The Long‐term Effects of Cooperative Learning on Children's Behaviour and Interactions

This study investigates the long‐term effects of training in small‐group and interpersonal behaviours on children's behaviours and interactions as they worked in small groups two years after they were initially trained. Forty‐eight third grade children, who had been trained two years previously in cooperative group behaviours, were assigned to the Trained condition and 44 third grade children who had not previously been trained were assigned to the Untrained condition. The children in the trained and untrained groups were reconstituted from the pool of students who had participated previously in either trained or untrained group activities. The results showed that there was a long‐term training effect with the children in the Trained groups demonstrating more cooperative behaviour and providing more explanations in response to requests for help than their untrained peers.     

Txt msg n school literacy: does texting and knowledge of text abbreviations adversely affect children's literacy attainment?

This paper reports on two studies which investigated the relationship between children's texting behaviour, their knowledge of text abbreviations and their school attainment in written language skills. In Study One, 11–12‐year‐old children provided information on their texting behaviour. They were also asked to translate a standard English sentence into a text message and vice versa. The children's standardised verbal and non‐verbal reasoning scores were also obtained. Children who used their mobiles to send three or more text messages a day had significantly lower scores than children who sent none. However, the children who, when asked to write a text message, showed greater use of text abbreviations (‘textisms’) tended to have better performance on a measure of verbal reasoning ability, which is highly associated with Key Stage 2 (KS2) and 3 English scores. In Study Two, children's performance on writing measures was examined more specifically. Ten to eleven‐year‐old children were asked to complete another English to text message translation exercise. Spelling proficiency was also assessed, and KS2 Writing scores were obtained. Positive correlations between spelling ability and performance on the translation exercise were found, and group‐based comparisons based on the children's writing scores also showed that good writing attainment was associated with greater use of textisms, although the direction of this association is nor clear. Overall, these findings suggest that children's knowledge of textisms is not associated with poor written language outcomes for children in this age range.     

Pilot study evaluating the impact of dialogic reading and shared reading at transition to primary school: early literacy skills and parental attitudes

Previous studies have demonstrated the positive impact of shared reading (SR) and dialogic reading (DR) on young children's language and literacy development. This exploratory study compared the relative impact of parental DR and shared reading interventions on 4‐year‐old children's early literacy skills and parental attitudes to reading prior to and following school entry. Parents were trained using a self‐instruction training DVD. The children's rhyme awareness, word reading, concepts about print and writing vocabulary were assessed before and after 6 weeks over the summer period and again after one term in school. Four illustrative case studies are presented, which reveal the differential impact of the interventions on the families who participated. Findings indicated that DR had a positive impact on children's enjoyment of reading, concepts about print, parent–child reading behaviours and parental attitudes to joint storybook reading. The children who experienced shared‐book reading during the intervention also demonstrated improvements in word reading. There were no changes in rhyme awareness or writing vocabulary for either group. Changes in print concept awareness were not maintained at follow‐up, but improvements in writing vocabulary and word reading scores were noted. The reasons for this are discussed with reference to the formal literacy instruction the children received during their first academic term.     

Educational psychologists' use of therapeutic interventions: issues arising from two exploratory case studies

This article considers the evolving role of the educational psychologist (EP) in providing therapeutic support to children and young people. Through two small‐scale research studies, EPs' use of therapeutic interventions and issues in delivering them are explored. Findings reveal use of a range of therapeutic interventions in different contexts with schools and multi‐agency partners. Issues relate to opportunities to practise therapeutic interventions due to competing pressures, access to supervision and perceptions of the EP role. Themes emerging from the studies are explored systematically using a SWOT framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to EPs' use of therapeutic interventions. It is hoped that a forthcoming UK‐wide study into EPs' use of therapy will provide a more sophisticated picture about some of the issues raised in this article.     

Family‐Centered Positive Behavior Support Interventions in Early Childhood To Prevent Obesity

Positive behavior support (PBS) strategies in early childhood, which include proactively structuring environments to support and positively reinforce healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors, are critical for preventing pediatric obesity, particularly among low‐income, ethnic minority children. Existing evidence‐based family‐centered preventive interventions effectively impact parents’ use of PBS strategies. Enhancing these programs to more directly target the key mechanisms of change specific to promoting children's healthy lifestyle behaviors could serve as the foundation for the next generation of effective protocols for preventing pediatric obesity. Two established programs that target PBS that can be feasibly implemented in a variety of service delivery systems using a multi‐tiered, adaptive approach and the next steps of translation are discussed.     

Epilepsy in school‐aged children: more than just seizures?

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in childhood and can have a significant impact on a child's schooling. Children with epilepsy may have special educational needs due to having learning disability, specific learning difficulties, specific cognitive deficits or having symptoms associated with ASD, ADHD, depression or anxiety. These difficulties are often under‐recognised due to the emphasis placed on the management of seizures. The effects of seizures and side‐effects of anti‐epileptic medications (AEDs) can also influence classroom learning. The significant stigma associated with epilepsy can influence attitudes towards affected children and impact on self‐esteem. Interventions to support children with epilepsy should focus on epilepsy management, learning and behavioural interventions and whole‐school psychosocial interventions. Epilepsy is a spectrum condition and for some children the effects on schooling will be minimal but for others significant supports will be needed. Therefore, an individualised approach within the school environment and close collaboration between teachers, parents and medical professionals are essential in order to meet the children's needs.     

Interactive whiteboards and talking books: a new approach to teaching children to write?

This article presents work undertaken with a class of Scottish Primary Six children (aged 10) to investigate the use of interactive whiteboard technology and interactive talking books in whole‐class writing lessons. The paper reports on a research project with three aims: to investigate how the use of an interactive whiteboard to reflect on the language and style of professional authors influenced the children's own writing; to examine the effect of this experience on the writing and behaviour of children with additional support needs; and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using such technology in whole‐class writing lessons. The resulting evidence suggests that while some children benefited from the approach, teaching children to write through examination of professional models of writing in whole‐class lessons did not promote the most effective learning even where the text was provided in such an interactive medium. The implications of these results for practitioners who wish to use talking books and whiteboard technology to teach writing are discussed.     

Attitudes and Behaviour of Children Toward Peers with Disabilities

The theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1988) was used to examine the relationship between the attitudes and behaviour of primary school children towards peers with physical disabilities included in regular education. The participants were 188 primary school children aged 8 to 12 years. Children's attitudes toward peers with disabilities, their behavioural intentions to interact with and befriend such peers, and the amount of control they perceived having over interactional behaviour, were assessed using self-report measures. These variables were used to predict the amount of time children reported spending with their classmates with physical disabilities in the classroom and playground. The results supported the theory of planned behaviour. Children's attitudes and perceived behavioural control were significant predictors of their intentions to interact with a child with physical disabilities. Intentions predicted actual behaviour to a modest extent, while perceived behavioural control was not directly associated with actual behaviour. The implications of these findings for interventions to change the attitudes and behaviours of students toward classmates with disabilities are discussed.     

Can a dog be used as a motivator to develop social interaction and engagement with teachers for students with autism?

Research into children with autism indicates that therapeutic sessions with dogs might provide a way of encouraging social interaction and reducing solitary or repetitive behaviours. With recent educational ASD interventions aimed at providing ways of encouraging intrinsic motivation to socially engage, it is possible that sessions with dogs could be used in a similar way. The present study involved three students with ASD who were given five sessions with a dog and their teacher. Sessions followed a semi‐standardised approach and were recorded and coded on social behaviours, with qualitative observations made. Pre and post measures entailed ADOS‐2 assessments and teacher questionnaires. Results suggest that students' responses in sessions were highly individual; all showed an increase in meaningful social interactions with dog and teacher, reduction in solitary or repetitive behaviours within the sessions and reported generalisation effects in some areas. The study lends support to the research base on the beneficial impact of dogs for children with autism and suggests that sessions with dogs in school could act as a way to strengthen interactions and engagement with teachers.     

An evaluation of the impact of an inter‐agency intervention programme to promote social skills in primary school children

This paper describes a social skills programme run in one primary school designed to promote children's cooperative skills and anger management. The programme was staffed by Child and Adolescent Mental Health professionals with educational psychologist and school support. Eight children with severe emotional and behavioural problems participated and completed the 20‐week programme. Pre and post data were collected for the children, parents and teachers. Parents were supported by regular meetings and domiciliary visits from an assistant psychologist. Teaching staff met regularly with the team and had frequent supportive contact with the assistant psychologist. Two educational psychologists‐in‐training made an independent qualitative evaluation of the programme, interviewing the children, their parents and teachers, as well as members of the multi‐agency team. After attending the group, the children showed a significant reduction in their anxiety, parents reported a significant reduction in oppositional behaviour and teachers a significant reduction in attention‐deficit hyperactive difficulties type behaviour. All measures showed a significant or positive trend, although there was some disappointment in the level of parent participation in the school‐based parent meetings. Reasons for this are discussed and the case for multi‐agency social skills interventions is made, along with a broader discussion of the role of the educational psychologist.     

Creating effective teaching and learning environments: Building a positive behavioural support (PBS) model for UK special schools

The importance of reducing restraint and restrictive interventions in special schools has been recognised across the four nations of the UK. Government guidance for England and Wales, and recommendations produced by Restraint Reduction Scotland, both reference Positive behavioural support (PBS) as an evidence-based approach that can be used to proactively support pupils with, or at risk of, behaviours that challenge. The Department of Education of Northern Ireland recommends the development of behaviour support plans to support children with special education needs and disabilities. Special schools, however, also have a responsibility to set high expectations for every pupil, to provide access to the respective national curricula and to meet individual needs. School-wide positive behavioural support (SW-PBS), originated in the USA in the 1990s in response to a body of evidence that showed improved social and academic outcomes when behavioural interventions were implemented across whole school settings. It is increasingly being adopted in the UK. Drawing upon examples from schools in England and Wales with which the authors are familiar, this paper outlines the rationale for a special schools' model of SW-PBS and illustrates the ways in which this can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of each setting.

Key Points

• Reducing restraint and restrictive interventions in schools is a high priority across all four nations of the UK.
• Special schools also have a responsibility to provide children with special education needs and disabilities positive learning environments that maximise learning opportunities and meet individual needs.
• School-wide positive behaviour support (SW-PBS) provides a useful framework to help special schools meet these expectations.

     

Preventing retention: First grade classroom instruction and student characteristics

Retention is a frequently used strategy to support children who are struggling academically. However, the strategy is costly, and research findings with regard to positive outcomes are mixed. This study examined whether efficacious reading instruction might reduce rates of retention in first grade. We also evaluated the reading instruction the students received compared with children with similar reading and vocabulary skills who were not retained. Additionally, we examined the impact students' self‐regulation may have on grade retention. Findings reveal that it was significantly less likely for students to be retained at the end of first grade if their teacher was implementing more efficacious reading instruction. Moreover, there were substantial differences in the literacy instruction provided for children who were and were not retained. Finally, students in the efficacious reading condition who were retained exhibited significantly weaker self‐regulation skills than did their matched‐promoted peers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

DATA‐DRIVEN DELIVERY OF IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORTS IN A MULTI‐TIERED FRAMEWORK: A PILOT STUDY

For multi‐tiered systems of support, such as Response‐to‐Intervention and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, to effectively impact student outcomes, interventions delivered across the tiers must be implemented as planned (i.e., with adequate treatment integrity). However, research suggests that most school personnel struggle to deliver interventions with treatment integrity, which negatively impacts the potential effectiveness of these interventions. Numerous strategies to support treatment integrity have been developed, but no guidance has been provided regarding how to efficiently and effectively use them. The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot evaluation of these strategies delivered through a Multi‐Tiered Implementation Supports framework; that is, proactive, feasible treatment integrity strategies were initially delivered to all implementers and based on their responsiveness, increasingly intensive implementation supports were provided as needed. Results suggest that (a) all teachers responded to these supports, but response magnitude was different across teachers and supports; (b) higher levels of treatment integrity generally were associated with fewer disruptive behaviors; and (c) the duration of these support strategies increased across tiers. Future directions for research and implications for the feasible provision of implementation support in schools are described.     

Using a sensory approach with children who challenge

In this article Denise Chilvers and Angela Cole describe a school‐based study which is located very much in an action‐research idiom. Starting from a questioning, but collegial, stance on identifying positive interventions for children who challenge, the authors illustrate how theory and reflection on practice can lead to significant innovations in pedagogy and curriculum. They provide a thought‐provoking account of how a multi‐sensory approach in one setting has had a notable impact on pupils' social behaviour.     

An exploration of teachers' current perceptions of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

Difficulties exist in identifying and providing services for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). As teacher referral is an essential link in service delivery this study investigated teachers' current perceptions of SEBD by examining characteristics of children nominated by their teachers as having SEBD. While the majority of children were nominated for externalizing behaviours, teachers rated girls as having more severe externalizing difficulties than boys. In contrast, there was no significant difference between teachers' internalizing ratings of boys and girls, despite the fact that girls reported more severe depressive symptomatology. Moreover, teachers rated gender‐contrary behaviours more severely than gender‐consistent behaviours. Consistent with achievement results, teachers rated the majority of children as having moderate to severe academic difficulties. Little agreement was found between characteristics reported by teachers and children. Implications are discussed within the context of the school psychologist's role in working with teachers to increase awareness of the profile of these children.     

Parents' experiences of applied behaviour analysis (ABA)‐based interventions for children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder

Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)‐based programmes are endorsed as the gold standard for treatment of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in most of North America. This is not the case in most of Europe, where instead a non‐specified ‘eclectic’ approach is adopted. We explored the social validity of ABA‐based interventions with 15 European families who had experience with home‐based, mainly self‐managed, ABA‐based programmes for their own child/ren with ASD. The results of the study highlighted the overwhelmingly positive impact that ABA‐based interventions had on their children in areas such as social skills, challenging behaviour, communication, gross and fine motor skills, concentration, interaction, independence, overall quality of life and, most importantly, a feeling of hope for the future. Implications for European policy on ASD are discussed.     

Teaching,learning and researching together in a residential primary school for emotionally and behaviourally disturbed pupils

ABSTRACT

This school for emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children is firmly committed to actively changing children's behaviour which is both damaging to their learning and the learning of their classmates. The school also believes that the behaviour of the adults is an important factor in the teaching of children. It puts staff and children into a situation in which positive teaching can be stimulated and practised with support for the adults from their peers. The situation ‘Cooperative Play’ was established as an ongoing research and training session in which adults have various roles and children have activities that promote and extend language, behaviour and task completion skills. The environment is structured and controlled in order for positive interaction and action to be encouraged. Researchers are actively involved in the sessions which are monitored by observers. Triangulation contributes information that widens understanding of the way group teaching works. Review takes place every 6‐10 weeks looking at results, suggestions for change and more general observations. The sessions focus on active intervention in which changes can be observed, recorded and implemented. Active research gives ongoing data as a continuing catalyst for development and change, as well as providing a positive teaching environment.     

Peer‐prompted Social Skills: the role of teacher consultation in student success

ABSTRACT A peer‐prompted social skills programme was introduced to two teachers in a local Head Start preschool programme, and changes in standardised social skills, observed play and problem behaviours were examined. The first teacher was given continuing classroom consultation and training directly addressing the use of the social skills programme. The second teacher was given an equivalent amount of consultation, but no consultant‐initiated efforts were made to support the use of the programme. Significant improvement in standardised measures of social skills and observed levels of associative/co‐operative play behaviour were found only in the skill‐specific consultation classroom. No changes were found for problem behaviour for either classroom. The data suggest that reinforcing the children for appropriate social interactions is not sufficient. Rather, peer support and consultation must be available for the teacher to produce significant changes in the children's behaviour.     

Intellectual Disability and Developmental Risk: Promoting Intervention to Improve Child and Family Well‐Being

Initial intervention processes for children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) largely focused on direct efforts to impact core cognitive and academic deficits associated with the diagnosis. Recent research on risk processes in families of children with ID, however, has influenced new developmental system approaches to early intervention. Recent risk and resilience processes are reviewed that connect stress, family process, and the high rates of behavioral problems in children with ID that have substantial influence on child and family outcomes. These models are linked to emerging evidence‐based intervention processes that focus on strategic parent skill training and mindfulness interventions that reduce parental stress and create indirect benefits for children's behavioral competencies. A family‐focused developmental systems approach (M. J. Guralnick, 2011) is emphasized.