Table 1.

Preschool Adaptations to the First Step to Success Intervention

Adaptation	Description and Rationale
Differences in preschool and primary settings	In general, preschool classrooms do not have universal behavioral principles in place (for example, defined clear expectations, directly taught behavioral expectations, positive reinforcement, and clear consequences for unacceptable behaviors). When these universal principles are not in place, it is very difficult to successfully change the behavior of a few students with challenging behaviors. The preschool adaptation includes staff development training sessions for all the participating FSS teachers and assistants to establish a positive, proactive environment for all students.
Skill differentials between preschool and primary grade level teachers	As a rule, primary grade teachers are better trained in both instructional and behavior management strategies than preschool teachers. Furthermore, certification standards for the former are more rigorous than for the latter. We have found considerable skill differentials between these two groups of teachers that can mediate the efficacy of the FSS program’s application. As a result, we find it useful to supplement FSS preschool programs with group training in behavior management strategies whenever possible. Our experience is that, in general, preschool teachers were quite surprised that simple expectations such as hanging up coats, walking into the classroom, asking for help appropriately, sitting in a circle, or putting away toys had to be specifically taught and reinforced until automatic.
Accommodating preschool and primary maturational differences	The preschool years have often been called the “magic years” because they are a time of significant changes within brain development which, in turn, influence changes in cognitive, language, and social skills. Preschool children’s developmental skills are emerging, but this is a unique developmental phase wherein they lack the skills mastery of those in the primary grades. Preschool children tend to rely on information derived from their senses, so it is easier for them to understand new learning when they can see, touch, or hear it. They learn better from an experiential rather than a “sit still and listen” approach. They need concrete directions and cannot follow complex, multistep directions such as “clean your room.” Memory is often context specific, so they may not generalize rules from one situation to another. For example, knowing how to put away toys at home may not generalize to school. As a result, they may get anxious when they do not know what the adult expectations are, often resulting in overactive behavior. They learn well from routines and from environments that explicitly indicate the required expectations (for example, where to hang coats, where to engage in pretend play), from clear examples, and from imitation of peers. Preschool children may be egocentric, and have difficulty taking another person’s point of view, but they can learn well when adults use teachable moments to help them understand.
Specific preschool FSS adaptations	During feasibility testing of the FSS intervention in preschool settings, the following adaptations were made in the program and implementation procedures to address the previously mentioned developmental differences. These features and changes were built into the final version of the preschool FSS program to increase its efficacy with preschool target populations. • The coach role-played with the child each day before the implementation session. • The coach phase was extended from six to 10 days. • If the Head Start program was an all-day program, the intervention was conducted twice a day for about 10 minutes during the coach phase. • If the Head Start program was half a day, the intervention was implemented once a day. • The coach problem-solved more with the child during the intervention than is recommended with the regular program. • For several students, individual as well as class rewards are implemented for meeting criteria during the intervention. • During the first few days of the teacher phase, the coach was in very close contact with the teacher and the assistant. The coach was often in the room for several days to monitor the program and provide feedback. • The coach was also encouraged to write e-mail messages to the teacher’s supervisor to communicate positive changes. • To remind the adults in the classroom to notice the target child doing the right thing, a “Green Button” pin was created. When the teacher phase started, the target student was present with a “Green Smiley-Face Button.” Each day, the child would wear this button and leave it at school each afternoon. The green button helped the adults to notice the target student and praise the child when things were going well. In some cases, the target student would select another student each day who had been especially kind and helpful and would present that student with a green button. Eventually the entire class could be part of the “Green Button” club!
	The following adaptations were made during the homeBase component: • Coaches were encouraged to conduct the homeBase meetings while the child was present. The coach modeled positive interactions with the child and demonstrated for parents how to do the homeBase activities. • If for some reason the child could not be present, the coach was encouraged to role-play with the parent as if the parent were the child and the coach were the parent. We found that often parents do not know how to play games with their children. This type of role play teaches parents in a respectful, nonembarrassing way how to positively interact and play with their children.

Note: FSS = First Step to Success.