Program Goals/Target Population
The Pre-K RECAP program focuses on improving children’s emotional and behavioral problems while promoting their social skills development. RECAP focuses on improving child behavior and cognitions, focusing specifically on social skills, affect regulation, and problem-solving. The program targeted pre-kindergarten students between ages 4 to 5.
Program Activities
Pre-K RECAP is a semi-structured, school-based intervention program developed as a universal intervention program for pre-kindergarten students designed to enhance children’s social skills and problem solving. The Pre-K RECAP group received: 1) a classroom behavior management system, 2) a teacher administered social skills training curriculum, 3) site-based teacher training in program administration and use of the behavior management system, and 4) group parent training conducted by a consultant. Teachers delivered the program for one academic year, and parent interviews were conducted in the fall preceding the intervention and the spring following the intervention (for data collection purposes).
The children received training in: 1) social skills, such as meeting and keeping friends, 2) affect recognition and expression, 3) re-attribution training (for hostile emotions), 4) self-monitoring and self-control skills, 5) problem-solving skills, and 6) relaxation strategies. Program activities included classroom lessons two to three times per week, yet were reinforced daily by teachers through use of positive reinforcement tokens, teacher modeling and mediation of problem-solving steps, and explicit discussion of consequences of poor behavior. The no-treatment comparison group was assessed at the same intervals but received no intervention.
Weekly site-based teacher training and bi-weekly parent group trainings were also conducted as part of the program. The parent and teacher components emphasize positive reinforcement of prosocial behavior, appropriate use of punishment, clear communication and expectations, and strengthening of adult-child relationships. The trainings specifically focused on 1) establishing clear expectations for child behavior, 2) use of positive and negative consequences to influence behaviors, 3) reinforcing children’s use of “friendly skills”, 4) assisting children to stop and think about consequences of their behavior, and 5) more effective communication between teachers and parents about children’s behavior. Parent training was administered by program consultants and was offered to parents in a group format with 16 bi-weekly sessions throughout the school year.
Key Personnel
Teachers, parents, and program consultants are integral to the implementation of the Pre-K RECAP program. Two master’s level clinicians served as 1) the program consultant to teachers and 2) the group leader for parent groups. Consultants were trained by Susan Han and Bahr Weiss, program developers of RECAP and Pre-K RECAP programs.
Program Theory
The Pre-K RECAP program is a modification of the existing program, Reaching Educators, Children, and Parents (RECAP), which is a semi-structured, school-based cognitive-behavioral and social skills training program developed for elementary school children. The Pre-K version was developed because of the need for a program that provided teachers with materials to address emotional and behavioral problems of their preschool students. The use of teachers as program implementers is critical, as research suggests teachers can be an effective agent for change due to their consistent presence in the classroom and their ability to monitor prosocial development and provide children with frequent opportunities to practice new skills. The program is based on a teacher-consultation model, where teachers are supported throughout ongoing consultation and training with the program consultants.
