Important skills for elementary school children: Implementing the preschool life skills program in Iceland

Abstract

Transition from preschool to elementary school can be difficult, especially for children that have not acquired important life skills. The preschool life skills (PLS) program was developed as a class-wide program to teach typically developing preschool children important social and communication skills. PLS is an effective method for teaching children social skills as well as reducing problem behavior. However, there is a need to further evaluate the feasibility and generality of the program across different cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to evaluate an abbreviated version of the PLS program in a typical Icelandic preschool, with a preschool teacher as the primary implementer. PLS increased the likelihood of the occurrence of instruction following, functional communication, and decreased problem behavior for most children.