Introduction

Educators working with special education students are well aware of the importance of developing strong social-emotional skills. One such skill is conversational flexibility, which is the ability to adapt and change the conversation to include a variety of topics and interests. When students become fixated on a single subject, it can be challenging for them to engage with others who have different interests. In this blog post, we’ll explore an activity that promotes conversational flexibility, discuss related skills, and provide resources for educators to further support their students’ social-emotional development.

No-Prep Activity

This activity, called “Topic Switch,” requires no preparation or materials and can be easily implemented in the classroom. Here’s how it works:

1. Divide students into pairs and have them sit facing each other.
2. Explain that they will practice switching topics during a conversation.
3. One student starts by talking about their favorite topic for one minute.
4. After the minute is up, the other student must introduce a new topic and talk about it for one minute.
5. The first student then switches back to their original topic, but must add new information or a different perspective.
6. Continue alternating topics for a set amount of time or until each student has introduced and discussed three different topics.

This activity encourages students to practice listening, responding, and adapting to new topics in conversation, helping them develop conversational flexibility.

Discussion Questions

After completing the Topic Switch activity, use these questions to stimulate further discussion:

1. How did it feel to switch topics during the conversation?
2. What strategies did you use to think of new topics or add new information?
3. How might conversational flexibility help you in social situations outside of the classroom?
4. Why is it important to be able to discuss a variety of topics with others?
5. Can you think of a situation where you had to adapt your conversation to include someone else’s interests? How did you handle it?

Related Skills

In addition to conversational flexibility, there are other social-emotional skills that can support students in developing healthy relationships and effective communication. Some related skills include:

• Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding empathetically.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one’s own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Assertiveness: Expressing oneself confidently and respectfully.
• Conflict resolution: Addressing disagreements and finding solutions that benefit all parties involved.

Next Steps

As educators, it’s crucial to support the social-emotional development of our special education students. By teaching conversational flexibility and related skills, we can foster healthy communication and relationships. To access free samples of materials that can help you teach these skills and more, visit Everyday Speech’s Sample Materials.