This ERIC Digest advocates assessment of children's social competence with various measures, including behavioral measures, peer nominations, teacher ratings, and standardized tests. Content focuses on: (1) the insufficiency of the use of academic tests alone; (2) the importance of observing children's interactions with peers; (3) research…

This digest focuses on Information Process Recall (IPR), a supervision strategy developed to increase counselor awareness of covert thoughts and feelings and to deepen the therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the client. Steps in conducting IPR are given as a guideline for conducting IPR recall sessions using audio or video tapes. To…

A rationale is offered for including life skills in curricula for students with special needs. Life skills are defined as encompassing daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills. Daily living skills include: managing personal finances, selecting and managing a household, caring for personal needs, safety awareness, preparing and…

Most administrator training programs focus on what educational leaders should do rather than what they should not do. To help administrators in their roles, an overview of mistakes to avoid is offered in this ERIC digest in Spanish. The emphasis on the negative stems from the belief that undesirable behaviors are far fewer than desirable ones. The…

This digest presents an overview of effective antiviolence strategies for use with elementary school children that educators can integrate into their schools and classrooms. The most effective antiviolence efforts focus on measures that prevent all types of children's bad conduct: aggression, bullying, and hate bullying. The most effective school…

Most administrator training programs focus on what educational leaders should do rather than what they should not do. This digest offers an overview of mistakes administrators should try to avoid. The emphasis on the negative stems from the belief that undesirable behaviors are far fewer than desirable ones. The digest reviews the types of…

The best childhood predictor of later adult adaptation is the adequacy with which a child gets along with other children. Because social development begins in the early years, it is appropriate that early childhood programs include regular formal and informal assessment of children's acquisition of social competence. This digest presents the…

During the past two decades, a convincing body of evidence has accumulated to indicate that unless children achieve minimal social competence by about the age of 6 years, they have a high probability of being at risk into adulthood in several ways. This digest presents a checklist of attributes of child social behavior that teachers are encouraged…

Communication, mathematics, science, and vocational skills are critical to an individual's career progression, but they do not guarantee job success. Many employers believe that employability skills are of primary importance. Because of the changing nature of today's employment picture, employers need creative, flexible workers who have a broad…

The best childhood predictor of later adult adaptation is the adequacy with which a child gets along with other children. Because social development begins in the early years, it is appropriate that early childhood programs include regular formal and informal assessment of children's acquisition of social competence. This digest presents the…

Although pretend play has long been part of the early childhood curriculum, recent emphasis on accountability in education seems to have led to a decline in the general understanding of the contribution that high-quality play can make to children's cognitive development in the early years. This digest defines the cluster of concepts related to…

During the past two decades, a convincing body of evidence has accumulated to indicate that unless children achieve minimal social competence by about the age of 6 years, they have a high probability of being at risk into adulthood in several ways. This digest presents a checklist of attributes of child social behavior that teachers are encouraged…

Among studies that have examined the relationship between parenting styles and children's development of social skills, the research of Diana Baumrind is noteworthy. In several studies, she has identified authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative parenting styles, which differ on the dimensions of nurturance and parental control. Authoritarian…

This digest summarizes the literature on principles of changing behaviors in students with behavior disorders. Principles include: (1) focus on behaviors that need to be changed; (2) identify new behaviors to be developed; (3) provide opportunities to practice new behaviors; (4) treat social skills deficits as errors in learning; (5) teach…

The digest addresses, in question-and-answer format, ways to promote peer acceptance of handicapped students. Topics covered include the effects of first impressions on nonhandicapped students and the impact of physical proximity, and the nature of interdependence among students' learning goals and rewards as structured by the teacher. A…