Preschool Intervention and Referral Team (PIRT)

Preschool Intervention and Referral Specialist (PIRS)

A PIRS is someone who provides support to teachers in their implementation of the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Young Children. The primary role of PIRS is to provide coaching for the teachers to enhance their use of the Pyramid Model practices in the classroom. As needed, the PIRS consults with a team of experts, the Preschool Intervention and Referral Team (PIRT), to provide strategies and possible interventions for the teachers to implement in the classroom to promote the success of all young children. The PIRT is supervised by the school principal and may also include preschool teachers, special education teachers, behavior specialists, psychologists, learning disabilities teacher-consultants, school social workers, speech and language pathologists or other specialists.

Big Deals & Little Deals
The classroom lesson, Big Deals & Little Deals, teaches the children about “Big Deals & Little Deals” and what to do when they happen. It is a problem-solving lesson; teaching the kids strategies for solving little deals, like when a classmate is bothering them or hurts their feelings. We’ll talk about how anything that hurts their body, is dangerous, or makes them feel worried or afraid, is a Big Deal and needs to be reported to a grown up right away.

Note to Parents/Teachers:
Please have a discussion with children about what to do when they are having trouble deciding whether something is a Big Deal or little deal. In reality, it's not always clear- not even for the adults!

Although our ultimate goal is to have children learn how to handle the Little Deals they encounter, it's important, especially at this young age, that we send the message that it's ALWAYS okay to go to a grown-up if they are not sure. Children need our guidance in their decision making and require assurance that they are not going to be scolded when they seek that guidance.

Although children need to do their best to handle bothering/hurt feelings, they are not expected to tolerate repeated bothering/hurt feelings at the hands of the same individual. If bothering/hurt feelings persist after a child has tried using their strategies 1...2...3...4 times, the Little Deal turns into a Big Deal. When that happens, children should REPORT to an adult.