PALS+-+Social+Skills+Program

=**PALS** - Social Skills Program=

(**P**laying **A**nd **L**earning to **S**ocialise)
[|www.palsprogram.com.au]

This is a program to support children in their learning of socials skills. It has been developed collaboratively by clinical psychologists and early childhood teachers and is most suitable for use in Daycare centres, Preschools, and Kindergarten classrooms. (Age 3-6) It addresses basic social skills such as:
 * Greeting others
 * Taking turns: talking and listening
 * Taking turns at play
 * Sharing
 * Asking for help
 * Identifying feelings
 * Empathy
 * Overcoming fear and anxiety
 * Managing frustration
 * Calming down and speaking up

Athough the format is most suitable for small groups (6 to 8 children), the sessions can be adapted to teach to a whole class.

The Program comes with a resource book, a session book, handpuppets and a DVD. Each session lasts for 20-30 minutes, with the teacher using the puppets to act out a social problem. Children respond to a set of questions before the puppets act out the solution to the problem. The session is followed by a short video in which children act out a similar scenario. There are also some songs to go with the social stories. Each new session links and builds upon the previous one. Parent information sheets explain what skills are learned each session, and what can be done at home to further support these skills.(Cooper, Pearson, Goodfellow, Paske, Mulheim, 2003).

In their social skills studies, Schneider and Byrne (1985) found that social skills interventions were more effective for Preschoolers than for Primary school children, making this Social Skills Program highly suitable to be implemented in a Preschool setting. It could also be an useful Program for individual children who need extra support socially (children who are withdrawn, agressive or impulsive, or children with more specific additional needs such as Asperger's syndrome or autism)

Reference: Cooper,J. Pearson, L., Goodfellows, H., Paske, K., Mulheim, E. (2003) //PALS - Social Skills Program.// NSW, Australia: Inscript Publishing. Schneider, B.H., & Byrne, B.M. (1985). //Children's peer relations: Issues in assessment and intervention.// New York, USA: Springer -Verlag