Teaching Social Skills at Home
and School: A
National Model Program at the Preschool,
Elementary, and Middle School Levels
by Dr. Howard M. Knoff
Director, Project ACHIEVE
Dear Colleagues and Fellow Parents:
It is with pride and excitement that the Center for
the Improvement of Child Caring (CICC) herein
features the Stop and Think Programs for
Teaching Preschool, Elementary and Middle School
Children the social skills that are needed for school,
home, and community success.
The Stop and Think Programs were created
by Dr. Howard M. Knoff as part of a comprehensive
school effectiveness, school improvement, and
violence prevention process known as Project
ACHIEVE. Over 15 years, Project ACHIEVE has
proven so effective that it has been designated as
a "Model Program" by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
a “Promising Program” by the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and
a “Key Model Program” by the Collaboration for
Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
Project ACHIEVE and the Stop and Think
programs have been implemented in over 1,500
schools, districts, and/or communities, and entire
states, like Arkansas, are implementing them through
their Departments of Education in a comprehensive
fashion.
(See a more complete description of Project ACHIEVE
below.)
As you will learn, the Stop and Think
programs teach an effective, evidence-based
approach to help children solve just about any social
problem or challenge that they or adults supervising
them confront. Indeed, the programs teach a wide
range of very practical Survival, Interpersonal,
Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution skills.
There are two versions of Stop and Think.
One is for parents to use in teaching children, and
the other is for classroom teachers to use in
preparing their preschool, elementary, and middle
school students to learn and demonstrate these
important and practical skills.
When both parents and teachers use Stop and
Think, children are doubly benefited and best
prepared for coping with the school, home, and life
challenges they - and the rest of us - face on a daily
basis.
Do take advantage of Stop and Think, and
everything else Dr. Knoff has to offer for children,
parents, and schools.
Kerby T. Alvy, Ph.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Center for the Improvement of Child Caring