Abstract

Social competence is needed for interaction among peers, teachers, and families in order for children to be successful in school. Children enter school with various levels of social competence. Social skills training is an effective method for building social skills; however, many programs fail to generalize these skills across settings and time. This study investigated the effects of a social skills training intervention for first and second grade students with emotional and behavioral problems. The intervention blended direct instruction, role-plays, and children's literature, with peers supporting both the acquisition and generalization of the social skills through positive peer reporting (PPR) in other school settings. Results indicate that four students, with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorder, in the first and second grade, produced an increased rate of the acquisition and generalization of the skills, How to Follow Directions, How to Ignore Distractions, and How to Ask for Help across various settings with the support of the social skills instruction paired with PPR. This demonstrates that elements of bibliotherapy paired with positive peer reporting may be effective in increasing the acquisition and generalization of social skills across multiple settings.

Degree

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/