Instructional approaches that promote critical thinking and enhance social and emotional skills may prevent or reduce behaviors that lead to substance use and violence. Skills-based instructional approaches can be offered as discrete "health education" courses, incorporated within existing courses (e.g., social studies), or integrated across the academic curriculum (i.e., spread throughout numerous existing courses and activities).
| Some Critical Student Skills |
Identifying emotions Recognizing personal strengths Empathy and perspective taking Respecting others Anger management and impulse control -
Decision making
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"Our students need help developing social, interpersonal
problem-solving, and anger management skills. [Many of our prevention] activities
help clarify behavioral expectations and create a calmer school climate, which
should decrease the number of behavioral referrals schoolwide."
Mary Milkovich, MSC, Flint, Michigan
Ideally, skills-based instruction should:
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Span at least two years with a minimum of 10-15 sessions per year
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Reach children from kindergarten through high school
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Include detailed lesson plans and engaging student materials
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Use age-appropriate, interactive teaching methods
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