The Incredible Years® (IY) is a suite of prevention programs designed to increase a child’s success at school and at home by promoting positive parent, teacher, and child relationships.
The program components have been shown to improve school performance, reduce child behavior problems, promote positive and consistent discipline and support caregivers through a holistic approach involving children, parents and teachers.
Program Approach
IY addresses the unique needs of each audience through distinct yet integrated components and skill-building programs. Each component has been created to be culturally responsive and developmentally and age appropriate.
Teacher Classroom Management (TCM)
Teachers and educational staff learn positive teaching strategies and essential skills for classroom management including how to connect to children with challenging behaviors and how to help them manage their emotions.
Dinosaur School
60 lessons delivered to children 2-3 times per week. Trained educational staff co-lead lessons using puppets to engage in activities that focus on problem solving, self-monitoring emotions, anger management, and how to make friends.
Preschool BASIC Parent Program
Delivered through a series of 14 weekly parent group meetings. Trained facilitators guide groups of 7 to 15 parents as they learn strategies and skills that promote children’s social competence and reduce behavior problems (e.g. how to play with their children; social, emotional, academic and persistence skills coaching, effective praise, and use of incentives).
Program Map
In 2024–2025 statistically significant gains in IY outcomes included:
- Dinosaur School and TCM students' social competence, including emotion regulation, prosocial communication, and academic skills
- Parents’ use of appropriate discipline, clear expectations, and positive parenting
- TCM Teachers’ classroom management strategies for positive management, incentives and social-emotional learning supports.
