Program Overview
I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) is a school-based
intervention that trains children in generating a variety
of solutions to interpersonal problems, considering the consequences
of these solutions, and recognizing thoughts, feelings, and
motives that generate problem situations. By teaching children
to think, rather than what to think, the program changes
thinking styles and, as a result, enhances children’s social
adjustment, promotes pro-social behavior, and decreases impulsivity
and inhibition.
Program Targets
Although the program is appropriate for all children, it
is especially effective for young (age 4-5), poor, and
urban students who may be at highest risk for behavioral
dysfunctions and interpersonal maladjustment.
Program Content
The program was originally designed for use in nursery school
and kindergarten, but it has also been successfully implemented
with children in grades 5 and 6. Throughout the intervention,
instructors utilize pictures, role-playing, puppets, and
group interaction to help develop students’ thinking skills,
and children’s own lives and problems are used as examples
when teachers demonstrate problem-solving techniques.
Small groups of 6-10 children receive training for approximately
3 months. The intervention begins with 10-12 lessons teaching
students basic skills and problem-solving language. For example,
children learn word concepts such as "not" (e.g., acting
or not acting); "some/all" (solutions may succeed with one
person but not all); "or" (discovering alternative solutions); "if...then" (learning
consequences of actions); and "same/different" (thinking
of multiple solutions).
The next 20 lessons focus on identifying one’s own feelings
and becoming sensitive to others’ emotions. Students learn
to recognize people’s feelings in problem situations and
realize that they can influence others’ responses.
The last 15 lessons utilize role-playing games and dialogue
to promote problem-solving skills. Students generate solutions
to hypothetical problem situations and consider the possible
consequences to their decisions.
Program Outcomes
An evaluation of ICPS that included nursery and kindergarten
students revealed significant benefits for intervention
students. Immediately following and one year after the
program ended, ICPS children, compared to control students,
demonstrated:
- Less impulsive and inhibited classroom behavior, and
- Better problem-solving skills.
A five-year study including inner-city, low income children
in nursery school and kindergarten demonstrated that intervention
children, compared to control students, had:
- Improved classroom behavior and problem-solving skills,
even 3-4 years after the program.
A replication with fifth and sixth grade students found
that ICPS children, compared to a control group, demonstrated:
- More positive, prosocial behaviors;
- Healthier relationships with peers; and
- Better problem-solving skills.
Program Costs: