Making Choices

Initiative Description: Fully manualized, the Making Choices intervention comprised 22 sequential 45-min lessons. Delivered from October to April in the third grade, the program built on children’s socioemotional knowledge and life experiences. The lessons taught emotion recognition, strategies for self-regulation, and effortful control. In addition, the curriculum focused on six SIP skills:(a) identifying social and environmental cues, (b) interpreting cues, (c) setting prosocial goals, (d) formulating ways to reach goals, (e) choosing which goal to pursue, and then (f) carrying out choices. The problem-solving process was introduced to students, and then they practiced skills through interactive play related activities and rehearsal.

Study Results: Reduced aggressive behaviors.

Reference: Fraser, M. W., Lee, J. S., Kupper, L. L., & Day, S. H. (2011). A controlled trial of the Making Choices Program: Six-month follow-up. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(2), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731510386626.

Level of Evidence: Good