- Strong Start: Pre-K helps young children develop the social-emotional skills they need to build a strong foundation for school success. Through engaging classroom activities, children learn aobut emotions, managing anger, solving interpersonal problems, and more.
- Strong Start: Grades K-2 helps children develop the social-emotional skills they need to build a strong foundation for school success. Through engaging classroom activities, children learn about emotions, managing anger, solving interpersonal problems, and more.
- Strong Kids: Grades 3-5 helps students develop the social-emotional skills they need to thrive in both school and life. Through engaging classroom activities, students learn to identify and manage their own emotions, take the perspectives of others, and much more.
- Strong Kids: Grades 6-8 helps students develop the social-emotional skills they need to thrive in both school and life. Through engaging classroom activities, students learn to identify and manage their own emotions, take the perspectives of others, and much more.
- Strong Teens: Grades 9-12 helps adolescents develop the social-emotional skills they need to thrive in both school and life. Through engaging activities appropriate for teens, students learn to manage their own thoughts and emotions, empathize, cope with stress, work through conflict, and much more.
Last reviewed: 2023
Intended Outcomes:
Program goals include increasing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills in children and adolescents.Continuum of Care:
Universal Prevention
Topic Areas:
Anxiety, Behavioral Health/Mental Health, Disruptive Behaviors
Ages:
Childhood (4-12), Teen/Adolescent (13-18)
Geographic Locations:
Rural, Urban
Delivery Settings:
Community-Based, School-Based
Cultural Considerations:
Limited research found involving diverse populations
Audience:
This program is for children and students grades Pre-K-12.
Credentials:
This program is mainly implemented by classroom teachers, however, some portions can be implemented by parents in the home.
Manuals:
Yes
Is Training Required?
Information not available
Who can provide the required training?
Training and consultation on all levels of the program is offered: Strong Start, Strong Kids, and Strong Teens. Please contact the Strong Kids & Strong Teens authors or the Strong Start authors with any questions and for additional support.
Program Costs (materials, training, etc.):
Yes, refer to program website
Program/Practice Website:
https://strongkidsresources.com
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:
Marvin, L. A., Caldarella, P., Young, E. L., & Young, R. (2017). Implementing Strong Teens for adolescent girls in residential treatment: A quasi-experimental evaluation. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, 34(3-4), 183-202.
Kramer, T. J., Caldarella, P., Young, R., Fischer, L., & Warramn, J. S. (2014). Implementing Strong Kids school-wide to reduce internalizing behaviors and increase prosocial behaviors. Education and Treatment of Children, 37, 659-680.
Ryan, A., Graves, S., Sobalvarro, A., Nichols, K., Schutte, K., Aston, C., & Griffin, A., (2016). An evaluation of strong kids in an urban African American female sample: The need for gender-specific and culturally focused interventions. School Psychology Forum, 10(2), 157-164.
WV Rating:
Promising
»WV Ratings Info
Rationale for Rating:
While there are some studies examining the effectiveness of Merrell's Strong Kids, most of the studies are pre/post test designs and involve small sample sizes. In addition, some of the research support includes unpublished master theses or doctoral dissertations. Nonetheless, the research that is available has shown some positive results. The program has also been tested with minority groups (e.g., African Americans, Latinx).
Contraindications or Concerns:
None identified
Other Registries/Ratings
The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare:
Not On Registry
Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development:
Not On Registry
Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness:
Not On Registry
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide:
Not On Registry
Washington State Institute for Public Policy:
Not On Registry