Supporting Social Competency at School: Grades 1-2 PRESENTATION CREATED BY: CATHERINE TELLER, M.A. & DANIELLE HARRINGTON, M.A. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO PRESENTED BY: [NAME] Presentation Overview Introduction Social Competency in Middle Childhood (Grades 1-2) Signs of Social Problems What Can I Do to Help? When to Seek Outside Help Proposed Outcomes The goal of this training is to help you to: Have a clear understanding of what social competency is. Be able to recognize students lacking social competency who may need your support & guidance. Learn strategies to support students who are struggling socially. Better understand when students may need more intensive help beyond what you can provide. Feel empowered to support student social competency at school! Introduction Educating the “Whole Child” A growing approach to education recognizing that… Academic preparation is one of many important pieces to preparing students to become successful, independent members of society Addressing social, emotional, behavioral & environmental needs can lead to long-lasting, positive outcomes Powerful Implications Presence of social-emotional support has been shown to boost: Enjoyment of daily activities in the classroom Commitment to school and learning Self-esteem Protection against mental illness Recovery from setbacks (resiliency) Powerful Implications Absence of social-emotional support puts students at greater risk for: Learning problems Feeling disconnected from school Disruptive behavior Peer rejection Development of mental illness Long-term negative outcomes (e.g., dropping out of high school, criminal activity, social or mental health problems in adulthood) With this in mind… How can we make a difference? Targeting Intervention Efforts Research indicates that there is a strong relationship between the presence of social competency and: Positive peer group adjustment Social-emotional well-being (Smith & Hart, 2005) What is Social Competency? What is Social Competency? Social Competency involves: 1) Possessing and appropriately using social skills 2) Learning from past experience and applying that learning to the ever-changing social landscape Essentially: Combining social skills and past knowledge to build and maintain interpersonal relationships What is Social Competency? The acronym C.A.R.E.S. identifies five major clusters of social skills that socially competent people have: • Cooperation • Assertion • Responsibility • Empathy • Self-control (Gresham & Elliot, 1990) Typical Social Development: What should we be seeing? Typical Social Development in Middle Childhood In 1st & 2nd grade, typically developing children… Want to be the boss and are unhappy when they lose Winning, leading and being first are valued Are naturally curious and may ask peers and adults many questions Take pleasure in imitating the actions of friends Are very concerned with “fairness,” making tattling common Are more able to endure frustration while accepting delays in getting things they “want.” Typical Social Development in Middle Childhood Specific social skills that should be developed at or before this age: Ability to recognize the feelings of others Beginning to see the point of view of others more clearly Ability to wait their turn for games Ability to hold a two-way conversation May use aggression as a means to solve problems Typical Social Development in Middle Childhood Characteristics of friendships at this age: Genuine friendships form based on mutual interests Friendships may also form due to the frequency of play dates Allegiances tend to be temporary and fleeting Boys and girls tend to avoid each other Friends play in groups and develop games with rules Children recognize the unique skills of their friends Typical Social Development in Middle Childhood The desire to belong and be accepted becomes very important during these years. Children may be self-critical and are worried about being accepted, fearing rejection, and embarrassment. A large amount of time is spent thinking about the formation and maintenance of friendships. Cultural Considerations “Typical social development” can look different from culture to culture. Cultures can vary in their: Social norms Expectations for behavior (i.e., A behavior desired in one culture may be frowned upon in another) Interpretation of others’ behavior/ social cues Become familiar with the cultural makeup of your school and community, and keep this in mind when determining whether student behaviors are “typical.” Recognizing Children Who are Struggling Socially Signs of Social Competency Problems Aggressive/hostile behavior Failure to convey empathy for others Difficulty regulating behavior Withdrawal from peers or social situations Poor, undeveloped sense of humor Excessive shyness/embarrassed easily Bossy, controlling, and/or dominating Signs of Social Competency Problems Other signs that intervention may be needed: Lack of friends Rejection from peers Rejected-withdrawn Rejected-aggressive Frequent teasing by peers Changes in physical appearance (e.g., grooming, dress) Crying in class Signs of Social Competency Problems Social Skills Deficits: Acquisition Deficits Performance Deficits The student does not have the knowledge to perform a particular social skill. (“Can’t do”) The student has the particular skill in his/her repertoire but rarely performs the skill or does not have the motivation to perform it. (“Won’t do”) Fluency Deficits The student has the skill in his/her repertoire but performs it inconsistently or awkwardly. Signs of Social Competency Problems What else have you seen while working in schools that tells you a student is struggling socially? What Can I do to Help? Tiered Approach to Intervention 80% of students will not exhibit major behavior problems because of previous successful learning experiences. These children should respond to Environmental Supports (Core Interventions) 15% of students will be at-risk for severe behavior problems. These students engage in problem behaviors beyond acceptable levels and will not respond to basic school wide interventions. These students should respond to Programmatic Supports (Targeted Interventions) About 1 to 5% of students display chronic patterns of violent, disruptive, and destructive behavior that do not respond to either of the above approaches. These students need Individual Support (Intensive Interventions) Tiered Approach to Intervention retrieved from: http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/rti/ Positive Effects of Intervention In addition to boosting social competency, intervention efforts at each level can lead to increases in: Resiliency Positive behavior Positive relationships with peers and adults Academic achievement Emotional well-being What Can I do to Help? Core Interventions Environmental Supports (Tier I: helping 80% of students) Create a supportive school climate Promote positive social connections Give children ample positive attention and let them give input on rules Encourage students to believe they can succeed if they try Frame failure as an opportunity from which to learn Model respect for others, optimism, and forgiveness Create an environment with clear, consistent expectations Encourage students to work together to learn, using a variety of resources What Can I do to Help? Core Interventions Naturalistic Intervention “Informal social skills intervention . . . takes advantage of naturally occurring behavioral incidents or events to teach prosocial behavior . . . There are literally thousands of behavioral incidents that occur in home, school and community settings, thereby creating rich opportunities for using these behavioral incidents as the basis for social skills trainings.” (Gresham, 2002) What Can I do to Help? Core Interventions Naturalistic strategies (Tier I: helping 80% of students) Encourage non-competitive games and help children set individual goals. Talk about self-control and making good decisions. Talk about why it is important to be patient, share, and respect others’ rights and what each “looks like” (e.g., taking turns). Teach children to learn from criticism. Ask, “How could you do that differently next time?” Have students evaluate their choices/actions by asking themselves: “Is it safe?” “Is it fair?” “Is it respectful?” What Can I do to Help? Targeted Interventions Programmatic supports (Tier II: helping 10-15% of students) Bibliotherapy As a preventative strategy To start a general discussion after an incident has occurred Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curricula that can be used in a whole-class setting or in smaller groups Peer mediation groups Bullying/violence prevention programs Counselor or Psychologist-led social skills groups that students can be referred to What Can I do to Help? Targeted Interventions Specific Strategies promoting social skill acquisition (Tier II: helping 10-15% of students) Modeling Coaching Behavioral Rehearsal The 4 R’s What Can I do to Help? Targeted Interventions Modeling involves learning by observing another person perform a behavior One of the most effective and efficient ways of teaching social behavior Steps for Modeling: Present the entire sequence of behaviors involved in a particular social skill 1. 1. 2. 2. First, demonstrate each step or part Next, model entire sequence together as it should look Teach the student how to integrate the behavior into their social interactions What Can I do to Help? Targeted Interventions Coaching involves using verbal instructions to teach social behavior Steps for Coaching: 1. 2. 3. Explain social concepts or rules Provide opportunities for practice or rehearsal in controlled situation Provide specific informational feedback on the quality of behavioral performances What Can I do to Help? Targeted Interventions Behavioral Rehearsal involves practicing a newly learned behavior in a structured, protective situation of role playing Steps for Behavioral Rehearsal: Explain and model a new behavior 2. Provide a role play prompt for students to practice the skill in 3. Have students switch roles within the role play to help reinforce learning 1. Example -- Say: “Greg, you and Max are playing handball at recess and you see Julian sitting by himself. I want you to practice the ‘inviting a friend to play’ skill we just learned.” What Can I do to Help? Targeted Interventions The 4 R’s: a four-step process to teach and reinforce social rules Steps of the 4 R’s: 1. Reason: provide a reason for the rule 2. Rule: state the rule 3. Reminder: provide the student with a hint about the rule 4. Reinforce: recognize and praise A Note on Behavior Change Remember… Developing or learning a new social skill is a form of behavior change. Changing behavior takes time and is a gradual process. With this in mind, each step towards the goal behavior should be praised and reinforced. In other words . . . reward DIRECTION to guide towards PERFECTION Vignettes & Practice Patrick Patrick is a 8 year-old, 2nd grade boy. It is several months into the school year and he has not been able to keep any friends. He is able to enter games with other children, but often ends up storming away during games because the games do not go his way (e.g., he gets tagged “out” first). In class, he often points out when other people make mistakes, typically telling the person loudly several times, “You’re wrong, you didn’t do it right.” Vignette Discussion In your groups discuss the following: Based on what you have learned today… Is this a problem warranting intervention? Is there something you could do to help Lucas? If so, what do you think might help him? Sarah Sarah is a 7 year-old 1st grade girl. Over the past few weeks you have noticed a pattern with her. When talking to adults or peers, Sarah never seems to let the other person say much. In the classroom, when another student asks Sarah about the book she brought from home, she tells the other girl all about it. The other girl tries to ask Sarah questions, but Sarah talks over her, so the other girl walks away. At the lunch table, other students are talking about an upcoming birthday party. Sarah interrupts them and talks loudly about her birthday that happened months ago for several minutes. This behavior is preventing Sarah from making lasting friends. Take turns practices one of the 3 strategies for building social skills: Modeling Coaching Behavior Rehearsal When to Seek Outside Help Tiered Approach to Intervention For those 1-5% of students who do not respond to core interventions and targeted interventions, more individualized intervention and support is likely needed. Retrieved from: http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/rti/ Seeking Outside Help Make contact with school psychologist or counselor. Contact via email or other designated avenue (e.g.: observation/consultation form) Ask for an observation to be made of the student Make appointment to meet to talk about your concerns for the student At-Risk Populations Special populations at risk for significant deficits in social competency: Children with diagnosable disorders: Internalizing Disorders Externalizing Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorders Children with disabilities (physical, learning, etc.) Children with a lack of resiliency Externalizing Disorders Externalizing Disorders include: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) Conduct Disorder (CD) Each of these disorders is: Marked by acting-out (externalizing) behaviors Set apart from typical development by the intensity, duration and frequency of such behaviors Externalizing Disorders: ADHD Children with ADHD can experience social difficulties due to excessive: • Distractibility • Hyperactivity • Impulsivity These behaviors affect a child’s ability to observe, understand, and respond to the social environment. Children with ADHD are often isolated and rejected from their peers Externalizing Disorders: CD & ODD Children with Conduct Disorder & Oppositional Defiance Disorder can experience social difficulties due to: Excessive aggression and hostility The use of inappropriate social problem-solving strategies (e.g., aggressive actions) due misreading social situations Peers reject these children frequently due to their aggression and defiant rule-breaking behavior Internalizing Disorders Internalizing Disorders include: Depression Anxiety Each of these disorders is: Marked by patterns of less observable (internalized) symptoms It is normal to experience depression & anxiety in smaller doses, diagnosable disorders are set apart by their intensity, duration and frequency Internalizing Disorders: Depression In young children, depression “looks” different Instead of a “depressed” mood, pervasive irritability Somatic complaints are common Withdrawal from social situations Significant changes in eating or sleeping habits Chronic fatigue Many of these symptoms can directly impact a child’s social functioning Internalizing Disorders: Anxiety Most Common Anxiety Disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder Specific phobias (for example: school or social situations) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Each of the above involve severe reactions of worry and fear caused by situations or events that are typically perceived as harmless. These worries and fears can become so consuming that these students may avoid social situations and are unable to build or maintain friendships. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) Autism Spectrum Disorders include: Autism Asperger’s Syndrome Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) Each of these disorders is: Characterized by deficits in communication and social functioning and patterns of stereotyped/ritualistic behaviors Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) Social deficits among children with ASDs can include difficulties with: Understanding social rules such as taking turns and sharing Understanding and reading the emotions of others Taking the perspective of other people Initiating and maintaining interactions and conversations with other people A note on diagnosable disorders… Keep in mind that Internalizing, Externalizing and Autistic Spectrum Disorders all range in severity and often look quite different in different children. 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