INSIGHTS is an evidence-based intervention designed to support children’s social-emotional development and academic learning. The intervention assists teachers and parents in recognizing how differences in children’s behavior are often related to their temperament/personality. Children also benefit from understanding that individuals differ in their responses to daily life situations due to their temperaments.
What is INSIGHTS?
INSIGHTS is an evidence-based intervention designed to support children’s social-emotional development and academic learning. The intervention assists teachers and parents in recognizing how differences in children’s behavior are often related to their temperament/personality. Children also benefit from understanding that individuals differ in their responses to daily life situations due to their temperaments.
How it works
INSIGHTS uses puppets to help early learners understand their temperament and the temperaments of others.
The process teaches children how to interact with others, and helps parents and teachers craft strategies that match a child’s temperament. Teachers use the puppets to teach children that while certain situations may be easy for some individuals, they may be more challenging for others.
The children engage the puppets in daily dilemmas to encourage empathy and strengthen their problem-solving skills.
INSIGHTS consists of three programs:
For Educators
NEW INSIGHTS for Elementary School Educators is a professional development program featuring 6 self-paced lessons, each followed by a remote facilitated session. Designed for teachers, counselors, psychologists, and administrators, this program helps educators recognize children’s temperaments/personalities and implement strategies to reduce behavior problems and enhance social skills. Built on the award-winning Nearpod platform, accessible on any remote device, lessons include videos, interactive activities, and downloadable handouts. Led by experienced INSIGHTS facilitators, educators receive coaching on applying the content effectively to their students.
For Classrooms
Children participate in 10 weekly 30-minute sessions in their own classrooms led by their teachers. Puppets depict each of the four temperaments: Fredrico the Friendly, Gregory the Grumpy, Hilary the Hard Worker, and Coretta the Cautious. Together, puppets and children solve daily dilemmas.
For Parents
NEW INSIGHTS for Parents offers 6 self-paced, one-hour lessons, each followed by a remote facilitated session. These sessions help parents recognize their children’s temperaments/personalities and learn strategies to reduce behavior problems and enhance social skills. Built on the award-winning Nearpod platform, accessible on any remote device, lessons include videos, interactive activities, and downloadable handouts. Experienced INSIGHTS facilitators conduct the lessons, coaching parents in applying the content effectively.
Results
INSIGHTS has been tested in three federally funded randomized clinical trials. Our outcomes have been published in peer-reviewed journals and are available on this website.
View Research Articles
RCT Example funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (R305A080512):
Data Collection
- After baseline data were collected, 22 schools were randomly assigned to INSIGHTS or a supplemental reading program that served as a control group.
- The participants included:
- 435 children in kindergarten and 1st grade;
- their parents; and
- 122 of their teachers.
- We collected information on the children’s behavior and academic skills five times:
- Time 1: Baseline data were collected in kindergarten before the schools were randomized into INSIGHTS or the control group.
- Time 2: Then the children, parents, and teachers participated in an intervention, INSIGHTS or the reading program after which data was collected again.
- Time 3: At the beginning of 1st grade we collected data.
- Time 4: The intervention was repeated and then followed by data collection.
- Time 5: Then data were collected again at the end of 1st grade.
Here’s what we found:
Here’s what happened to the children’s academic skills and behavior from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of first grade. The following graphs compare the children who were in the control group (the black line) to those who were in INSIGHTS (the red line).
Note the positive impact of INSIGHTS on children’s reading and math and on their attention. Also, notice how the behavior problems of children in the control group increases while the behavior problems of children who were in INSIGHTS decreases.
Temperament Specific Results
We also examined how INSIGHTS works for children whose temperaments are “High-Maintenance” and “Shy and Cautious”.
High-Maintenance
Children whose temperaments are high-maintenance are emotionally reactive, which means they usually react strongly and negatively to stress or change. They often seem moody. They are low in task persistence and have difficulty finishing tasks. They also demonstrate high levels of movement and wiggle frequently.
Industrious
Industrious children demonstrate both high task persistence and low motor activity, which enables them to get things done. They take pleasure in their accomplishments. They are also low in negative reactivity, which means they are pleasant most of the time.
Shy & Cautious
Children with cautious and shy temperaments are often shy and slow to warm up. They are low in approach, which means their first reaction is to withdraw from new or stressful situations. They also demonstrate high negative reactivity and will let you know when they are not pleased with a situation.
Social & Eager to Try
Social children are eager to meet new people. They are high in approach, often driven by a need to be with people and to try new experiences. Their temperaments are low in negative reactivity and withdrawal, which means they are usually pleasant most of the time.