Throwing fall leaves wasn't fun when dust came down with them.
Jasper asked her friends, "What else could you try?"

ICPS: An Overview

What is ICPS?

First used as a research tool, ICPS (Interpersonal Cognitive Problem Solving) has become much more. Dr. Myrna Shure, a developmental psychologist, created the ICPS curriculum in order to answer a research question: Could very young children learn the skills which predict later success in decision making? Happily, the research indicates that these skills can be learned and that a playful approach to teaching those skills works well with very young children.

How is ICPS used at MCH?

Our weekly ICPS classes consist of a series of interactive games and stories which provide children opportunities for discussion. Students participate by offering their own ideas and hearing the ideas of other students. We incorporate a variety of activities to provide information through different modalities. We use puppets, manipulatives, and picture books, and we often incorporate the themes being presented in the Montessori classrooms.

As children learn and practice the method it is also reinforced by our teachers and our other staff members. They use ICPS style communication when they interact with children throughout the course of the school day. We have found that concentrating on using "ICPS talk" helps us to focus on each child's learning even in challenging situations. Though conflicts are a normal aspect of human interaction, they can often interrupt a teacher's lesson plan or create a disturbance during routine activities. Using ICPS languaging helps us to take advantage of these interruptions transforming them into positive learning opportunities. This refocusing aspect of the ICPS method can be a great help for parents, as well.

As we progress through the concepts presented in the curriculum, we send home interactive ICPS homework. Families can use this material to reinforce ICPS concepts at home, for the whole family. Our research shows that children internalize these skills at the highest levels when they are presented simultaneously at home and at school.

We also offer ICPS Parent Nights during the school year to allow parents to learn more about ICPS and to share tips for using the concepts to streamline communications and enhance parent/child relationships.