PALSPeer Assisted Learning and

Support

Mentoring Program for Children

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Johnny Cameron

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Mission Statement• This program is aimed at the child

who, without this intervention, would be left feeling ALONE.

• It has been shown that one friend, one contact person, in this child’s life can make all the difference in their future mental health.

• Popularity of a child in 4th grade is the best indicator of their mental health at age 18 than any other.

4th grade dark blue Age 18 lt. blue

Program Design

Paired peer learning in content areas

Social support outside of the classroom promotes emotional literacy

Reduce the emotional stress that causes an inability to think

Keep distress from hindering learning

PALS Outline:

Staff orientation and trainingEarly identification and selectionSchool-wide implementationFamily involvement is encouragedLessons are routineMonitored assessment and growth

The Research Supports PALS

Research in the field of affective neuroscience – or how emotions are regulated in the brain, shows that brain activity improves in children who have been exposed to Social and Emotional Learning.

Research of Emotional Intelligence says that continual stress cripples the ability to learn.

Studies done on Multiple Intelligences and Social and Emotional Learning say that test scores in content areas go up when children receive mentoring.

Findings on Performance

• Improved math, literacy, and social studies skills

• Higher achievement test scores and grades and no decreases in standardized test scores

• Improved learning-to-learn skills

• Better problem solving and planning ability

• Use of higher level reasoning strategies

• Improvements in reading comprehension

NCLB Compliance

Under NCLB, schools must establish plans for:

• Being safe and drug-free (teaches skills for making good decisions)• Closing the achievement gap between high- and low-performing

students and between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers (the Collaboration for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, proved this type of program increases student scores equally among socio-economic groups)

• Preventing at-risk students from dropping out of school (intervention + Emotional Literacy reduces drop out rates and increases test scores)

• Implementing prevention programs that are grounded in scientific research and provide evidence of effectiveness (PALS does this)

Familiar SEL Programs

• Character education• Violence prevention• Anti-bullying• Drug prevention• School discipline

Schools, Districts, and States Embrace

Emotional Literacy• Every grade can demonstrate SEL skills, K-3 should be

able to name the emotions that led to actions.• Intermediate grades should understand compassion and

demonstrate empathy, use and read nonverbal clues. • Jr. High students should be able to analyze what creates

stress, and what promotes or motivates best behavior.• High School focus is on anger management, the ability

to tell what leads to a win-win solution, active listening, words used in conflict resolutions, and negotiations.

How Valid is Emotional How Valid is Emotional Learning?Learning?

In 2002 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) sent 10 basic principles of SEL to the ministries of education in 140 countries.

Places that Embrace Places that Embrace Emotional LearningEmotional Learning

• United States, districts, and states, Illinois for example

• UK: Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia,

• Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea

• Latin America and Africa also embrace SEL

Proven Scientific ResultsProven Scientific Results

• Improved behavior and a decrease in discipline problems.

• Measured higher academic achievement• Data indicates better mental health in

children at age 18 for the emotionally literate.

• Safer schools and increased attendance.

The Impact on Neuro-The Impact on Neuro-CircuitryCircuitry

• Emotional Intelligence challenges the prefrontal cortex which inhibits impulsive destructive behaviors.

• Increases working memory related to learning.

• Temporal lobes in the cortex controls mood and movement.

• Amygdala (structural) part of the Limbic system (functional) is where much or most of the learning is done in the brain.

Neuro-plasticity, the Neuro-plasticity, the Reshaping of the BrainReshaping of the Brain

• Retell, reteach, practice, and reinforce the lessons to create new neuro pathways.

• New skills allow students to change behaviors and attitudes.

• While the brain changes, so will the school climate and the community.

Changing Paradigms

• SEL/EI/EQ principles transfers into business -shattering the paradigm.

• Skills are used in employee selection, recruiting, and promoting employees.

• It is not uncommon to have people with a 100 IQ managing people with 150 IQs.

Implementing PALSImplementing PALS

~Lessons need to be explicitly taught and practiced in the classroom.

~ Invite identified students to participate and help shape the program.

~Monitor and assess outcome often.~Adapt and change the curriculum to

meet the needs of the students. ~Work as a team, include the entire

school.

Benefits from Ingraining Benefits from Ingraining Emotional Learning into Emotional Learning into

EducationEducation

Understanding, Anger management, Self-awareness and Empathy would lead to safer communities and schools

Scope of thinking would extend from what happens within a person to how people interact.

Leadership skills would be introduced early and nurtured and not something new in High School.

Jobs and communities would become more humane.

In Conclusion:

• Whatever you call it; Emotional Quotient, Social and Emotional Learning, or Emotional Intelligence, or Peer Assisted Learning, research supports lessons designed to teach the child, not just the content.