frequently asked questions
Check out what other people are asking about Simple Interactions...
I WORK IN A SETTING THAT ISN'T DESCRIBED ON YOUR WEBSITE - HOW CAN I USE SI?
SI started in an orphanage in China and has since expanded to a children's hospital, residential care facilities, street corners, and infant, toddler, PreK, and K-12 classrooms. We believe that if adults and children are interacting, SI can be a useful tool, regardless of the setting. If you use SI in a new setting we hope you will tell us about it! And if you need help thinking about how SI can fit in where you work, please contact us.
SI started in an orphanage in China and has since expanded to a children's hospital, residential care facilities, street corners, and infant, toddler, PreK, and K-12 classrooms. We believe that if adults and children are interacting, SI can be a useful tool, regardless of the setting. If you use SI in a new setting we hope you will tell us about it! And if you need help thinking about how SI can fit in where you work, please contact us.
DOES IT COST TO USE SI?
The SI tool and all resources on this website are free and available for use. Please contact us if you are interested in a member of the SI Team working with you to develop a workshop!
The SI tool and all resources on this website are free and available for use. Please contact us if you are interested in a member of the SI Team working with you to develop a workshop!
CAN ANYONE FROM THE SI TEAM VISIT MY SITE TO HELP ME GET STARTED?
Yes! Please reach out to us if you are interested in having a member of the SI team work with you!
Yes! Please reach out to us if you are interested in having a member of the SI team work with you!
WHAT IS THE RESEARCH DRIVING THIS APPROACH?
Existing methods for improving program or classroom quality vary in effectiveness, practicality, and cost efficiency—and nearly all rely on the top-down method of encouraging youth workers to carry out “expert”-chosen practices. Instead of "parachuting" new solutions into settings, this approach begins by identifying exemplary practices that already exist (and persist) in a given setting.
Recent research focuses on four essential ingredients of productive adult-child interactions: (1) connection, (2) reciprocity, (3) inclusion, and (4) opportunity to grow. The major task of Simple Interactions' evidence-based process is to capture these features on video and emphasize them in training sessions. The goal is to then help scale these practices up using small peer groups who can discuss, understand, and disseminate these four critical elements of developmental interactions.
Such an approach has been found to work across other arenas, such as public health. This approach is based on the assumption that within any community, even those with very low resources, there are examples of great practice and the job of professional development is to identify, capture, and amplify these examples.
By focusing on positive instances of practice captured in real settings, the SI approach communicates a genuine respect for staff’s existing expertise and creates a safe environment for professionals to share and discuss.
Existing methods for improving program or classroom quality vary in effectiveness, practicality, and cost efficiency—and nearly all rely on the top-down method of encouraging youth workers to carry out “expert”-chosen practices. Instead of "parachuting" new solutions into settings, this approach begins by identifying exemplary practices that already exist (and persist) in a given setting.
Recent research focuses on four essential ingredients of productive adult-child interactions: (1) connection, (2) reciprocity, (3) inclusion, and (4) opportunity to grow. The major task of Simple Interactions' evidence-based process is to capture these features on video and emphasize them in training sessions. The goal is to then help scale these practices up using small peer groups who can discuss, understand, and disseminate these four critical elements of developmental interactions.
Such an approach has been found to work across other arenas, such as public health. This approach is based on the assumption that within any community, even those with very low resources, there are examples of great practice and the job of professional development is to identify, capture, and amplify these examples.
By focusing on positive instances of practice captured in real settings, the SI approach communicates a genuine respect for staff’s existing expertise and creates a safe environment for professionals to share and discuss.
HOW DO YOU ENSURE PRIVACY AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
WHEN VIDEOING FOR SI?
We ensure that any child who may be filmed as part of SI has appropriate permissions from their parent or guardian. Additionally, any video we take is only shared with the staff of the site where we are carrying out the SI project. If we would like to use a clip in any other way, we make sure to obtain permission from the site, the adults in the video, and the parents/guardian of any child in the video.
WHEN VIDEOING FOR SI?
We ensure that any child who may be filmed as part of SI has appropriate permissions from their parent or guardian. Additionally, any video we take is only shared with the staff of the site where we are carrying out the SI project. If we would like to use a clip in any other way, we make sure to obtain permission from the site, the adults in the video, and the parents/guardian of any child in the video.
HOW DO I USE THE SI TOOL?
The SI Tool provides a way to guide conversation when discussing interactions. You can get to know the SI Tool on a deep level at The SI Tool page. We highlight each of the four main elements of productive youth-adult interactions -- connection, reciprocity, inclusion, and opportunity to grow -- with definitions and examples to demonstrate each. The SI Tool is not intended for evaluation; rather, it is a way for communities to reflect on the interactions they have and see how they could be improved.
The SI Tool provides a way to guide conversation when discussing interactions. You can get to know the SI Tool on a deep level at The SI Tool page. We highlight each of the four main elements of productive youth-adult interactions -- connection, reciprocity, inclusion, and opportunity to grow -- with definitions and examples to demonstrate each. The SI Tool is not intended for evaluation; rather, it is a way for communities to reflect on the interactions they have and see how they could be improved.
I HAVE BEEN PART OF AN SI PROJECT BEFORE AND I LOVED THE EXPERIENCE.
HOW CAN I STAY INVOLVED?
First of all, we are so glad to hear from you! The SI Tool and any other resources on this website are available for you to use on your own and with colleagues. Please visit the Contact page to sign up for our newsletter, and to reach out if you would like to engage with us further.
HOW CAN I STAY INVOLVED?
First of all, we are so glad to hear from you! The SI Tool and any other resources on this website are available for you to use on your own and with colleagues. Please visit the Contact page to sign up for our newsletter, and to reach out if you would like to engage with us further.
I REPRESENT AN ORGANIZATION (SCHOOL, NON-PROFIT, ETC.) AND WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH THE SI TEAM FOR A PROJECT. HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Please Contact Us! We'd love to hear from you and talk about possible partnership opportunities.
Please Contact Us! We'd love to hear from you and talk about possible partnership opportunities.