Introduction

Teaching conversation skills to elementary students is essential for their social-emotional development. In this blog post, we will explore an engaging game called “Two Sides,” which focuses on Conversation Drivers and Conversation Stoppers. Conversation Drivers help keep a conversation going or move it in the right direction, while Conversation Stoppers abruptly end the conversation before it’s ready to end. By engaging in this activity, students will learn how to maintain meaningful conversations and develop strong interpersonal skills.

No-Prep Activity

Introduce the “Two Sides” game to your students by explaining the concept of Conversation Drivers and Conversation Stoppers. Then, follow these simple steps for an engaging, no-prep activity:

1. Divide the class into pairs. If you have an odd number of students, you can create a group of three.
2. Assign a conversation topic to each pair. For example, favorite animals, weekend plans, or a recent school event.
3. Ask one student in each pair to be the Conversation Driver and the other to be the Conversation Stopper. In the group of three, one student can be the observer.
4. Allow the pairs to engage in conversation for 2-3 minutes, with the Conversation Driver using techniques like asking open-ended questions, showing interest, and making connecting comments. Meanwhile, the Conversation Stopper should use tactics like giving one-word answers, not asking questions, and avoiding eye contact.
5. After the time is up, have the students switch roles and repeat the process with a new topic.
6. Once both rounds are complete, gather the class together for a group discussion about their experiences and observations.

Discussion Questions

Use these discussion questions to encourage further reflection and conversation among your students:

• How did it feel to be the Conversation Driver? What strategies did you use to keep the conversation going?
• How did it feel to be the Conversation Stopper? How did you stop the conversation from progressing?
• What challenges did you face in each role? How can you overcome these challenges in real-life conversations?
• Why is it important to use Conversation Drivers in our daily interactions with others?
• How can we improve our conversation skills to build stronger relationships with our peers and teachers?

Related Skills

Teaching conversation skills is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Here are some other related skills that can help students develop healthy relationships and effective communication:

• Active listening: Encouraging students to listen attentively to others and respond thoughtfully.
• Empathy: Teaching students to understand and share the feelings of others.
• Conflict resolution: Helping students navigate disagreements and find mutually beneficial solutions.
• Respect: Fostering a culture of respect for diverse opinions, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Teamwork: Encouraging collaboration and cooperation among students to achieve common goals.

Next Steps

If you’re looking for more resources to teach conversation skills and other essential Social-Emotional Learning concepts to your students, we invite you to explore the free sample materials available at Everyday Speech. These resources can help you create engaging and effective lessons that support the development of your students’ social-emotional skills.