Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools: Effective and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Service Providers - Softcover

Keith Storey; Michal Post

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0398088373 ISBN 13: 9780398088378

Publisher: Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd, 2012

Synopsis

This unique book will provide teachers and other service providers the knowledge and skills for positive behavior supports in school settings, thereby improving the academic and social skills of their students. The text is generic across age levels K-12, and focuses on the positive behavior supports in school settings. Each chapter begins with Key Written Questions, followed by Window to the World case studies, Discussion Questions, and suggestions for classroom and school activities. Additionally, an overview of positive behavior supports is examined, which includes measuring behavior, functional assessment and analysis, reinforcement, punishment, classroom structure, preventative procedures and interventions, cooperative learning and peer tutoring. The self-management strategies, social skills instruction, and school-wide positive behavior supports are vital points that will prove valuable for training purposes. This "how to teach" book is written for teachers and other direct service providers in a non-technical manner with specific real-world examples.

About this title

Review:

Recently, I spent some time in a high school classroom for students with moderate to intensive disabilities. Daily instruction in the classroom consisted of presenting these high schoolers with significantly modified curricula grounded in traditional, grade-level State Standards. The teacher and assistants were attempting to expose students to content that same-age peers were accessing; however, staff had been questioning the appropriateness and relevance of this content for the students and wondered how this content would affect student performance and independence post-graduation. This scenario seems to be a fairly representative occurrence in high schools throughout the country as teachers attempt to balance state standards with more pertinent and functional curriculums as warranted for particular learners. The staff in this classroom could have tremendously benefitted from reading Systematic Instruction of Functional Skills for Students and Adults with Disabilities. The book is inundated with practical strategies to facilitate evidence-based instructional methodology for learners across a range of ages and needs. Throughout the book, the ten chapters are organized with key point questions to systematically preview chapter content. Faculty could use these questions as a formative assessment for students in higher education when beginning coverage of the chapters. The key point questions are followed by relevant and interesting case studies that provide practical examples of best practices for service providers. Both the questions and case studies could easily facilitate and shape guided discussions in a higher education classroom. The first chapter addresses critical features of community-referenced functional curriculm, such as age appropriateness, simulation and in vivo instruction, and quality of life outcomes. The chapter discusses how to select curricular skill domains to ensure their practical utility, an incredibly important consideration when designing programming for individuals with disabilities. The authors address the philosophical underpinnings of systematic instruction with a focus on skill acquisition that will be useful for students in both their immediate and future environments. Chapter two provides an overview of how to assess and analyze skills to include task analysis, chains of behavior, methods for collecting direct observation data, and generalization of learned behaviors. The content included in chapter two is applicable to any type of service provider or researcher interested in how to break a task into components, accurately define target behaviors, and collect data to guide instructional decision making. As is consistent throughout the book, the chapter concludes with best practice recommendations, discussion questions, and activitysuggestions. In a higher education environment, this format would be ideal to provide a summary and elicit practice opportunities to reinforce learned content. Additionally, future research issues are included that could provide a foundation for those interested in extending the literature on the topic areas. Chapter three focuses on teaching skills to students with disabilities with specific insight into problem solving for students having difficulty with learning steps of tasks. The chapter addresses seminal programming considerations such as prompt fading and reinforcement, Further, the authors carefully address the difference between cues and corrections, verbiage that is often used interchangeably and inaccurately out in the field. The why, where, what, and how of functional academics is covered in chapter four and teaching employment skills is covered at length in chapter five. Numerous tables are embedded throughout as a reference guide with quick and helpful tips for applied practitioners. In addition, the tables could be used in the higher education settings. --Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly

About this edition

• Publisher: Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0398088373
• ISBN 13: 9780398088378
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 253