Skillbuilding & Discipline – Bridges Training

1. Skillbuilding & Discipline – Bridges Training YouthBASE

2. YouthBASE • Nonprofit • Founded in 2006 • Based in Greenville • 3 Core Services • Our Program: Intensive after-school, evening, & summer support for at-risk children with behavioral or academic difficulty • Training • Consultation

3. Agenda

4. “Surrogate Frontal Lobes” • Brain development • 25 years • Last to develop? • Frontal Lobe • Planning behavior, concentration, self-control, delay of reinforcement, calming down: • BEHAVIOR

5. Initiate with Instruction • When kids can’t read, we teach. • When kids can’t swim, we teach. • When kids can’t behave, we ______. • Teach before consequences • Pool example • Why do kids need to be taught?

6. Who’s Raising Our Kids?

7. Skillbuilding Model

8. Values & Beliefs

9. Values & Beliefs • Behavior is learned – not inherent. • Behavior can be taught. • Behavior can be changed. • Behavior is purposeful & valid. • Children want to do the right thing. • Discipline should be solution-oriented. • Discipline should be ethical & child-centered. • Values & Beliefs

11. Theory • What is a “skillbuilding approach?” • Teaches kids more acceptable ways of getting what they want and need. • Focused on building positive behavior in the future, not on justice with the past. • Developmentally appropriate. • Focused on supporting children, not on “containment” • Be “Captain Obvious.” • Not only the what of social skills, but the where, who, when, & why. • Theory & Research

12. Theory • “Competitors” of the Skillbuilding Approach: • Punishment – reduced longevity, side effects (aggression, negative climate, mood). • Reinforcement – can’t reward a non-swimmer to swimmer. • Lack of skillbuilding – “spinning your wheels” – never giving kids the tools. • Theory & Research

13. Theory & Research • Social Skills Training Research • Behavioral Learning Theory • Behavior can and should be taught. • There are effective & ineffective ways to learn behavior. • Social Learning Theory • Collaborative for Academic, Social, & Emotional Learning (2007) • SAFE (Structured, Active, Focus, Explicit) • Theory & Research

15. Behavior Techniques & Staff Interactions • Ways that staff day-to-day interactions can help children build skills. • General Tips • Work within “Sphere of Influence” • Don’t take behavior personally • Language • Talk explicitly – describe the obvious • Talk simply & clearly • Positive or neutral – avoid the negative • Behavior Techniques/Staff Interactions

16. Behavior Techniques to build skills: • Tie praise to specific skills. • Make feedback/corrections productive. • Cues & routines – learning aides • Countdowns & warnings • “Hurdle hop” • Only ask kids to do things they know how to do • Assume skill deficit over performance deficit • Public charting of group use of skills • Behavior Techniques/Staff Interactions

17. Be the “Surrogate Frontal Lobe” • Brief reminders of skill instructions • Cue “Stop & Think” • Cue specific skills • Positive practice then praise • Overcorrection • “Pre-Praise” • Impromptu group meetings • Behavior Techniques/Staff Interactions

18. General Behavior Support Tips

19. Comments or Questions? We welcome comments and questions, and are available for further assistance: Bobby Caples YouthBASE www.youth-base.org bcaples@youth-base.org (864) 590-9425