Introduction
As educators, it’s crucial to teach our PreK students the importance of effective communication. Conversation Drivers are actions that make others feel comfortable and happy while talking with us. These behaviors drive or keep a conversation going, and are essential in developing strong social skills. In this blog post, we will discuss various Conversation Drivers, a no-prep activity for teaching these skills, discussion questions, related skills, and next steps for incorporating these techniques in your classroom.
No-Prep Activity: The Conversation Train
In this simple, no-prep activity, students will practice using Conversation Drivers to keep a conversation going. Here’s how it works:
- Ask your students to form pairs or small groups.
- Explain the concept of Conversation Drivers, such as using eye contact, body language, connected comments, and sharing talking and listening time.
- Invite the students to have a conversation on any topic they like. Encourage them to use Conversation Drivers to keep the conversation going.
- As the conversation progresses, ask the students to switch partners or groups and continue using Conversation Drivers with new conversation partners.
- After the activity, gather the students together and discuss their experiences using Conversation Drivers.
Discussion Questions
Use these questions to stimulate further discussions among your students:
- How did using Conversation Drivers make you feel while talking with your classmates?
- Which Conversation Driver do you think is the most important for keeping a conversation going? Why?
- Can you think of a time when someone used Conversation Drivers while talking with you? How did it make you feel?
- How can we practice using Conversation Drivers in our daily lives?
- Why is it important to share talking and listening time during a conversation?
Related Skills
Besides Conversation Drivers, there are other relevant skills that can help students develop strong communication abilities. These include:
- Active Listening: Encourage students to truly listen to what their conversation partners are saying, and respond thoughtfully.
- Empathy: Teach students to put themselves in others’ shoes and understand their feelings and perspectives.
- Nonverbal Communication: Help students recognize the importance of facial expressions, gestures, and body language in conveying their messages and emotions.
- Asking Questions: Promote curiosity by encouraging students to ask questions and seek more information during conversations.
Next Steps
To enhance your students’ communication skills and incorporate Conversation Drivers in your curriculum, consider signing up for free samples of these skill-building materials and others at Everyday Speech. These resources will provide valuable insights and activities for teaching effective communication and social-emotional learning principles in your PreK classroom.
