A Classroom-Based Training Program Involving Preschool Children for Developing Prerequisite Learning Skills and Social Skills: Ready to Learn

Pınar Aksoy

doi:10.17984/adyuebd.709921

Abstract

Social skills training is a good way of intervention for preventing social skills deficiencies and emotional-behavioral problems and academic deficiencies that may arise from these deficiencies. Different activities, different methods-strategies and different approaches from theory to practice can be included in intervention programs for social skills. In this study, it is aimed to introduce a classroom program called “Ready to Learn” developed by Brigman, Lane, and Lane (1994), the scientific effect of which has been proven, and to adapt it to Turkish, thus put forth in an available story-based social skill training program for Turkish children. This program was developed for the children aged four to seven in order to promote the learning skills and social skills that are needed for school success. The program called “Ready to Learn” includes social cooperation activities to contain the use of “big books” that are read aloud, storytelling by teachers and children, activities of drawing, dramatic play, puppet, and song, activities on listening and attention, practices for understanding directions through story structures, as well as discussion and interaction. The program, which consists of a series of stories, includes five teacher strategies: (1) modelling-coaching-cueing, (2) student story-telling, (3) student story re-telling, (4) peer reporting, and (5) encouragement council activities. Within the scope of the study, a social skill training program was gained to the literature for Turkish children in preschool period by carrying out phases from the procedures for the provision of Ready to Learn program to the steps required by the adaptation processes. In this context, the study is envisaged to be a guide for social skills training applications and program development studies for preschool children and to provide an intellectual basis for the practices in daily life, meanwhile to be a key resource for improving the problems experienced in preschool period.

Highlights

Socialization, which is a process of learning and teaching, starts from early infancy and childhood and continues until maturity
It was detected that children with positive social skills in the preschool period are more successful in performing certain tasks within the educational process such as listening, following the rules, and participating in activities (Ladd, Herald, & Kochel, 2006)) and exhibit better performance in situations with school (Konold, Jamison, Stanton-Chapman, & Rimm-Kaufman, 2010)
The purpose of the study is to reveal a story-based social skills training program that is usable for preschool children in Turkey, by making promotion and performing the Turkish adaptation of a classroom-based social skills training program called “Ready to Learn” developed by Brigman, Lane & Lane (1994)

Summary

Introduction

Socialization, which is a process of learning and teaching, starts from early infancy and childhood and continues until maturity. The social skills training program called “Ready to Learn”, which was adapted to the Turkish language and made available for practice-based use, was gained in the relevant literature as a source for developing the social skills of the children in Turkey In this direction; the aim, content, and strategies of the program are presented . While adapting the program to Turkish, it was ensured to use the stories in two different books named “I Am Very Angry” (one of the stories written by Aysen Oy) and “All Toys Are Mine” (written by Aytül Akal) instead of the other two stories (as mentioned for “The Little Pigs”, and "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”), as these stories address the skills in the contents of the others This training program includes audio CDs that allow children to listen to the five stories read and that contain each one of the studies. The learning process is carried out in the company with all these elements included in the program (Brigman, Lane & Lane, 1994)

A Statement on the Implementation of the Training Program

Discussion and Recommendations