INCREDIBLE YEARS

Program Overview

The second program Invest in Kids (IIK) chose to adopt was The Incredible Years. IIK had been working for over two years in communities across Colorado and helping them to implement NFP when they started asking us what was next. They were committed to implementing evidence based programs and the first class of NFP toddlers were about to graduate. We turned the question back to those community stakeholders and asked them what they needed. Across the state we heard early childhood mental health and school readiness. At the same time, kindergarten and first grade teachers surveyed in Colorado agree that approximately a third of children entering the classroom were not emotionally and socially prepared to learn (Educare Colorado and the Colorado Children's Campaign's First Ever Statewide K-1 Teacher Survey on School Readiness). We searched the country for six months and ended up with The Incredible Years. We chose it because of the evidence substantiating its effectiveness, because it works with children, teachers and parents and because it works with kids 3-8 years of age, helping bridge the transition from early childhood education to elementary school. Since adopting the program in 2002, we have brought it to over 3,500 children, 700 parents, in 50 sites in 13 counties and two Indian reservations.

The Incredible Years programs are a cost-effective, community-empowerment model that fit into a framework of services and systems, supporting the healthy development of young children and adding further strength to a community's support for families.

The series has three distinct programs that work together to achieve outstanding outcomes:

Skill Building for Children: "Dinosaur School" is presented with puppetry (including two life-sized child puppets, a wide-eyed Dinosaur and timid turtle) in a 15-20 minute large group circle time with the entire classroom 2-3 times a week. It is followed by a 15-20 minute small group activity. "Dinosaur School" provides children with special attention and tools that help build skills in anger management, problem solving, emotional competence, empathy and developing friendships.
Skill Building for Parents: Groups are offered weekly for 12-14 weeks. The goals of the group are to offer parents support and additional information in strengthening parenting skills that promote the parent - child relationship, build social competence, reduce behavior problems and promote school readiness. Modalities of learning include the collaborative process, group discussion, video vignettes, role-play and home activities.
Skill Building for Teachers: Video-based training, modeling and guided practice provide teachers with proven classroom management strategies, including the effective use of teacher attention, praise and encouragement that promote academic success in the classroom.

These programs for children, parents and teachers are proven to be effective and developmentally appropriate. In addition, they provide children, parents and teachers with strategies to promote healthy social and emotional development that helps support early school successes.

"Children entering school who are not socially and emotionally prepared are at high risk for early school problems, poor later school performance and difficulties in the workplace in their adult lives." (Kaufman Foundation Report: Set for Success: Building a Strong Foundation for School Readiness Based on the Social-Emotional Development of Young Children)

Remarkable Results

The Incredible Years Programs:

Have been proven to boost academic success, reading and school readiness.
Expand the competencies of parents and teachers to prevent and address behavior problems in children.
Are designed for implementation by existing community early childhood settings (child care centers, elementary schools, Head Start, etc.)
Are responsive to the cultural context of the community.

In a series of studies involving low-income parents and their children, The Incredible Years programs produced the following outcomes:

91% of the children showed significant reductions in conduct problems.
73% of the children showed a significant reduction in negative behaviors at home.
69% of the children who showed poor social skills in the beginning of the school year demonstrated normal skills at the end of the year.
80% of the children continued to show improved conduct a year after the program ended.

Additional demonstrated results include:

Increased:

Child social competence and appropriate play.
Parental involvement with teachers and classrooms.
Positive family communication and problem solving.
Effective limit setting by parents.

Decreased:

Child conduct problems at home and school.
Child aggression in the classroom.
Critical and violent discipline approaches.

Recognition of Quality

The Incredible Years developer, Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, has received the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist award for her work. The programs have also received the following recognitions:

Exemplary Prevention Program - Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
One of eleven national model "Blueprint" programs by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (2000)
The Lela Rowland Prevention Award - National Mental health Association (1997)
Model Program and listed in the National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs (NREPP) - Department of Health & Human Services (2001)