Social-emotional competence—it's a critical part of every child's school success, and just like any academic subject, children need instruction in it. Developed by a top expert, these proven curricula will help promote the social-emotional competence and resilience of children and adolescents.
Divided into four age levels from kindergarten through high school, these innovative social and emotional learning curricula are filled with engaging, thought-provoking class activities that help students develop vital skills they'll use for the rest of their lives: understanding emotions, managing anger, relieving stress, solving interpersonal problems, and much more. Each Strong Kids curriculum is
- Easy for non-mental-health experts. Each highly structured, partially scripted curriculum is ready for any professional to pick up and start using.
- Evidence-based. Field testing shows that these curricula generate positive responses from students and teachers and really help increase students' knowledge of healthy social-emotional behavior.
- A great way to boost academic skills. Lessons help improve critical literacy, listening skills, and memory skills while they promote social and emotional health.
- Brief enough to fit into any program. Lessons take just 30 to 45 minutes, and each curriculum is used for a maximum of 10-12 weeks.
- Age-appropriate. Choose from four curricula, each carefully tailored to the specific needs and experiences of its targeted age group.
- Effective for all children in any setting. Use Strong Kids with children across ability levels in settings like classrooms, group counseling sessions, and youth treatment facilities.
- Low-cost and low-tech. Strong Kids costs far less than similar programs and requires few extra resources.
Lessons in each curriculum include optional, easily adaptable scripts, sample scenarios and examples, creative activities, and "booster" lessons that reinforce what students learned.
Every school and early intervention program will benefit from the lasting effect of these four curricula: strong, resilient students with fewer mental health and behavior problems and better academic outcomes.
Learn more about the Strong Kids series.
Oanh K. Tran, Ph.D., teaches in the Child Clinical/ School Psychology (CCSP) Program at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). The CCSP program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Dr. Tran also practices as a school psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area and consults with school districts and mental health agencies. Dr. Tran's direct experience includes working with diverse and at-risk populations in public and nonpublic schools as well as residential, foster care, outpatient, and in-home settings. Her research and professional interests include psychoeducational assessments, special education, social and emotional learning, academic and behavioral consultation, response to intervention, positive behavioral supports, cognitive behavior therapy, and parent-training. She has presented locally and nationally and published articles, chapters, and prevention curricula in the area of children's mental health. Dr. Tran continues her research and mentoring of her graduate students in social-emotional development and learning for students in K–12.
Hill M. Walker Ph.D. is Director of Center on Human Development, College of Education, University of Oregon
Kenneth W. Merrell, Ph.D. is a professor of school psychology in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences at the University of Oregon. He has served as School Psychology Program Director and Co-director as well as Department Head.
Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann, Ph.D., is currently an instructor at the University of Oregon in Eugene specializing in performance assessment for teacher preparation. Over the course of her career in the field of education, Dr. Carrizales-Engelmann's has maintained a consistent focus in the development, research, and troubleshooting of educational assessments. Dr. Carrizales-Engelmann's assessment development experience includes state assessments, nationally standardized assessments, and classroom and curriculum-based assessments. In addition to her role in the field of educational assessment, Carrizales-Engelmann has had several years of policy-related experience related to education and assessment at the Oregon Department of Education.
Laura L. Feuerborn, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the University of Washington, Tacoma. She received her PhD in school psychology, with an emphasis in social and emotional learning, from the University of Oregon. Since joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 2006, she has taught a wide range of graduate-level courses for educators in both general and special education. Her areas of teaching expertise include classroom management, systems of prevention and supports, collaborative consultation, and assessment and evaluation. Further, she developed and now leads a course that focuses expressly on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for classroom teachers. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, has served as faculty advisor for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and serves as a reviewer for several scholarly journals. Her research focuses on the science of implementing systems change. She is a lead author of the Staff Perceptions of Behavior and Discipline (SPBD), an assessment tool that helps leadership teams understand the perceptions and needs of school staff in the implementation of PBIS. Currently, she is developing a book that provides practical guidance to teams in securing staff commitment and managing staff resistance in the implementation of both PBIS and SEL. She has published over a dozen scholarly articles in the fields of SEL and PBIS, presented in over 30 national and international conferences, and collaborated with over 50 national and international agencies to facilitate the development of sustainable, multi-tiered systems of social, emotional, and behavioral supports.
Barbara A. Gueldner, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist who works with children and families in Steamboat Springs, CO. She obtained her doctorate in school psychology from the University of Oregon and has worked in educational, medical, and community settings for 20 years. Dr. Gueldner specializes in promoting wellness and resilience through social and emotional learning (SEL) program development and implementation, parent education and support, integrating mental health care into primary care and schools, and early detection and intervention with developmental, behavioral, social, and emotional problems. She has published in the areas of SEL and general childhood mental health issues, co-authoring journal articles, book chapters, the first edition of Strong Kids and Strong Teens, and a book on implementing SEL in schools. Dr. Gueldner is involved in a variety of public outreach and educational initiatives in her community.
