To be specific, this post focuses on the preschool/kindergarten package from PATHS. Though it should be noted that PATHS is available for school-aged children as well.
The focus of PATHS is social and emotional learning. The program has integrated this into five conceptual domains: self-control, emotional understanding, positive self-esteem, relationships, and interpersonal problem-solving skills. The preschool version adapts these into developmentally appropriate activities, such as practicing the “turtle technique” – a strategy for self-control. The program consists of lessons, but teachers are encouraged to practice and reinforce the concepts throughout the day (Greenberg & Kusché, 2006).
The preschool version of PATHS has been studied in several trials, producing generally favorable results. Primarily the studies have been conducted in the US, e.g. Calhoun et al. (2020) or the long-term Head Start REDI follow-up by Bierman et al., (2021). Preschool PATHS has also been transported overseas and studied in the UK (Berry et al., 2016), Croatia (Mihic et al., 2016), Turkey (Bilir Seyhan et al., 2019), Pakistan (Inam, Tariq & Zaman, 2015), and with the latest trial conducted in Sweden (Eninger et al., 2021).
Berry, V., Axford, N., Blower, S., Taylor, R. S., Edwards, R. T., Tobin, K., Jones, C., & Bywater, T. (2016). The effectiveness and micro-costing analysis of a universal, school-based, social–emotional learning programme in the UK: A cluster-randomised controlled trial. School Mental Health, 8(2), 238-256.
Bierman, K. L., Heinrichs, B. S., Welsh, J. A., & Nix, R. L. (2021). Reducing adolescent psychopathology in socioeconomically disadvantaged children with a preschool intervention: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry, 178(4), 305-312.
Bilir Seyhan, G., Ocak Karabay, S., Arda Tuncdemir, T. B., Greenberg, M. T., & Domitrovich, C. (2019). The effects of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Preschool Program on teacher–children relationships and children's social competence in Turkey. International Journal of Psychology, 54(1), 61-69.
Calhoun, B., Williams, J., Greenberg, M., Domitrovich, C., Russell, M. A., & Fishbein, D. H. (2020). Social emotional learning program boosts early social and behavioral skills in low-income urban children. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.561196
Eninger, L., Ferrer-Wreder, L., Eichas, K., Olsson, T. M., Hau, H. G., Allodi, M. W., ... & Herkner, B. (2021). A cluster randomized trial of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS®) with Swedish preschool children. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695288
Greenberg, M. T., & Kusché, C. A. (2006). Building social and emotional competence: The PATHS curriculum. In S. R. Jimerson & M. Furlong (Eds.), Handbook of school violence and school safety: From research to practice (pp. 395–412). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Inam, A., Tariq, P. N., & Zaman, S. (2015). Cultural adaptation of preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum for Pakistani children. International Journal of Psychology, 50(3), 232-239.
Mihic, J., Novak, M., Basic, J., & Nix, R.L. (2016). Promoting Social and Emotional Competencies among Young Children in Croatia with Preschool PATHS. International Journal of Emotional Education, 8(2), 45-59.
