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Programs
and Strategies for Positive Behavior:
Early Intervention Programs & Strategies:
First Step to Success
Student
Population Served
Kindergarten students "at-risk" of developing long-term
behavior difficulties due to early signs of antisocial behavior
patterns
Program Description:
First Step is an early intervention program designed to address
the needs of kindergarten students identified as having anti-social
and/or aggressive behaviors. School-based mental health professionals
or external consultants provide teachers and parents with strategies
to teach students positive social skills and alternatives to aggressive
behavior and to effectively reward students when those positive
behaviors are used appropriately.
The
model uses the following three components:
- Screening
Process to identify children at risk. The identification process
can include teacher and parent nominations and/or observations
in classroom and free-play.
- CLASS,
Classroom-based skills training in which the child is taught
alternative, pro-social behaviors and is provided feedback using
visual cues (i.e., green and red cards) to indicate if they are
on task. Throughout the day, the student accrues points toward
his/her daily behavioral goal.
- Homebase,
which is a home-school intervention. Every evening teachers provide
parents with feedback about the student's behavior that day. The
consultant also trains and encourages parents to reward their
child's positive behavior by spending extra time with him/her
in a fun activity (Dwyer and Osher, 2000). This phase aims to
provide continuity and a positive link between the home and school
(Walker et. al., 1996).
First
Step aims to reduce aggressive behavior, improve social adjustment,
and foster parental involvement for a successful start in school
(Walker et. al, 1996).
Training
& Support Information
Schools implementing First Step to Success have used trained consultants
who work with students, teachers, and parents and/or they have used
the First Step To Success Starter Kit. Each kit contains materials
to implement the program with three students including an Implementation
Guide, Homebase Consultant Guide, three Homebase Parent Handbooks,
three sets of CLASS Cards, Homebase Parent Supplies, etc. This starter
kit is intended to help school psychologists, school counselors,
or early childhood educators to implement the program.
Contact
Information:
Sopris West
4093 Specialty Place
Longmont, CO 80504
Phone: (800) 547-6747 Fax: (303) 776-5934
Website: http://www.sopriswest.com
References
& Additional Resources
Dwyer, K., & Osher, D. (2000). Safeguarding our children:
An action guide.Washington, DC: U.S. Departments of Education
and Justice, American Institutes for Research.
Walker,
H. Kavanagh, Stiller, Golly, Steverson, & Feil (1998). First
Step to Success: An early intervention approach for preventing school
antisocial behavior. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders,
6, 66-80.
Walker,
H., Stiller, B., Severson, H. H., Feil, E. G., & Golly, A. (1998).
First Step to Success: Intervening at the point of school entry
to prevent antisocial behavior patterns. Psychology in the Schools,
35, 259-269.
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