CHAPTER 3: The Case for Social Skills Training in the Primary School Curriculum: A Follow Up Study of Attention and Theory of Mind Skills in First Grade Boys

Starting school is a major milestone for most children. Although many children may have early and varied experiences outside the home environment or may have attended various types of preschool, including day care, the beginning of kindergarten marks the entrance into “real” school, and a world of new challenges. According to Entwisle and Alexander (1998), “How well students do in the primary grades matters more for their future success than does their school performance at any other time” (p. 354). As the young primary school student spends the majority of the weekday in this new—and perhaps largely unfamiliar—surrounding, (s)he encounters numerous social challenges. There are routines to be learned, relationships to establish with new adults and classmates, new environments to explore, and ever increasing demands of social expectations.