The Safe Kindergarten: Promotion of Communication and Social Skills Among Kindergartners
Title:
The Safe Kindergarten: Promotion of Communication and Social Skills Among Kindergartners
Author:
Aram, Dorit Shlak, Maya
Appeared in:
Early education and development
Paging:
Volume 19 (2008) nr. 6 pages 865-884
Year:
2008-11
Contents:
Research Findings: The study evaluated the “safe kindergarten” program designed to promote kindergartners' communication and social skills based on principles of Imago marital and family counseling (H. Hendrix, 1990). Participants were 92 kindergartners from 4 kindergartens (intervention = 46; comparison = 46). Teachers in intervention kindergartens led 20 weekly small-group preplanned sessions on communication issues and practicing children's intentional dialogues. Pre- and post-program group comparisons utilized (a) children's audio-recorded role-played dialogue between friends in conflict, (b) an interview to map social processing, and (c) sociometric testing. Practice or Policy: At posttest, the intervention group surpassed the comparison group regarding engagement in longer dialogues, more awareness of others' inner worlds, larger variety of conflict resolutions in dialogues, higher degree of mutual choice of friends, and better understanding of social processes during conflict.
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