Pre K Whitcomb excerpt.pdf

Merrell’s Strong Start—Pre-K

A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum

Second Edition

by

Sara A. Whitcomb, Ph.D.

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Danielle M. Parisi Damico, Ph.D.

Amplify Education, Inc. Brooklyn, New York

About the Authors

Sara A. Whitcomb, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School Psychology, Department of Student Development, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 111 Thatcher Way, Hills House South, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003

Dr. Whitcomb is Associate Professor in the School Psychology program in the Department of Student Development at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She teaches courses pertaining to developmental psychopathology, psychology in the classroom, behavioral assessment, and school-based consultation. Dr. Whitcomb works with several school districts on their implementation of schoolwide positive behavior interventions and support, and her current research efforts include investigation of quality implementation features and consultation related to school-based behavioral and social-emotional learning efforts. She has coauthored several articles and (with Kenneth W. Merrell) the fourth edition of a textbook entitled Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Assessment for Children and Adolescents (Routledge, 2013). She previously held positions as a special education and general education teacher in Grades K–8.

Danielle M. Parisi Damico, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington Street, Suite 900, Brooklyn, New York 11201

Dr. Parisi Damico is a Research Scientist with Amplify, an educational technology company. She is a school psychologist whose work emphasizes prevention and early intervention for improving academic and social outcomes for students. She conducts research and provides professional development in the areas of response to intervention/multi-tiered systems of support, evidence-based instructional practices, and data-based decision making.

SECTION I

Introduction and Overview

About Strong Start

Strong Kids™: A Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum consists of five brief and practical social and emotional learning (SEL) programs that have been designed for the purpose of promoting the SEL of children in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Strong Start—Pre-K, the first volume in the Strong Kids curriculum, is for children in preschool (or approximately ages 3–5). Strong Start is designed to be both a prevention and an early intervention (EI) program and has a wide range of applications with high-functioning or typically developing children or with children who have learning or behavioral challenges. It can be used in a variety of settings.

We view Strong Start as a carefully designed SEL program intended to prevent the development of certain mental health problems and promote social and emotional wellness among young children. Moreover, we created this curriculum as a companion to the proven Strong Start—Grades K–2, Strong Kids—Grades 3–5, Strong Kids—Grades 6–8, and Strong Teens—Grades 9–12 programs, which are largely cognitive-behavioral in nature and were designed for use with older children and adolescents. Strong Start is not the right program for all problems or purposes. The overall goals and objectives of the lessons focus on helping young students build awareness of their emotions and the emotions of others as well as create strategies for managing emotions in healthy ways.

Strong Start is a low-cost, low-technology program that can be implemented in a school or related educational setting. It is not necessary to be a licensed mental health professional in order to learn and implement this curriculum. The curriculum can be taught in a self-contained manner within a specific environment and does not require expensive community wraparound services or mandatory parent training groups. The advantage of this programming approach is that Strong Start is brief, efficient, skill-based, portable, and effective for educators, pathologists, school counselors, social workers, psychologists, early interventionists, and other education or mental health professionals.

PROMOTING CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

The primary mission of schools traditionally has been viewed as promoting the development of academic skills, but there is no question that most educators, parents, and the general public support and expect a broader mission for schools. There is an assertion that high-quality education should teach young people to interact in socially skilled and respectful ways and to practice positive, safe, and healthy behaviors. We consequently assert that school-based prevention programming—based on coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning—should be fundamental to preschool through high school education (Greenberg et al., 2003).

Teaching children positive social, emotional, and behavioral skills is a critical challenge facing our society. There has been an increasing percentage of children and families at risk for developing behavioral, social, and mental health problems. Between 12% and 22% of children and adolescents younger than age 18 experience mental health problems of sufficient severity to be in need of services.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Another reason for optimism regarding our ability to positively affect the social and emotional health and resilience of children is the evidence in the area of SEL (Zins et al., 2004). SEL has been defined as systematic, cohesive, and effective instructional programming designed to teach social and emotional skills to children and adolescents and to prevent mental health problems.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

To be effective, a curriculum must be designed and implemented to be developmentally appropriate for the students for whom it is intended. For preschool children, there are unique cognitive, social, and emotional developmental needs that must be considered. Children in this age range are concrete thinkers and experience various emotional changes. Critical tasks for emotional development include developing a sense of self-control, learning new emotional words, and engaging in social interaction.

MODEL FOR PREVENTING BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS

Educational researchers have adapted a public health prevention model for use in school systems, visualized as a triangle representing all students within a school setting. This model allows for a focus on primary prevention designed to enhance effective instruction and improve school climate, thereby promoting academic, social, and behavioral resilience of all students.

AN EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM

Efforts continue to establish a solid evidence base for Strong Kids™. Each study conducted has found that groups of students who participated in one of the Strong Kids programs showed significant gains in their knowledge of SEL concepts and significant reductions in problem emotional-behavioral symptoms. Additionally, studies have evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of the programs from both teacher and student perspectives.

REFERENCES