Date of Graduation

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Wanda K. Franz

Abstract

Children need to learn appropriate behavior in their early years. Educators of young children have been given the job of importing very important social competency skills, such as coping, problem solving, cooperation, and self-control skills. Interventions designed to meet the developmental level and individual needs of the children enrolled in a preschool should build factors that will lead to increased social skills and resiliency. This research involved implementing social skill prevention in a preschool classroom in a non-profit childcare center in rural West Virginia. The research examined the effectiveness of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), in increasing protective factors and decreasing negative behaviors in a sample of 21 children ages 3 to5 enrolled the preschool program at Scott’s Run Settlement House Child Development Center. Many of the children were at risk for social and behavioral problems. The research utilized a standardized, norm-referenced assessment tool, the DECA, which measures resiliency, to determine if there is a relationship between resiliency and behavior. The DECA is designed to build three within child protective factors, initiative, self-control, and attachment, thus increasing resiliency. The researcher administered the DECA Assessment to determine the level of resiliency in each child. Teachers implemented the classroom strategies recommended by the DECA to increase protective factors. After eight weeks, the children were reassessed. The hypotheses of this research was that implementation of targeted social skills intervention will increase resiliency, (as defined by the Devereux Early Childhood Program) in preschool children and decrease behavior concerns.

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