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What are the Parts of the Pyramid Model? Pyramid Model Resources Videos Presentations Useful Links
Learn about the Pyramid Model
What is the Pyramid Model?
The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children is a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices developed by two national, federally-funded research and training centers: The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) and TACSEI. These centers’ faculty represent nationally recognized researchers and program developers in the areas of social skills and challenging behavior. Based on evaluation data over the last six years, the Pyramid Model has shown to be a sound framework for early care and education systems. Extensive training materials, videos, and print resources to help states, communities and programs implement the model have been developed.
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What are the Parts of the Pyramid Model?
The Pyramid Model builds upon a tiered public health approach to providing universal supports to all children to promote wellness, targeted services to those who need more support, and intensive services to those who need them.
We depict our tiered approach as a pyramid with a:
- Yellow Foundation: The foundation for all of the practices in the pyramid are the systems and policies necessary to ensure a workforce able to adopt and sustain these evidence-based practices.
- Blue Tier : Universal supports for all children through nurturing and responsive relationships and high quality environments.
- Green Tier : Prevention which represents practices that are targeted social emotional strategies to prevent problems.
- Red Tier: Intervention which is comprised of practices related to individualized intensive interventions.
Pyramid Model Demonstration Sites
- Summary documents
- Effective practices in action
- Planning forms and procedures
- Assessing fidelity
Positive Behavior Support and the Pyramid Model
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Practitioner Implementation Guides
Pyramid Model Resources
Pyramid Model Handout
This handout illustrates the various levels of the Pyramid Model in a format that is easy to print and ideal for distribution.
The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children Fact Sheet
This four-page fact sheet provides an overview of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. Specifically, this fact sheet describes the three tiers of intervention practice: universal promotion for all children; secondary preventions to address the intervention needs for children at risk of social emotional delays, and tertiary interventions needed for children with persistent challenges. Additionally, six key assumptions that were made during the design process about how the Pyramid Model would be implemented are outlined.
"You Got It!" Teaching Social and Emotional Skills
Published in Young Children, November 2006
In this article we look at the secondary level of the teaching pyramid, which emphasizes planned instruction on specific social and emotional skills for children at risk for developing more challenging behavior, such as severe aggression, property destruction, noncompliance, or withdrawal. Children who may be considered at risk for challenging behavior are persistently noncompliant, have difficulty regulating their emotions, do not easily form relationships with adults and other children, have difficulty engaging in learning activities, and are perceived by teachers as being likely to develop more intractable behavior problems.
The Teaching Pyramid: A Model for Supporting Social Competence and Preventing Challenging Behavior in Young Children
Published in Young Children, July 2003
This article describes a conceptual framework for change that guides the work of TACSEI. Specifically, this model maps out how to proceed in a systematic fashion and helps us decide where immediate attention is it most necessary regarding children’s social emotional issues and challenging behavior.
Selected Recommend Practices Handouts
Videos
The video described below is available on DVD and can be ordered through CSEFEL by completing and submitting this order form.
Promoting Social Emotional Competence was designed to provide a foundation for understanding the Teaching Pyramid as a framework for promoting young children’s social and emotional development and preventing and addressing challenging behavior. This 22-minute video is a perfect way to be introduced to and become familiar with the pyramid framework and is available with both English and Spanish open captioning. View this video online at the CSEFEL website.
Presentations
- Pyramid Model Overview
This PowerPoint presentation with audio and captioning provides a comprehensive overview of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. (September, 2008)
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Pyramid Text Transcript
Camtasia Presentation of Pyramid Model Overview