Improving Student Discipline at the Primary Level.

This action research project evaluated the impact of an intervention for reducing the inappropriate student behavior of primary school students. Participating were kindergartners in a large metropolitan area in northern Illinois. Inappropriate behaviors, such as physical aggression and using inappropriate words for self-expression, were documented by means of behavior checklists and surveys of teachers, students, and parents. The resulting 16-week intervention consisted of: (1) reading children's literature relating to children's problems and using puppets to dramatize the literature; and (2) implementing the Second Step Violence Prevention Program, a conflict-resolution and social-skills curriculum using lessons, stories and discussion, role playing, and take-home activities; and (3) implementing the Megaskills Program, a program to build motivation, confidence, effort, responsibility, initiative, teamwork, problem-solving, caring, perseverance, and common sense. Post-intervention assessments indicated that the number of hitting, pushing, and kicking incidents decreased by 80 percent and the number of physical contact incidents (touching, pinching, biting) and the use of inappropriate words decreased by 51 percent. The amount of time spent "telling the teacher" decreased as students improved their problem-solving skills and learned to solve problems independently. (Five appendices contain sample Second Step lesson plans and instructional materials. Contains 19 references.) (KB)