Education / Behavioral Management

"The series is highly recommended and will prove invaluable to school professionals with structured lesson plans and supplementary materials to help all students succeed."
—Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Executive Director of Behavioral Training Resource Center
"My colleagues and I have conducted several studies on the curricula in the Strong Kids series and have been impressed with how easily public school educators have been able to implement these with fidelity. We have also documented improvements in students’ internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression) following implementation of Strong Kids."
—Paul Caldarella, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

Grades 9-12

Each social-emotional competence—the foundation of school and social success—with the NEW edition of the Strong Teens—Grades 9–12 curriculum! Part of the Strong Teens is the fun and easy way to help your students develop the social-emotional skills they need to manage their challenges and succeed in school and life. Developed by a team of educational and mental health experts, this evidence-based, age-appropriate curriculum is

• Low cost and low tech
• Proven to help increase students’ knowledge of social and emotional concepts and decrease their emotional and behavioral problems.

Strong Kids

Other programs in Strong Kids™: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum

• Merrell’s Strong Start—Pre-K: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum, Second Edition
• Merrell’s Strong Start—Grades K–2: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum, Second Edition
• Merrell’s Strong Kids—Grades 3–5: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum, Second Edition
• Merrell’s Strong Kids—Grades 6–8: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum, Second Edition

About the Authors

Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann, Ph.D.
College of Education, University of Oregon

Laura L. Feuerborn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Washington, Tacoma

Barbara A. Gueldner, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, Successful Kids Today
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Oanh K. Tran, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, California State University, East Bay

Chapter 1

About Strong Kids

Strong Kids™: A Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum consists of five brief and practical social and emotional learning (SEL) programs designed to teach social and emotional skills and assets that promote resilience and mitigate risk in children and adolescents. These introductory chapters provide information on the following:

• The importance of promoting children’s mental health in the context of SEL
• The design of the Strong Kids program
• Evidence of the program’s effectiveness
• Tips for using the curriculum effectively and with confidence
• Updates to the second edition

Promoting Children’s Mental Health

Changes in family structures and social settings have resulted in an increasing percentage of children and families who are at risk for developing a variety of behavioral, social, and mental health problems. A significant percentage of children and adolescents experience mental health problems of sufficient severity to require mental health services.

Social and Emotional Learning

A framework for teaching the social and emotional health and resilience of young people has guided efforts in this field. Specific skills should ideally be taught over the course of students’ academic tenure. These skills include:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship skills
• Responsible decision-making

Model for Preventing Behavioral and Emotional Problems

Education researchers have adapted a public health prevention model for use in school systems. This model includes three levels of prevention:

1. Primary prevention for students not currently experiencing difficulties
2. Secondary prevention for students at risk
3. Tertiary prevention for students experiencing significant difficulties.

Evidence

The Strong Kids curriculum has been evaluated across age levels and in various settings, demonstrating significant increases in social and emotional skills and decreases in internalizing problem symptoms. A reference section provides relevant sources for these studies.