A school psychologist implemented a practicum designed to increase the prosocial behaviors of children attending a preschool center that integrated handicapped (N=26) and nonhandicapped (N=22) children. Observations had indicated that many of the children at the center were unable to work and play with others without hitting and getting hurt in…

The director of a not-for-profit nursery school adapted the adult stress management techniques of exercise and relaxation for use with 3- to 5-year-old children. Specifically, children were taught visualization techniques and yoga exercises involving deep breathing. The goal of the practicum was to rechannel children's negative stress-related…

An elementary school administrator designed and implemented a practicum study meant to enable students to gain citizenship skills needed for prosocial interactions with peers and adults. It was expected that the kindergarten through sixth-grade students would use practices acquired from their studies of law, government, and citizenship to direct…

A behavior management specialist implemented a practicum intervention designed to increase prosocial behavior and positive peer interaction among kindergartners and first graders by means of student participation in a self-motivating play group. Five students attended a daily play session in block and housekeeping play settings that had been…

A practicum was implemented to increase prosocial behavior of students in grades K-6 through a conflict resolution management program. The objectives of the intervention were to: (1) reduce student discipline referrals for antisocial behavior; (2) increase student conflict resolution scores; and (3) increase the prosocial behavior of students.…

Incidences of aggressive and violent actions in schools have been increasing. The goals of this practicum were to reduce aggressive and violent behavior in a large, comprehensive, public high school and to make students and staff aware of peaceful alternatives to conflicts. Solution strategies included teaching conflict resolution skills in the…

A review of the counselor's log at one elementary school serving students through the eighth grade indicated that during the fall of the 1990-1991 school year, 55 pupils were referred for negative behavior. Negative behaviors included refusing to obey, constantly causing disruptions, stealing, verbal or physical assaults, withdrawn and…

Over an 8-month period, a preschool teacher's aide designed and implemented a practicum study intended to improve the social skills of preschoolers in a private day care center. Lesson plans for teaching seven social skills through problem solving were created. Skills were related to entering and exiting activities without disrupting them;…

A middle school principal with 17 years of experience as a classroom teacher implemented a practicum designed to develop positive, long-lasting social skills among elementary school students in the intermediate grades. The primary goal of the intervention was to decrease the number of instances in which students used verbal or physical aggression…

This paper describes a social studies unit which addresses the problem of cultural dissonance in black, inner city kindergarten children who enter school without adequate classroom social interaction skills. In order to avoid using extensive academic time to orient children toward cooperative behavior and discipline procedures throughout the…

A practicum was conducted at a small, private elementary school to introduce strategies that would reduce kindergarten classroom disruptions and playground disturbances due to fighting, verbal confrontations, and disregard for authority and rules. A survey conducted at the school revealed that kindergarten teachers handled a daily average of 10…

This practicum was designed to reduce the instances of negative behavior exhibited by students in a special education setting. Various interventions were initiated and implemented, such as engaging students in conflict resolution workshops, involving student in extracurricular activities so as to help them use leisure time constructively, and…

A Head Start education coordinator who supervised personnel associated with nine child care centers implemented a practicum intervention designed to provide a program of cognitive and affective learning experiences that would help teachers and parents nurture prosocial behaviors in preschool children. A total of 23 teachers and teacher aides, 222…

This paper describes a project to improve the responsibility levels of 16 gifted students in fourth grade attending a daily 2-hour language arts gifted education class. Students had become inconsistent about completing assignments, maintaining an orderly environment, and communicating necessary information to parents. A teacher-developed checklist…

The goal of the project presented in the practicum was to help parents develop competencies in interacting with their children in ways which foster self esteem and cooperative behavior. The objectives of the practicum included, first, increasing parents' knowledge of: (1) the factors leading to high self esteem and cooperative behavior; (2) the…