# data[].attributes.headline
Comprehensive Social Emotional Learning Program (SEL): Building Social Skills

# data[].attributes.subject
Comprehensive Social Emotional Learning Program (SEL): Building Social Skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The curriculum is a comprehensive program for promoting emotional and social competencies and reducing aggression and behavior problems in elementary school-aged children while simultaneously enhancing the educational process in the classroom. This innovative curriculum is designed to be used by educators and counselors in a multi-year, universal prevention model. Although primarily focused on the school and classroom settings, information and activities are also included for use with parents.

It has become clear over the last two decades that to best achieve the educational goals we want for our students, high quality SEL needs to be at the core of the school curriculum; and science has recently explained why. Imaging and other basic research from social cognitive neuroscience has ascertained that the human brain is largely evolved for processing emotional and social information. This is the "default" mode of thinking. Moreover, the neural systems that underlie nonsocial reasoning, cognitive working memory, and what we term "general intelligence" (i.e., those used with traditional education) are separate from the brain regions that process social reasoning, social working memory, emotions, and mentalizing, and these two systems are often at odds with one another.

Historically, we have asked students to turn off their default social-emotional brain networks while at school, a difficult task at best. This makes school onerous for many children, because the brain is largely built to focus on the social world. This also results in our students utilizing only part of their brains while in the classroom. Alternatively, when we teach children through the use of both social and nonsocial neural systems, as achieved with the implementation of the PATHS® program, learning is easier, much more enjoyable, and far more effective. In other words, using the PATHS® curriculum, and thereby engaging both neural systems, is literally teaching the whole child.

Over the past 35 years, more than 40 published research studies (by ourselves and others, both nationally and internationally) have documented the effectiveness of the PATHS® program and show that the PATHS® program is the best choice for achieving optimal educational success. A wide variety of results has consistently shown improvements in seven major goals of education needed for the development of healthy, happy children and future adults:

Improved academic achievement.

Decreased emotional suffering & behavioral problems

Increased happiness, health, and emotional well-being

Improved emotional literacy, self-control, & problem-solving skills

Healthy relationships and social skills

Preparation for the future: Workforce

Skills for the future: Life satisfaction, good health, & citizenship

This is the most prodigious evidence base for a specific SEL curriculum available by far. In other words, using the PATHS® program as a core aspect of education in the classroom is far more effective for reaching educational goals than traditional education has ever been or ever could be.

An updated version of the curriculum was released in early 2011 which is organized into separate grade-specific classroom kits for PreK/Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4. and Grade 5/6. Replacement components are also available. For further information on ordering curricular materials, please go to https://pathsprogram.com/.

The program is designed to be taught two or more times per week for a minimum of 20-30 minutes per day. Systematic, developmentally-based lessons, materials, and instructions are provided to facilitate emotional literacy, self-control, social competence, positive peer relations, and interpersonal problem-solving skills. Key objectives in promoting these developmental skills are to prevent and to reduce behavioral and emotional problems.

The Preschool/Kindergarten level assists educators and counselors in early education to create an environment that helps young children 3 to 6 years of age to develop better self-control, self-esteem, emotional awareness, basic problem-solving skills, social skills, and friendships. This level can be taught over a two year period through lessons and activities that highlight reading, telling stories, puppetry, singing, drawing, and use of concepts in science and math. These lessons and generalization throughout the day help can be easily integrated into existing learning environments to build the critical cognitive skills necessary for school readiness and academic success. Timing and frequency of sessions can be adapted to suit individual preschool or kindergarten needs.

PATHS® & the PATHS® Training LLC logo are trademarks & service marks of PATHS® Program Holding LLC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The curriculum is a comprehensive program for promoting emotional and social competencies and reducing aggression and behavior problems in elementary school-aged children while simultaneously enhancing the educational process in the classroom. This innovative curriculum is designed to be used by educators and counselors in a multi-year, universal prevention model.

# data[].attributes.headline
Early Childhood Curriculum and Teacher Training Program that Develops Social, Emotional and Behavioral Skills in Children

# data[].attributes.subject
Early Childhood Curriculum and Teacher Training Program that Develops Social, Emotional and Behavioral Skills in Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Al's Pals: An Effective Early Childhood Curriculum and Teaching Approach

Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices is a nationally recognized, resilience-based early childhood curriculum and teacher training program that develops social, emotional and behavioral skills in children 3 to 8 years old. The Al's Pals interactive lessons and teaching approaches help young children learn to:

Express feelings appropriately

Use kind words

Care about others

Use self-control

Think flexibly

Accept differences

Make friends

Solve problems peacefully

Cope in positive ways

Make safe and healthy choices

Understand that tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs are not for children

How It Works

The Al's Pals curriculum has 46 lessons lasting 10-15 minutes each. The Wingspan-trained classroom teacher conducts two lessons a week, in sequence, over a 23-week period. Designed specifically for the early childhood years, the lessons use guided creative play, brainstorming, puppetry, original music, role plays, and movement to delight young minds and engage them in the development of social-emotional competence.

An original hand puppet named Al serves as a positive role model. Along with puppet pals Ty and Keisha, Al engages children in developmentally appropriate activities that build positive social skills and healthy decision-making. Al's Pals applies resilience research to practice, preparing children to face life's ups and downs. Each lesson has specific resilience-based learning objectives and includes narratives, puppet scripts, songs, and activities that use real-life early childhood experiences.

Between the lessons, educators use teaching approaches learned in the Al's Pals training to help children practice and generalize skills in daily classroom interactions. An Al's Palsclassroom - with posters, photographs, music, "Al's Place," and other reminders of positive social behavior - becomes a caring environment of cooperation, respect, responsibility, and healthy decision-making.

Interactive Core Training

Al's Pals training is provided by Wingspan, the developer and national distributor of the program. The core training is required for all educators who will deliver the program.

The training features:

Real-life application of the concepts of resilience and protective factors to early childhood education and settings

Effective delivery of the Al's Pals curriculum

Teaching approaches and strategies that guide prosocial behavior and peaceful problem-solving

Wingspan offers training in two formats: 1) face-to-face training conducted over two days in centralized locations arranged by Wingspan as well as on-site in local communities or; 2) live, online training consisting of four sessions, each lasting approximately two hours, scheduled over a period of several weeks. Wingspan National Outreach Specialists can help determine an appropriate training plan to meet your local needs.

Comprehensive, Easy-to-Use Curriculum Materials

Curriculum materials are distributed only upon completion of the core Al's Pals training. Each classroom requires its own curriculum kit. Contained within a puppet house, the kit includes an array of developmentally appropriate materials designed to convey prosocial concepts through daily classroom activities as well as in the lessons:

Two complete sets of the 46 lesson curriculum

Three original puppets

Easy-to-follow puppet scripts

Twelve original songs on CD (Click here to order the CD)

Oversized songbook

Thirty-eight color photographs of real-life situations

Fourteen sets of parent letters (also available in Spanish)

Calm Down and Problem-Solving posters

Two children's books

Eight different "Al-a-Grams" (colorful school-to-home message pads, recognizing positive behavior, also available in Spanish)

Color certificates of program completion for the children

Parent Involvement

Listen to comments from an Al's Pals parent.

Ongoing communication with parents is built into the Al's Pals curriculum. Teachers regularly send home curriculum letters from Al to update parents about skills the children are learning and suggest home activities reinforcing these concepts. "Al-a-Gram" messages recognize children who display specific Al's Pals skills such as using kind words or stopping and thinking and are sent home to inform parents about the children's progress.

Al's Pals partners are encouraged to conduct the companion parent education program, Here, Now and Down the Road... Tips for Loving Parents to engage parents in supporting children's social-emotional development. This strengths-based program offers parents practical strategies to reinforce Al's Pals concepts at home and fosters positive relationships between parents and their children.

Booster Curriculum for Older Children

To help children retain the Al's Pals gains, a nine-lesson booster curriculum reinforces Al's Pals skills for second and third grade children who previously completed the core curriculum. The interactive booster lessons offer opportunities for role-play, brainstorms, group interaction, written work, and music to help children integrate the positive social skills into their regular behavior patterns.

The Unique Role of Guidance Counselors, Prevention, Mental Health and Other Specialists

Prevention specialists, guidance counselors, and other mental health specialists often spearhead the initiative to bring Al's Pals to their community, school, or organization. They provide guidance in funding procurement, training coordination, monitoring fidelity of program implementation, and evaluation efforts.

After completing Wingspan training, specialists may opt to co-deliver the program with the trained classroom teacher and offer suggestions on how to enhance Protective Factors at school and home. When resource specialists deliver the lessons, it is essential that the classroom teachers still participate in Wingspan training. The Al's Pals training prepares the classroom educator to infuse the program's values into the classroom environment and seize opportunities between the lessons for children to practice and generalize newly acquired skills, when the specialist is not present in the classroom. Some specialists spend five hours a week or more in a classroom working with the children. To learn more about effective adaptations of the Al's Pals model in settings like this, click here to contact an Outreach Specialist.

Al's Pals Overview | Results and Recognition | Program Settings | Getting Started With Al's Pals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Early Skill Development Curriculum| Richmond, VA| | Wingspan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices is a nationally recognized, resilience-based early childhood curriculum and teacher training program that develops social, emotional and behavioral skills in children 3 to 8 years old.

# data[].attributes.headline
Intervention Program: Social and Behavioral Skills

# data[].attributes.subject
Intervention Program: Social and Behavioral Skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Once you understand the basics of what is PBIS and why implement PBIS, it's time to start-but where do you start? There are initial steps everyone can take to get started with PBIS, whether you are a classroom teacher, school leader, or a district or state leader.

Classroom Teachers

Students spend most of their day at school in classrooms. In that way, classrooms serve as a microcosm of your school-wide systems and your students' primary exposure to expectations and rewards. For that reason, the PBIS strategies you implement in your classroom play such an important role in the overall implementation. Here are some resources for classroom practices:

Create a Classroom Support System Backed by Research

In the same way your school establishes systems to support PBIS practices, you need to establish systems for defining, teaching, and responding to the behaviors happening within your classroom. Check out the classroom practice guide to help you set up those systems within your context.

Use Positive Practices with Students

Set yourself up for success by intentionally establishing positive routines and practices for how you want to interact with students in your classroom. The effective classroom habits brief walks you through how to develop habits of effective classroom practices and how to expand those effective habits in schools, districts, and states.

Greet Students at the Door

One positive habit to incorporate into every day as a teacher is to positively greet students at the door. These greetings set a positive tone from the moment students walk through the door and create a welcoming space.

Get Support

Talk to your school leaders about your interest in PBIS and suggest the getting started steps listed below for them.

School Leaders

School-wide PBIS implementation depends on strong leadership guiding the way. Without it, things can easily fall apart. School leaders can begin by building a team and assessing what is already in place to plan next steps.

Gather a Leadership Team

PBIS is a team-guided approach [link to new TIPS practice brief]. Your leadership team steers your PBIS implementation, monitors its effectiveness, and provides continuity as people join - and leave - your school. You could build your leadership team from scratch, but it's often best to start with an existing team (e.g., school improvement team, school climate team). No matter what, it's important to include these folks in the group:

School administrator

Family representation

Classroom teachers

Student representation (more likely at the high school level)

In addition to these suggested roles, the team should have the following skillsets represented:

Behavioral expertise

Coaching expertise

Knowledge of student academic and behavior patterns

Knowledge about how the school operates across grade levels and programs

Assess What's Already in Place

Even if PBIS is a new framework for your school, there are probably some PBIS practices you're already doing. The Tiered Fidelity Inventory assesses how closely school personnel are implementing the core features of PBIS. As a leadership team, assess all three tiers together or separately to understand which features you've already implemented and where to focus your efforts next.

Solidify the PBIS Basics

If you aren't sure which features to focus on, establish a solid foundation for your framework by focusing on implementing the basics. There are three videos available to guide you through implementing the core features of PBIS data, systems, and practices.

Get Support

Talk to your district or state leaders about your interest in PBIS and suggest the getting started steps listed below for them.

District or State Leaders

Schools wanting to implement PBIS look to district and state leaders to provide the time, people, and other resources needed to ensure that implementation is successful. Your role is essential to supporting PBIS at every level.

Get Connected

You're not alone! Find out what supports are already available in your state to help you get moving with PBIS. Locate your state coordinator and give them a call.

Download the Blueprint

Every PBIS core component and practice is defined within the PBIS Implementation Blueprint Part 1. ‍You'll even find some helpful instructions on how to get started working on some of those important systems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Once you understand the basics of what PBIS is, it's time to start implementing. Where do you start? No matter your role, there are initial steps everyone can take to get started with PBIS.