What is INSIGHTS?

We are currently recruiting from IES-designated rural elementary schools from ESU 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10.

INSIGHTS in Nebraska

Understanding temperament to enhance children’s learning and development

INSIGHTS in Nebraska is a comprehensive social and emotional learning intervention that includes parent, teacher and classroom components that has been found to reduce disruptive behavior, improve attention skills, and improve reading and math achievement.

More About INSIGHTS I’m interested!

What is INSIGHTS in Nebraska?

INSIGHTS in Nebraska is a comprehensive social and emotional learning intervention that includes parent, teacher and classroom components that has been found to reduce disruptive behavior, improve attention skills, and improve reading and math achievement.

INSIGHTS

Teachers and parents learn temperament-based strategies intended to:

  • reduce children’s behavior problems,
  • support their competencies, and
  • enhance their ability to self-regulate.
INSIGHTS has been successfully implemented in New York City schools and this study is investigating whether INSIGHTS is successful in more rural contexts.
For Teachers
INSIGHTS is a 10-week social-emotional learning curriculum involving two free professional development workshops for teachers with individualized coaching and planning sessions for the duration of the curriculum.
For Parents
Parents also participate in training sessions that teach them about their child’s temperament, and provides individualized strategies to help their child work through daily dilemmas.

INSIGHTS in Nebraska
INSIGHTS in Nebraska Puppets

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.

Meet the Characters

Coretta the Cautious
Coretta the Cautious

Shy and Cautious

Coretta is often shy and slow to warm-up. She is low in approach, which means her first reaction is to withdrawal from new or stressful situations. She also demonstrates high negative reactivity, and will let you know when she is not pleased with a situation.

Fredrico-the-Friendly
Freddy the Friendly

Social and Eager to Try

Freddy is very social and eager to meet new people. He is high in approach, often driven by a need to be with people and to try new experiences. Freddy’s temperament is low in negative reactivity and withdrawal, which means he is usually pleasant most of the time.

Gregory-the-Grumpy
Gregory the Grumpy

High-Maintenance

Gregory is highly emotionally reactive, which means he usually reacts strongly and negatively to stress or change. He often seems moody. Gregory is low in task persistence, and has difficulty finishing tasks. He also demonstrates high levels of movement and wiggles frequently.

Hilary-Hard-Working
Hilary the Hardworking

Industrious

Hilary is industrious and demonstrates both high task persistence and low motor activity, which enables her to get things done. Hilary takes pleasure in her accomplishments. She is also low in negative reactivity, which means that she is pleasant most of the time.