Many elementary students benefit from explicit instruction and visual supports to grow their perspective taking abilities. Everyday Speech’s Tuning In Goal Poster provides a simple, visually engaging tool for introducing and reinforcing these important social skills.

Download Poster and Lesson Plan

Taking the time to teach and revisit perspective taking can lay the foundation for improved relationships, classroom participation, and problem-solving abilities.

What Is Perspective Taking?

Perspective taking involves recognizing and considering the thoughts, feelings, and points of view of others in various situations. For young learners, this goes beyond understanding one’s own experience. It includes being able to tune in to the cues of people around them and acknowledge that others might interpret situations differently.

Effective perspective taking is rooted in situational awareness—the ability to observe what is happening in an environment, interpret social cues, and imagine other possible viewpoints. These skills are foundational for navigating classroom routines, making and keeping friends, resolving conflicts, and participating in group work.

In practical terms, perspective taking is the bridge between observation and empathy, as it helps students begin to step outside their own perspective and anticipate how others might feel or react.

Why Teach Perspective Taking?

Teaching perspective taking offers many immediate and long-term benefits for elementary students. Perspective taking is not innate for many learners, and intentional instruction with visual supports like the Tuning In Goal Poster helps develop these habits within real situations. Key reasons to teach perspective taking include:

• Helps students build empathy and deepen friendships
• Reduces social conflicts and misunderstandings
• Improves classroom collaboration and group work skills
• Supports problem-solving and flexible thinking
• Fosters greater classroom inclusivity and respect
• Strengthens emotional regulation by connecting feelings to social cues
• Builds a foundation for later academic and life success

Students who develop perspective taking skills are often better able to adapt their behaviors, respond to feedback, and maintain positive relationships with peers and teachers.

Lesson Plan: Using Tuning In

The Tuning In Goal Poster, available as a no-prep PDF (download here), features simple visuals and language that make an abstract skill accessible and concrete for young learners. This lesson approach can be used in individual or small group sessions, in classrooms, or as part of schoolwide initiatives.

Step 1: Introduce the Poster and Key Vocabulary

Begin the lesson by displaying the Tuning In Goal Poster for students to see. Read aloud the main prompt from the poster—which asks students to notice what is happening, pay attention to others, and think about how people might feel or react. Key terms such as “tuning in,” “perspective,” and “others’ feelings” can be introduced or reviewed, depending on students’ familiarity.

Encourage discussion by asking students what it means to “tune in” in daily life. Frame tuning in as a social superpower that helps students be aware of what is happening around them.

Step 2: Model Perspective Taking Using Scenarios

Use common school-based situations to model the process of tuning in and perspective taking. For example, describe a scenario: “You see a classmate sitting alone at recess.” Guide students through the steps of tuning in:

• Notice what is happening (the classmate is sitting alone)
• Consider how the person might feel (lonely, sad, or maybe just tired)
• Think about what you could do (offer to play, ask if they are ok)

As an alternative, invite students to generate their own examples from recent experiences. This modeling helps concretize an abstract skill and shows students how to actively use perspective taking in real life.

Step 3: Engage in Structured Group Practice

Provide multiple, brief scenarios for students to practice as a group. Each scenario should prompt students to observe, interpret, and predict another’s thoughts or feelings. After presenting each scenario, ask students questions such as:

• “What do you notice?”
• “How do you think this person feels?”
• “What might you say or do next?”

Encourage students to refer to the Tuning In Poster as they answer, reinforcing the visual as a constant reference. Each small success at tuning in reinforces both self and peer awareness.

Step 4: Make Connections to Real-Life Contexts

Ask students to remember a recent time when they saw a peer upset, excited, confused, or frustrated. Have them share what they noticed about the person—both the situation and the social cues (body language, tone of voice, facial expressions). Discuss as a group how perspective taking could help in that situation, focusing on the possible thoughts and feelings of others, and how students might respond in supportive ways.

Highlight that every classroom and playground is full of opportunities to practice tuning in and noticing how others experience the same events differently.

Step 5: Personalize Perspective Taking Goals

Invite each student to set a simple, personal goal for tuning in. Encourage them to refer to the goal poster and pick one step they want to focus on—such as noticing more details about what peers are doing, or asking a question to learn more about someone’s feelings. Students may write their goal on a sticky note, journal, or even on a copy of the poster.

Personalizing the goal and writing it down helps increase ownership and motivation.

Step 6: Review and Reinforce

Wrap up by revisiting the Tuning In Poster as a class. Summarize the steps, celebrate any insights or effort, and discuss when and how students can keep practicing in daily life. Remind students that tuning in takes practice but is a skill that makes friendships and classroom life better for everyone.

Supporting Perspective Taking After the Activity

Perspective taking, like any social skill, develops over time with consistent reinforcement. Here are several strategies for maintaining and deepening this skill beyond one lesson:

• Post the Tuning In Goal Poster in a visible classroom space. Refer to it regularly, especially during social problem-solving or group interactions.
• Provide frequent, specific praise for students who demonstrate tuning in to others. For example, “I noticed how you checked in with your partner when they looked confused.”
• Incorporate perspective taking prompts into daily routines. During morning meetings, ask students to share how they think others felt in shared experiences.
• Pair students for role-plays where one child practices perspective taking and the other provides feedback.
• Connect perspective taking to literacy or content area lessons by discussing character motivations and viewpoints during read-alouds or social studies.
• Encourage family members to reinforce tuning in at home, using similar language and the same poster visuals.
• For students needing extra support, provide individual check-ins or small-group practice using real-life examples from recess, lunch, or the classroom.

Integrating the Tuning In language and strategies into daily classroom and school routines ensures perspective taking becomes a habit, not just a lesson.

Wrapping Up: Building Habits of Tuning In

Developing strong perspective taking skills is vital for elementary students as they learn to navigate increasingly complex social environments. Tools like the Tuning In Goal Poster offer concrete, visual reminders that make these processes accessible for all learners, including those who may need more repetition or visual cues.

Supporting students in noticing what is happening around them, considering others’ feelings, and choosing constructive responses lays a powerful foundation for both individual confidence and lasting friendships.With consistent modeling and reinforcement, the language of tuning in can become a natural part of classroom culture.

Over time, students become more attuned to the needs and emotions of those around them, building a classroom where empathy and understanding are practiced every day. For clinicians, educators, and related service providers, this goal is not just about mastering a single skill but about preparing students for success beyond the classroom walls.

Download the Tuning In Goal Poster and integrate it into your daily routines for a simple, effective boost to perspective taking instruction at the elementary level.