Skillstreaming in Early Childhood, the Elementary School

Child, the Adolescent: Teaching Prosocial Skills

Category: Social/Emotional/Behavioural
Grade Level: Preschool to 12

1. What is the purpose of (e.g., child-abusing parents, psychiatric

Skillstreaming? patients).
The purpose of the Skillstreaming
program is to systematically teach 3. What is the format of
children and adolescents the social skills skillstreaming?
necessary to lead effective and satisfying As described in the table below, each of
personal and interpersonal lives. It the three levels of the skillstreaming
focuses on the assumption that certain program is described in a paper back
social and behavioral skills are missing book that outlines the assessment,
in the person’s repertoire and therefore teaching procedures, and lessons for
these need to be taught in a systematic, teaching each social skill.
patient, and encouraging manner. The Accompanying the book is a workbook
program is based on social learning with program forms, and a video for the
theory. elementary and adolescent versions.

2. With whom can skillstreaming be 4. What teaching procedures should

used? be used with Skillstreaming?
This program has been developed to be Skillstreaming is focused on Structured
used with children and adolescents of all Learning a psychoeducational
ages who demonstrate deficits in social intervention strategy that provides
skills. Developmentally appropriate instruction in prosocial skills. The
skills and lessons plans have been Structured Learning approach
developed and can be bought separately. differs slightly between the three
Three different programs exist: age groups in its implementation.
Skillstreaming in Early Childhood,
Skillstreaming the Elementary School Skillstreaming provides a number of
Child, and Skillstreaming the assessment techniques to measure the
Adolescent. The authors suggest that skill deficits and strengths of each child,
there are groups of children that so that treatment can be individually
particularly benefit from systematic tailored. The number of specific
social skill instruction. These groups prosocial skills ranges from 40-60,
include: withdrawn and aggressive depending on the age of the child. There
children, normally developing children are eight cards that list the behavioural
with periodic deficits in prosocial steps for each of the prosocial skills.
behaviour, and children with learning
disabilities, communication disorders, Step 1 – Define the Skills
behaviour problems or other handicaps.  The teacher leads a short discussion
The program can also be used with about the desired skills to determine
adults of all ages with different needs what the children know, and to
 ensure they understand the skills that Step 7 – Provide Performance Feedback
will be taught in the session.  A discussion is held to determine
how well the actor adhered to the
Step 2 – Model the Skill steps and to evaluate the
 Each child receives a Skill Card effectiveness of the steps at
where the each step is broken down accomplishing the desired goal. The
into constituent parts/behavioral group leader provides social
steps and is clearly defined. reinforcement in the form of praise,
 The group leader models all the encouragement, and approval when
behavioral steps, systematically in an the actor has performed successfully;
expert manner, in at least two the facilitator should increase the
different examples. Examples must reinforcement as the role-plays
be relevant and modeling must become closer approximations of the
display reinforced, positive desired skills. Positive feedback
outcomes. Models should “think should be provided first, and then
aloud” through each of the proceeded by constructive negative
behavioral steps. feedback with suggestions for
improvement. The child then can
Step 3 – Establish Student Skill Need repeat the role-play to provide an
 The group leader now facilitates a opportunity for improvement.
discussion to determine when and
with whom the modeled skill should Step 8 – Assign Skill Homework
be used.  Students are instructed to practice
their newly acquired skill in real-life
Step 4 – Select Role-Player settings. There are three levels of
 All children will role-play each skill homework:
taught.
Level 1: The child thinks of a situation
Step 5 – Set up the Role-Play in which he or she feels the need to
 The main actor chooses another practice the skill. This situation is
student to play the other person; this written on the Homework Report along
person should remind the actor of the with the skill name and steps. The
significant other to whom the skills child then uses the skill and evaluates
is directed. A description of the how well they performed the skill
setting, preceding circumstances, and steps.
mood is described by the main actor.
Level 2: When the child has achieved
Step 6 – Conduct the Role-Play mastery of the skill, self-recording or
 The children role-play the skill monitoring is done independently
“thinking aloud” each of the throughout the week whenever the
behavioral steps while the other need arises. Self-evaluation is
children watch for the display of conducted on the sheet and the leader
each step. Each child is then given an writes reinforcing comments on the
opportunity to do a role play as the form after a specified time period.
main actor.
Level 3: Numerous skills are listed on a Skillstreaming is a psychoeducational
cue card and the student keeps a tally of intervention that is primarily
skill practice during the week. designed for use in school settings.
It provides special education,
 Group Self-Report Charts with general education and resource
stickers for each child can aid in the teachers, social workers,
reinforcement of skills and psychologists, and school
homework completion. Skill counselors strategies for group
contracts, self-recording forms, and instruction in prosocial skills. It can
skill awards (e.g., extra recess for the also be used in mental health and
class) can also be used as motivation. residential facilities.
Token reinforcers and tangible
reinforcers can be used (e.g., 5. To what extent has research shown
stickers, activities, food). Skillstreaming to be useful?
Research has clearly demonstrated that
The following techniques are suggested systematic social skills interventions that
to encourage the transfer of teaching: are focused on specific skills are
 Ensure the child understands the effective at teaching children necessary
rules and strategies that leads to social skills. Social learning techniques
success have shown to be a successful way to
 Overlearning teach these skills. This program
 Training loosely using multiple role- improves on many in that it stresses and
pays with different students incorporates techniques to promote
 Ensuring that the role-playing generalization. Skillstreaming was found
situations are as realistic as possible to be effective in meeting the needs of
 Ensure that the child him or herself the individual throughout development.
is self-recording, self-reinforcing,
self-punishing, and self-instructing. References
1. Goldstein, A. P., & Goedhart, A. W.
The following techniques are suggested (1973). The use of structured
to encourage maintenance: learning for empathy enhancement in
paraprofessional psychotherapist
 Unpredictable and slowly decreased
training. Journal of Community
reinforcement
Psychology, 1, 168-173.
 Delayed reinforcement
2. Goldstein, A. P. & McGinnis, E.
 Fade prompts (1990). Skillstreaming in early
 Provide booster sessions childhood: Teaching prosocial skills
 Prepare for real-life non- to the preschool and kindergarten
reinforcement child. Champaign, IL: Research
 Program for natural reinforcement; Press.
use natural reinforcers 3. Goldstein, A. P. & McGinnis, E.
(1997). Skillstreaming the
4. In what type of setting can elementary school child: New
Skillstreaming be used? strategies and perspectives for
teaching prosocial skills (rev. ed).
Champaign, IL: Research Press.
4. Goldstein, A. P., & McGinnis, E. 8. McGinnis, E. & Goldstein, A.
(2001). Skillstreaming the (1990). Skillstreaming in early
adolescent: New strategies and childhood: Teaching prosocial skills
perspectives for teaching prosocial to the preschool and kindergarten
skills. Champaign, IL. Research child. Champaign, IL: Research
Press. Press.
5. Gutride, M. E., Goldstein, A. P., & 9. Sasso, G. M., Melloy, K. J., &
Hunter, G. F. (1974). Structured Kavale, K. A. (1990).
learning therapy with transfer Generalization, maintenance, and
training to for chronic patients. behavioral covariation associated
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30, with social skills training through
277-280. structured learning. Behavioral
6. Kiburz, C. S., Miller, S. R. & Disorders, 16, 9-22.
Morrow, L. W. (1984). Structured 10. Schneider, B. H. (1992). Didactic
learning using self-monitoring to methods for enhancing children’s
promote maintenance and peer relations: A quantitative review.
generalization of social skills across Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 363-
settings for a behaviorally disordered 382.
adolescent. Behavioral Disorders,
10, 47-55. Website
7. McGinnis, E. & Goldstein, A. www.researchpress.com
(2001). Skillstreaming the
elementary school child: New Reviewed by: Jasmine Eliav and
strategies and perspectives for Anna Simpson
teaching prosocial skills.
Champaign, IL. Research Press.

The format of skillstreaming.

Three Early Elementary school Adolescent

categories Childhood child
Materials Book Book Book
Included Program Forms Program Forms Program Forms
Booklet Booklet Booklet
Skill Cards Skill Cards
Student Manual Student Manual
Video Video
Prosocial 40 Specific Prosocial 60 Specific Prosocial 50 Specific Prosocial
skills Skills Skills Skills

Skill 6 Skill Groups 5 Skill Groups 6 Skill Groups

Groups
1. Beginning 1. Classroom 1. Beginning social
prosocial skills survival skills skills
2. School-related 2. Friendship- 2. Advanced social
skills making skills skills
3. Friendship- 3. Dealing with 3. Dealing with
making skills feelings feelings
4. Dealing with 4. Alternatives to 4. Alternatives to
feelings aggression aggression
5. Alternatives to 5. Dealing with 5. Dealing with
aggression stress stress
6. Dealing with 6. Planning skills
stress