Behavior Main Page

Programs & Strategies for Positive Behavior

     School-wide
     Interventions

     Targeted      
     Intensive
     Interventions

Behavior Support for Positive Student Behavior

Character Education • Effective Behavioral Supports • The Good Behavior Game • Peer Tutoring • Positive Reinforcement • Project Achieve • Project Pathe • Second Step

Programs and Strategies for Positive Behavior:
School-Wide Programs & Strategies:
Second Step

Student Population Served
School-Wide Program
Preschool through Grade 9
Available in Spanish for preschool through Grade 5

Program Description
This is a school-wide violence prevention program that is aimed at decreasing problematic behavior and increasing both neutral and positive behaviors. The three major skill areas developed by Second Step are:

Opportunities for modeling, practice, and reinforcement are offered with the introduction of each new skill.

The lessons are based on a five-step problem-solving strategy:
(a) identify the problem
(b) brainstorm solutions
(c) evaluate solutions
(d) select, plan, try solution
(e) evaluate the solution

The Second Step curricula for preschool and elementary students consist of three kits: Preschool/Kindergarten, Grades 1-3, and Grades 4-5. The lessons in the middle school/junior high curriculum are divided into three levels: Level 1: Foundation Lessons and Levels 2 and 3: Skillbuilding Lessons. Each level includes discussion lessons, overhead transparencies, reproducible homework sheets, and a live-action video. The three levels of lessons allow students to receive comprehensive, multi-year training in pro-social skills.

At each grade level (preschool through grade 9), the lessons build sequentially, and should be taught in the order intended. The lessons vary in length from 20 minutes at the preschool level to 50 minutes in middle school/junior high. There are approximately 20 lessons for each grade level. The lessons are generally taught two times a week by the regular classroom teacher or trained counselors.

There are also supplemental social skills curricula for the prevention of bullying, youth violence, and child abuse. A family component of the program is also available. Six videos are offered for parents and caregivers to be viewed in groups so that discussion and practice of the vocabulary used in the program can occur.

Training & Support Information
Three-day training for trainers is provided by the Committee for Children in cities across North America, as well as one-day staff training in Seattle, WA. The website provides a schedule. The three-day training enables participants to teach the curricula, train others to teach, and customize and implementation plan. Second Step also offers on-site training.

Contact Information
Committee for Children
2203 Airport Way South, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: (800) 643-4449, (206) 343-1223
Fax: (206) 343-1445
E-mail: info@cfchildren.org
Web site: http://www.cfchildren.org

References & Additional Resources
http://www.cfchildren.org/resrefs.html provides a comprehensive list of research performed on Second Step.

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