Overview
Providing school practitioners with widely applicable, flexible methods for effective intervention in today's changing school environment, this book details proven, practical techniques for promoting key skills in students for everyday social, academic, familial, and vocational success. The approach presented is based on the work of a highly acclaimed 15-year project that is still in progress, and is designed to help professionals encourage the development of enduring life tools and prevent substance abuse, HIV infection, and other behavior-related problems. Directed toward children at high, moderate, and low levels of risk in both regular and special education contexts, the book focuses on the areas of self-control, group participation and social awareness, and social emotional problem-solving and decision-making skills. Concrete suggestions, skills assessments, and role plays are featured throughout, and an appendix provides material on thinking ahead that is designed specifically for use with children.Incl. key intervention techniques/flexible video-based group applications for high-risk youth/staff training, etc.
Synopsis
Providing school practitioners with widely applicable, flexible methods for effective intervention in today's changing school environment, this book details proven, practical techniques for promoting key skills in students for everyday social, academic, familial, and vocational success. The approach presented is based on the work of a highly acclaimed 15-year project that is still in progress, and is designed to help professionals encourage the development of enduring life tools and prevent substance abuse, HIV infection, and other behavior-related problems. Directed toward children at high, moderate, and low levels of risk in both regular and special education contexts, the book focuses on the areas of self-control, group participation and social awareness, and social-emotional problem-solving and decision-making skills. Concrete suggestions, skills assessements, and role plays are featured throughout, and an appendix provides material on thinking ahead that is designed specifically for use with children.
Booknews
Describes techniques for promoting social, academic, familial, and vocational skills in K-8 students at various levels of risk in both regular and special education contexts, based on an ongoing 15-year project. Discusses the role of social problem solving and decision making in the classroom, and describes intervention techniques, skills development, group intervention, video-based applications for high- risk youth, and staff training and assessment. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Editorials
From the Publisher
"This practical and interesting book well reflects the authors' long experience with real practitioners confronting real children in real classrooms. It avoids oversimplifications, it is systematic without being pedantic, and the writing style is refreshingly clear. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with children, schools and contemporary society." --Seymour B. Sarason, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Yale University"The development of age-appropriate social competencies, including (interpersonal) social problem (SPS) skills, is a key getaway to effective school, and later-life adaptation. This significant volume distills essences from two decades of SPS program development and implementation in the schools, in the form of a cohesive, practitioner-oriented summary of this innovative approach and its range of effective applications. Although written, above all, to be practical and user-friendly, the volume's substance and thrust rest on a firm research base. In today's challenging, problem-laden (e.g., violence, substance abuse) world we have come more and more to realize, that truly effective schools must do more than impart the 3 Rs; they must also teach adaptive social skills. This extremely useful volume offers one programmatic pathway that schools can follow, in different formats, with diverse groups, and across multiple school years, to enrich children's life skills and competencies, and thus help them to profit more from school, and later-life experiences." --Emory L. Cowen, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director, Center for Community Study, University of Rochester
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness requires the mastery of social as well as academic knowledge. This book is a proven roadmap for teaching that combination of knowledge! School psychologists will value its structured content." --Kevin P. Dwyer, MA, NCSP, Assistant Executive Director of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
"Social Problem Solving Interventions will become a classic in the field. The practical information provided by Elias and Tobias is essential reading for professions and community members concerned with improving the quality of life for America's children and youth. We know that social interactions form the fabric of human connectedness, therefore, the skills taught in Social Problem Solving Interventions provide essential foundations for social competence, not only during the years of formal schooling, but far beyond. This volume, written by outstanding researchers and practitioners, enriches the literature on critical social dimensions necessary for life success." --Ronda C. Talley, Ph.D., Assistant Executive Director for Education; Director, APA Center for Psychology in Schools and Education, American Psychological Association