Social skills in the United States are in serious decline. This decline is seen and heard on television, in movies, in magazines, on radio programs, on the streets, and in the schools. Worcester Preparatory School is alarmed by the decline of social skills. Students at Worcester have increasingly shown difficulty in social interactions. The students are hesitant and unsure how to act with others and in various situations. To solve this problem the threefold purpose of this project was to (1) study the scholarly literature in order to discover the best practices in teaching social skills, (2) design a fourth-grade social skills curriculum appropriate for use at Worcester, and (3) develop an assessment plan whereby the curriculum may be continually evaluated and improved. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]