parts of a Lesson: DoDO: Review and role play: teacher leads, studentsfollow along in booklet and role play1.2.3.4.5.Students define skillStudents state skill stepsStudents state skill importanceReview stepsGroup role-play and feedback31

Parts of a Lesson: Monitor ProgressMONITOR PROGRESS: Having students selfassess:1. Ask students to think about how well theyare progressing with the social skill2. Ask students to complete the How Am IDoing activity in their booklet32

Parts of a Lesson: PracticePRACTICE: Behavioral rehearsal in classStudent activities in booklet, practice with classmates,reinforce exhibition of skill1. Review and apply skill in booklet activities2. Students practice skill steps with classmates3. Encourage practice outside of class33

Parts of a Lesson: GeneralizeGeneralize: Applying Learning in Multiple SettingsTeacher initiates, students complete activity outside of class1. Give Homework assignment to use skill in other settings orwith other students2. Have students share their booklets with a parent, friend,other adult, or sibling to communicate information about thesocial skill they are learning3. Have students complete the Practice activity in theirbooklets34

An Integrated System forSocial Skills Improvement Performance Screening Guide– Teacher Assessment of Student– Assesses Prosocial Behavior, Motivation to Learn, Reading Skills, Math Skills Classwide Intervention Program– 10 Classroom units & supporting materials for “Top Ten Social Skills”– 7 Prosocial behavioral areas covered Rating Scales– Assessment of Student Social Skills, Problem Behaviors & AcademicCompetence– Teacher, parent & student forms for comprehensive picture across school,home and community settings– Provide standard scores with percentile ranks Intervention Guide– Tied to Rating Scales; Offers intervention and remediation strategies35

Theory-driven,Research-basedThank you!Stephen N. Elliott, PhDLearning Sciences InstituteArizona State UniversityTempe, AZsteve elliott@asu.eduFind more information on the SocialSkills family of assessment andintervention tools atwww.psychcorp.com36

– Questions rules that may be unfair RESPONSIBILITY – Respects the property of others – Takes responsibility for own actions EMPATHY – Forgives others – Feels bad when others are sad. 8. Social Skills: The Foundation for Academic Success!