PATHs

Promoting Alternative Thinking strategies
(PATHS) is a school-based program designed to improve children’s ability to
discuss and understand emotions.

It addresses the following goals:

1. Increased self-control, i.e., the ability to stop
2. and think before acting when upset or confronted with a conflict situation. Lessons in this area also teach identification of problem situations through recognition of “upset” feelings.
3. Attributional processes that lead to an appropriate sense of self-responsibility.
4. Increased understanding and use of the vocabulary of logical reasoning and problem-solving, e.g., “if…then” and “why…because.”
5. Increased understanding and use of the vocabulary of emotions and emotional states; e.g., excited, disappointed, confused, guilty, etc. Increased use of verbal mediation.
6. Increased ability to recognise and interpret similarities and differences in the feelings, reactions and points of view of ourselves and others.
7. Increased understanding of how our own behaviour affects others.