Essential Elements of Social
Skill Instruction as a Tier II
Intervention
Tim Lewis, Ph.D. & Linda Bradley
University of Missouri
Carrie Freeman
Columbia Public Schools
Center on School-wide Systems
of Positive Behavior Support
University of Missouri - Columbia
Universal
• Matrix of school-wide expectations across
settings
– List of problems = replacements
– “Scope and sequence” of social skills
• Simple lessons with activities
• Year long teaching schedule
Benton
I am….
All Settings
Classroo
m
Hallways
Cafeteria
Bathrooms
Playground
Assemblies
Safe
•Keep bodies
calm in line
•Report any
problems
•Ask
permission to
leave any
setting
Maintain
personal
space
Walk
Stay to the
right on
stairs
Banisters
are for
hands
•Walk
•Push in
chairs
•Place trash
in trash can
Wash hands with
soap and water
Keep water in the
sink
One person per
stall
Use equipment for
intended purpose
Wood chips are for
the ground
Participate in
school approved
games only
Stay in approved
areas
Keep body to self
•Walk
•Enter and exit
gym in an
orderly manner
Respect
ful
•Treat others
the way you
want to be
treated
•Be an active
listener
•Follow adult
direction(s)
•Use polite
language
•Help keep
the school
orderly
Be
honest
Take
care of
yourself
Walk
quietly so
others can
continue
learning
Eat only
your food
Use a
peaceful
voice
Allow for privacy
of others
Clean up after self
•Line up at first
signal
•Invite others who
want to join in
•Enter and exit
building peacefully
•Share materials
•Use polite
language
Be an active
listener
Applaud
appropriately to
show
appreciation
A
Learner
•Be an active
participant
•Give full
effort
•Be a team
player
•Do your job
•Be a risk
taker
•Be
prepared
•Make
good
choices
Return to
class
promptly
•Use proper
manners
•Leave
when adult
excuses
•Follow bathroom
procedures
•Return to class
promptly
•Be a problem
solver
•Learn new games
and activities
•Raise your
hand to share
•Keep
comments and
questions on
topic
Tier II / Small Group
• Students displaying social skill challenges as
primary concern
• Set of skills targeting common concerns
• Set of clear generalization strategies for
classroom teachers to implement
Tier III / Individual
•
•
•
•
Social skill deficits / performance problem
Guided by functional behavioral assessment
Replacement “social skill” meets need
Environment supports use of new skill
– High rates of reinforcement
– New skill accesses previous function of problem
behavior
Best Practices
Teaching the General Case
Steps in Social Skill Instruction
•
•
•
•
•
Assessment
Planning
Lesson Development
Teaching
Generalization
Assessment: Student Identification
(Data, System)
Use of existing data / assessment sources such
as ODR, visits to discipline room, teacher
referral, number of “buddy room” visits
Assessment: Skill Selection
(Data)
• Teacher Ratings
• Ratings by others
• Direct Observation
Importance of discussing cultural, language, and
other factors that impact perceptions of
“appropriate” social skills
Planning Requirements
(practices, systems)
• Curriculum / Lesson Plans
– Adapt/adopt
• Group procedures
• Generalization strategies
Lesson Components
(practices)
• rule for when to use the skill
• set of useful skill variations
–
–
–
–
–
teach the rule (TELL)
demonstrate the skill (SHOW)
students practice the skill (PRACTICE)
review and test the skill (PRACTICE)
assign homework (PRACTICE)
Teaching social skills follows the same format as
teaching academic skills
Lesson Plans: Teach (tell)
• definition of essential rule
• description of skill components and
variations
Lesson Plans: Demonstrate (show)
• model / demonstrate the skill
– select competent and respected students
and adults
– only the teacher models incorrect
responses
– select examples from natural context
– at least two positive demonstrations of
each example
Lesson Plans: Practice
• role play activities
– focus on relevant features
– have student "think aloud"
– teacher can provide coaching during lesson
– involve all members of the group by assigning
tasks / questions
– have student self evaluate after activity
Promoting Maintenance and Generalization
Strategies To Use During Training (practices)
Use naturally occurring examples
within role plays
• Use naturally occurring reinforcers
• Use language of school-wide PBS
system
• Pinpoint activities students likely to
engage
•
Promoting Maintenance and Generalization
Strategies To Use During Training (practices)
• Train in the targeted setting
• During training, include peers the target
student(s) likely to encounter in the
problem setting
• Use a number of trainers or other adults
during training
• Continue training for a sufficient amount
of time
Promoting Maintenance and Generalization
Strategies to Use Within the Target Setting (system, policy)
• Prompt students to display skill (Pre-
•
•
•
•
Corrects)
Reinforce displays of skills in generalized
settings using language of school-wide
PBS/MBI system
Enlist a variety of others to prompt and
reinforce skills in generalized settings
Individual contracts and behavior change
plans
Group contingencies
Parkade Elementary School
Columbia, Missouri
Parkade School’s Mission
Together….Inspiring Life
Long Learners
Our School Demographics
•Currently 430 students
•District Multi-Categorical classroom
•District Emotional Disturbance program
•Free and Reduced Percentage: 65%
•Special Education Students: 19%
•Mobility: 23%
•Ethnicity
•White 46%
•Minority 53%
•Black 36%
•Hispanic 7.5%
•Asian 4%
•Multi 2.5%
•American Indian 2%
•Pacific Islander 1%
What Systems will Support our Vision?
Parkade Core Social Skills Curriculum
• Expectations
– Be Safe
– Be Respectful
– Be Responsible
• Matrix
– Defines Social Skills for Settings in Our School
Parkade Core/Universal Social Skills
Curriculum
• Weekly Cool Tool and Problem Solving Steps
• Teachers Teach Directly during morning
meeting…8:50 – 9:20 each day.
• Skills are selected by reviewing SWIS problem
behavior data.
• Specific Lesson Plans provided to teachers
– Tell: Talk about the Skill
– Show: Teacher Models the Skill
– Practice: Student’s Practice the Skill
Problem Solving Steps
•
•
•
•
•
Stop: Choose a composure tool
Think: What do I want right now?
Talk: Take turns talking and listening
Choose: A strategy to solve the problem
Check: Was the problem solved?
Parkade’s Need
• To provide more intensive social skills
instruction for some students who did not
respond to core social skills lessons
Student Identification Process
• Tier II Parkade Data Decision Rules – Behavior:
– 2-5 ABLE Room Referrals (Major)
– 2+ Buddy Room referrals in a 2 week period
(Minor)
– Student is engaging in a repeated pattern of
problem behavior in more than one setting or
with more than one adult
– Internalizing Behaviors
– Problem behavior is having negative
consequences on student’s social relationships
– The problem behavior is NOT dangerous to
student or others
Identifying Students for Social Skills
Groups
• Teacher nominated students who could not
repeat or demonstrate usage of skill steps:
•
•
•
•
•
Stop
Think
Talk
Choose
Check
– To confirm students identified, teachers collected
baseline on number of redirects given to students
when they did not “Stop and Think”
Social Skills Group Curriculum
• Stop and Think Social Skills Program by Project
Achieve
• 30 minutes, 2 times a week
• Lesson Schedule
– Week 1 & 2: Stop and Think
– Week 3: Listen Attentively
– Week 4: Following Directions
– Week 5: Accepting Consequences
– Week 6: Review of All Skills
Lesson Plan Example:
Following Directions
• Specific Skill: I Can Follow Directions
• Skill Steps/Learning Targets – This means I will:
– Listen attentively
– Raise hand to speak or ask questions
– Begin task immediately
• Tell: Introduce the idea of following directions by:
– 1) Reading Listen Buddy by Lynn Munsinger. Buddy the
Rabbit finds himself in trouble when he doesn’t listen
carefully enough to follow directions.
– 2) Having students work in pairs or groups to make a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich, listening to specific
teacher how-to instructions.
Lesson Plan Example:
Following Directions
• Teacher Shows:
– Non-examples: Student doesn’t begin or complete assignment
even with teacher assistance
– Student needs teacher reminder to begin the task or assignment
– Students doesn’t ask questions if unsure of directions
• Guided Practice:
– Role play
– Teacher reads scenarios & students give “thumb’s up” if it is a
good example of following directions.
• Feedback:
– “Thank you for putting your eyes on me while I am giving
directions. You are being respectful”
Teacher Feedback
• All redirects to the student are counted.
• The student should be observed for two, 30
minute observations, two times per week.
(The data should be collected on Tuesday and
then at your convenience Thursday or Friday)
• Rating scale that identifies how the teacher
feels the student is doing with each skill.
• Feedback turned into Social Skills Group
facilitator weekly.
Feedback to Parents
• Weekly progress report
• Shares skill student is learning
• Asks Parents to practice at home
Daily Progress Report
Under Construction!
Lessons Learned
• Social skills groups are for students who have
a skill acquisition deficit, NOT a performance
deficit
• LOTS of problem solving steps and models—
had to decide on one
We Always Teach!
“If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we..teach?
…punish?”
“Why can’t we finish the last sentence as
automatically as we do the others?”
John Herner
Contact Us
• Tim Lewis lewistj@missouri.edu
• Carrie Freeman
cfreeman@columbia.k12.mo.us
• Linda Bradley bradleyl@missouri.edu