Social skills training: a behavioral, practice-based approach to teaching preschool social skills¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 5 claims (4 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Social skills training is "not a specific curriculum, but rather a collection of practices that use a behavioral approach for teaching preschool children age-appropriate social skills and competencies, including communication, problem solving, decision making, self-management, and peer relations." Teachers use modeling, role-playing, and specific instruction; children then practice the skills and receive positive reinforcement for appropriate social behavior. It can occur in regular or special education classrooms, with individual children, small groups, or whole classes, typically for up to one hour daily over a few days to several weeks.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teachers use modeling, role-playing, and specific instruction on social skills, followed by child practice and positive reinforcement of appropriate social behavior

Constraints¶

• It has no single developer or common distribution channel; interventions were developed by various study authors
• The WWC was unable to identify information about implementation costs such as teacher training and support

Target Learners¶

• preschool children with disabilities in early education settings

Target Learning Goals¶

• communication
• problem solving
• decision making
• self-management
• peer relations

Claims¶

• In Ferentino (1991), social skills training produced a large significant effect on teacher-rated Vineland Socialization but not on four other social-emotional measures [+W]
• LeBlanc and Matson (1995) found a statistically significant positive effect on one social-emotional outcome but insufficient information prevented WWC verification or inclusion in the rating [+W]
• Social skills training shows no discernible effects on cognition for preschool children with disabilities [-W]
• Social skills training has positive effects on social-emotional development and behavior for preschool children with disabilities in early education settings [+W]
• In Guglielmo and Tryon (2001), social skills training plus reinforcement increased sharing behaviors significantly more than reinforcement alone, while effects on being in a group were positive but not significant [+W]

Related Elements¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Social Skills Training. (2013). What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report: Early Childhood Education Interventions for Children with Disabilities. U.S. Department of Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/578