Importance of Social Skills in the Elementary Grades‪.‬

Abstract This study explored elementary teachers' perceptions of the importance of social skills, as well as the stability of these perceptions over time. Importance ratings on the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS; Gresham & Elliott, 1990) were obtained from 50 elementary teachers (Grades 1-6) across six elementary schools. Results indicated that cooperation and self-control skills were viewed as being more important than assertion skills. In addition, 11 specific social skills were identified by a majority of teacher respondents as "critical" for success in the classroom. Finally, no significant differences were observed in teachers' importance ratings between the beginning and end of the school year. Implications for prevention and early intervention services in the schools are discussed.