This is the practical core of the book, detailing 60 specific skills. Each skill is presented as a lesson plan containing:
Examples of the 60 Skills:
The text outlines three primary models for implementation, allowing flexibility for different educational settings:
Homework. The child agrees to try the skill in a real-world setting (the playground, the cafeteria, the dinner table). The PDF version of the program is invaluable here because it provides "Skill Homework Reports" that parents or teachers can sign off on. skillstreaming the elementary school child pdf
Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child is a seminal resource in social-emotional learning. Its strength lies in its behavioral specificity—teaching children exactly what to do and what to say rather than just telling them to "behave." For educators and clinicians seeking a structured, evidence-based curriculum to improve student behavior and peer relations, the Skillstreaming method remains a gold standard in the field.
modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization
—to teach essential prosocial behaviors to elementary students. This is the practical core of the book,
Title: Beyond "Be Nice": How Skillstreaming Builds Real-World Social Competence Introduction
We often tell kids to "play fair" or "be a good friend," but do they actually know the
to do that? For many elementary school children, social cues aren't intuitive—they need to be taught like any other academic subject. This is where Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child Examples of the 60 Skills:
comes in, a research-based program that breaks down 60 complex social behaviors into manageable, teachable steps. What is Skillstreaming?
Developed by Dr. Arnold P. Goldstein and Dr. Ellen McGinnis, Skillstreaming isn't just a list of rules; it’s a systematic instructional method. It moves away from generic advice and focuses on "prosocial" skills—the specific actions children need to navigate school and life successfully. The 60 Essential Skills
The program categorizes social needs into five critical groups: Skillstreaming
The instructor (or a peer model) demonstrates the skill.
The book is typically divided into two main sections: