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

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 it 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 also 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 relevant for 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. Greenberg and his colleagues stated:

High-quality education should teach young people to interact in socially skilled and respectful ways; to practice positive, safe, and healthy behaviors; to contribute ethically and responsibly to their peer group, family, school, and community; and to possess basic competencies, work habits, and values as a foundation for meaningful employment and citizenship.

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 (2003, pp. 466–467).

We agree with this statement. We also propose that teaching children positive social, emotional, and behavioral skills is a critical challenge facing our society. Changes in the structure of society and families 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 (e.g., Weissberg, Walberg, O’Brien, & Kuster, 2003). Greenberg, Domitrovich, and Bumbarger (2001) stated that 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.

Educators are faced with working with these populations while also managing pressures from accountability efforts, schoolwide reform, increasing class sizes, and shrinking budgets. Despite sincere and well-meaning attempts to offer real solutions to the social, emotional, and mental health problems of students in school settings, many of the programs or interventions that have been implemented are simply ineffective, inefficient, or fragmented. Despite these problems and challenges, there is reason for optimism regarding our ability to positively affect the social and emotional health and resilience of children, even those from very adverse life circumstances.

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, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004). SEL has been defined as systematic, cohesive, and effective instructional programming designed to teach social and emotional skills to children and adolescents, to prevent mental health problems, and to provide effective early intervention for those problems that are beginning to emerge (Greenberg et al., 2003). There are many manifestations of SEL programs, ranging from simple training in social or other life skills to expansive, multipronged efforts to prevent antisocial behavior and conduct problems.

Since about the early 1990s, an impressive array of evidence-based SEL programs has been developed and made available for use in education and mental health. These programs vary substantially in mode of instruction, time and resources required, and cost, but they typically target internal developmental assets such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. An analysis published by Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, and Schellinger (2011) suggested that SAFE programs are effective. SAFE programs are those that are sequenced, active, focused, and explicit. This analysis included a review of 213 studies of universal SEL interventions for children in preschool through 12th grade. Study outcomes consistently suggested statistically significant improvements in social-emotional skills, socially appropriate behavior, positive attitudes, and academic performance. In addition, statistically significant decreases were found in conduct problems and emotional distress.

The specific type of SEL program selected will depend on the specific needs and requirements of an institution or community and the competencies and problems that are most important to target, but those efforts that are most successful tend to be implemented in a planned, cohesive manner within a system. Fragmented, uncoordinated efforts seldom produce more than superficial, short-term results.

In sum, any SEL program designed for use with preschool children must take into account the unique developmental needs of this age group if it is to be effective. The developmental needs that must be considered include cognitive, emotional, and social development, among other issues.

MODEL FOR PREVENTING BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS

Educational researchers have adapted a public health prevention model for use in school systems, focusing on primary prevention for students who are not currently experiencing learning and/or social/behavior difficulties, accomplished through schoolwide and classwide efforts that involve the consistent use of research-based effective practices. The goal of primary prevention is to create school and classroom environments that promote student learning and health and decrease the number of students at risk for learning or social/behavior problems.