I Can Problem Solve [ICPS]

The award-winning, evidence-based social and emotional learning program for children . . .

I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) is a universal school-based program designed to enhance the interpersonal cognitive processes and problem-solving skills of children in preschool through grade 6.

Developed by Dr. Myrna B. Shure for three age groups and supported by 25 years of meticulous research, ICPS is proven to prevent and reduce early high-risk behaviors such as impulsivity and social withdrawal and to promote prosocial behaviors such as concern for others and positive peer relationships.

ICPS for Kindergarten and Primary Graides

• Structured Lessons: A total of 83 lessons, each with an easy-to-follow teacher script, guide children’s learning of essential ICPS vocabulary and concepts and problem-solving skills (alternative solutions, consequences, solution-consequence pairs).
• Interaction in the Classroom: Teachers and students learn a whole new way to communicate, using ICPS dialoging, a special technique of problem-solving talk. The result is an improved classroom climate with less conflict and more cooperation.
• Integration into the Curriculum: Children practice ICPS problem-solving concepts as they work on math, reading, science, social studies, and other academic subjects.

Lessons speak to children on their own level, using games, stories, puppets, illustrations, and role-plays. A key program principle is that the child, not the teacher, must solve the problem at hand. In other words, ICPS teaches children how to think, not what to think.

Praise for ICPS

"These books can become a teacher's best friend in promoting children's critical social-thinking skills and in boosting a peace-making climate in the classroom."

—Dr. Alice Sterling Honig, Professor Emerita of Child Development at Syracuse University

"Rather than telling them what to do, the volume gives children ways to talk about and think problems through. Clear steps and examples are used to introduce each step, along with ways of integrating the concept into other curricula and into classroom interaction."

—Ted Bowman, Family Forum

"I highly recommend this book for any educator who has ever been frustrated by behavior problems in the classroom. It is a refreshingly practical approach to a common and difficult problem in many classrooms. This is definitely a book for those of us on the 'front lines' of our educational system."

—Lou Ann Warren, East Texas School Study Council Newsletter