I Can Problem Solve

ICPS is both a preventive and rehabilitative program. It is the original interpersonal problem-solving program for children, the only one supported by 25 years of research. It has been field-tested extensively in schools across the country and serves as an effective violence prevention program by helping children think of nonviolent ways to solve everyday problems. The program can be easily incorporated into the classroom or adapted for use by school mental health professionals. ICPS teaches children how to think, not what to think. They learn that behavior has causes, that people have feelings, and that there is more than one way to solve a problem. The ICPS curriculum is divided into two main sections: Pre-Problem Solving Skills -- learning a problem-solving vocabulary, identifying one's own and others' feelings, considering other points of view. Problem Solving Skills -- thinking of more than one solution, considering consequences, deciding which solution to choose. The ICPS curriculum involves: Formal Lessons -- children learn problem-solving skills through games, stories, puppets, illustrations, and role plays. Interaction in the Classroom -- children learn to use ICPS concepts during everyday interactions in the classroom and in school. Integration in the Curriculum -- children learn to use ICPS concepts as they work on reading, science, and other subjects. The ICPS manuals provide numerous sequential lessons and reproducible illustrations. Each lesson contains a teacher script and a list of readily available materials, such as hand puppets, crayons, blocks, or age-appropriate story books. The preschool volume also includes reproducible parent handouts to encourageand guide parent involvement and participation in ICPS.