Self-advocacy is an essential skill for high schoolers, especially for students who have specific learning needs and accommodations. Knowing how to effectively communicate one’s needs can be a game-changer in the classroom and beyond. Everyday Speech’s social communication game, Moonwalk, offers a dynamic and engaging way of helping high schoolers advocate for their accommodations. Through interactive gameplay, Moonwalk focuses on empowering students to navigate real-life scenarios where they must advocate for their school accommodations.
The Importance of Teaching Self-Advocacy
As students transition into high school, the level of responsibility they bear increases. They are expected to be more independent in managing their workload, navigating social situations, and understanding their personal learning needs. For students with learning differences, knowing how to advocate for their accommodations is crucial for success.
Not only does self-advocacy boost self-confidence, but it also prepares students for life beyond high school, where they will need to independently navigate accommodations in higher education or the workplace. Moonwalk takes this critical skill and turns it into an interactive experience, where students can practice in a safe and controlled environment.
Introducing Moonwalk’s Interactive Module
The Moonwalk module is designed to teach self-advocacy by simulating real-life scenarios that students may encounter in school. Through a series of challenges, students encounter common situations where they might need to ask for accommodations, such as requesting written instructions for verbal assignments or asking for extra time on a test.
The game uses a GOOD-Better-Best format, allowing students to select from a range of possible responses. This format helps them understand the effectiveness of different ways to self-advocate, from simply asking for help to confidently reminding their teacher of their accommodation plan.
How It Works
In Moonwalk, students see scenarios such as:
- Scenario: You were given verbal instructions for an assignment, but you need them written down. What do you do?
- Good: Politely ask the teacher to write down the instructions.
- Better: Ask a classmate for help in writing down the instructions.
- Best: Remind the teacher of your accommodation for written instructions and request them.
Through this interactive decision-making process, students practice evaluating the effectiveness of their actions and receive immediate feedback based on their choices. Therefore, they also witness how their chosen responses affect the behavior and emotions of their virtual classmates or teachers, reinforcing the impact of self-advocacy on both personal success and classroom dynamics.
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High school educators can access Moonwalk and other interactive modules from Everyday Speech through our platform. Our digital tools, including video modeling lessons and interactive games, support social communication, self-regulation, and problem-solving skills.
New users can take advantage of a free trial, allowing you to explore Moonwalk and see firsthand how it can benefit your students. Whether you’re looking to implement a structured self-advocacy lesson or want to integrate it into a broader social skills curriculum, Moonwalk offers a practical, fun, and effective way to teach self-advocacy in high school.
Conclusion
Empowering high schoolers to advocate for their accommodations is crucial to their academic and personal success. Everyday Speech’s Moonwalk module provides a unique and interactive way to teach these skills, making it easier for students to practice and apply self-advocacy in real-world situations. By integrating this tool into your classroom, you’re equipping your students with the confidence and skills they need to navigate the school environment—and beyond—effectively.
Let Moonwalk be your go-to resource for Helping High Schoolers Advocate for Their Accommodations. Start your free trial today and see how this engaging, interactive tool can transform your teaching and student learning experiences!
Sample Video
Students learn best by watching others their same-age model the behavior! Check out a sample video modeling lesson below. We offer our entire Social-Emotional Learning platform free for 14 days here!
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