Facilitating Interpersonal Relationships in the Classroom: the Relational Literacy Curriculum.

D. Salmon & R. A. Freedman. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. 179 pp. Since 1968, Erikson, Bandura, and other constructivist theorists have been reminding educators about the importance of the social context of learning. Now, in a time when some students resort to using weapons to resolve conflicts, Salmon and Freedman's book is especially meaningful, giving teachers a structure for helping children develop and practice interpersonal skills.

The authors have created a year-long curriculum consisting of weekly 30-to 40-minute-long meetings, during which students discuss scenarios in which a child is faced with interpersonal dilemmas. These dilemmas involve conflicts such as following group values vs. personal values or being honest with a friend vs. being kind.

Each discussion has three parts in which the children must use higher level thinking: 1) defining the problem, 2) speculating about reasons for the problem, and 3) identifying choices that the person can make to solve the problem. Later in the year, children act out the scenarios, first using pre-written scripts and later improvising. They can write scenarios based on their own experiences, and can reflect, orally and in writing, on the scenarios they discuss.

My only problem with the book is the reference in the subtitle to literacy. Although this program should increase students' literacy through discussion and reflective writing, it probably is a misuse of the word "literacy"--a small criticism for a worthwhile program that could benefit students in so many ways. Reviewed by Barbara Moore, Undergraduate Teacher Education Coordinator, Mississippi University for Women, Columbus