the best strategy for encouraging social competence with a group of school-age children is to (a(reassure the student about positive behavior (b)punish students for antisocial behavior (c)use external rewards (d) model good social skills

I see two equally effective strategies. Check your text to see which one it believes is best.

i see a and d

I agree -- a and d.

my answer is a

The best strategy for encouraging social competence with a group of school-age children is by modeling good social skills. Option (d) is the correct answer. Modeling good social skills involves demonstrating positive behaviors, such as active listening, empathy, problem-solving, and respectful communication.

To explain how to arrive at this answer, let's review the options provided:

(a) Reassuring the student about positive behavior: While it's important to provide positive reinforcement and praise for positive behaviors, reassuring one student alone might not have a significant impact on the social competence of the entire group. Encouraging positive behavior is helpful, but it's not the most effective overall strategy.

(b) Punishing students for antisocial behavior: Using punishment as the primary strategy can create a negative learning environment, potentially causing resentment or fear among the students. This approach is less effective in promoting social competence as it focuses on consequences rather than teaching desired behaviors.

(c) Using external rewards: While external rewards can be motivating in the short term, over-reliance on rewards may hinder the development of intrinsic motivation and genuine social competence. Relying on external rewards alone might not teach children how to internalize positive social skills for long-term development.

(d) Model good social skills: This strategy is the best choice as it provides a consistent model of appropriate behavior for the children to learn from and emulate. Modeling not only demonstrates what is expected but also helps children develop their own social skills through observation and imitation.

In summary, the best strategy for encouraging social competence with a group of school-age children is to model good social skills. By consistently demonstrating positive behaviors, adults can serve as role models and effectively teach children the necessary skills for social competence.