In need of a resource for teaching basic conversation skills to your high schoolers? Look no further, download our free high school basic conversation skills material!
How to Teach Basic Conversation Skills to Students
You can successfully teach an important conversation skill, conversation stoplight, using Everyday Speech’s free basic conversation skills material! This material focuses on the concept of the ‘Conversation Stoplight’, or knowing when it is your turn to talk! Taking turns in conversation is a basic conversation skill that teaches students how to monitor talking time and clue in to those they are speaking with. By taking turns speaking in conversations, everyone is more likely to be engaged!
Lesson Plan – Using Your Free Conversation Skills Material
1. Introduce the ‘Conversation Stoplight’ Skill
Before using our free conversation skills material, introduce the important concept of knowing when and when not to talk in a conversation with the help of Everyday Speech’s ‘Conversation Stoplight’. The Conversation Stoplight breaks the habit of interrupting others by helping students understand when to talk and when to listen in a conversation. This basic conversation skill will help them to notice specific things such as pauses, or the look of someone who is trying to talk so they’ll understand the importance of taking turns speaking in conversations.
2. Practice Using the Conversation Stoplight
When having a conversation, students should try their best to take turns speaking with the other person. Provide your student with the opportunity to practice this skill be engaging in a conversation with the. When you (the teacher) is talking or about to talk, remind your student that they have a red light, which means they should listen and watch for clues regarding when it is their turn. When you have finished talking, remind your student they have a green light, and it is their turn to talk.
3. Use Our Free High School Conversation Skills Material
Our free Conversation Stoplight activity for high schoolers provides your students with the opportunity to test their knowledge and apply the skill of taking turns when having a conversation. For this activity, your students will pair up (with a peer or with you) and engage in a successful conversation using 4 different prompts. Students will write in their answer and then share their answer when it is their turn in the conversation.
Sample High School Conversation Stoplight Video:
This sample video below is a great enhancement to this Conversation Skills lesson! Everyday Speech provides real life scenarios as age appropriate actors model new skills. We offer a 30 day free trial for all of our social skills materials!
Related Blog Posts:
How to Teach Conversation Skills to Elementary Students
3 Activities for Teaching Basic Conversation Skills
