Introduction

As educators, it’s important to help our students develop essential social skills that will enable them to interact with others effectively. One such skill is the art of politely interrupting a conversation. This blog post will discuss the importance of teaching kindergarten students how to interrupt a conversation considerately, provide a no-prep activity for educators to use, offer discussion questions to stimulate further conversations, and mention related skills that can be developed in tandem. Finally, we’ll provide information on how to access free sample materials to help you continue building these skills in your students.

No-Prep Activity: The Polite Interruption Game

This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be conducted in a classroom setting. Here’s how it works:

1. Divide your students into groups of three or four.
2. Ask one student in each group to start a conversation on any topic. The other students in the group should join the conversation.
3. After a minute or so, have another student in the group practice interrupting the conversation politely. They should follow these steps:
1. Approach the group and stand nearby.
2. Say “sorry” or apologize for the interruption.
3. Explain the reason for the interruption, ensuring it’s important or urgent.
4. The other students in the group should respond positively, acknowledging the interruption and addressing the concern.
5. Rotate roles within the group, allowing each student to practice polite interruption and responding to it.

This activity helps kindergarten students understand the importance of being considerate when interrupting others and gives them the opportunity to practice this skill in a controlled environment.

Discussion Questions

After completing the activity, engage your students in a conversation about polite interruptions using these discussion questions:

1. Why is it important to be polite when interrupting a conversation?
2. How did it feel when you were interrupted during the activity? How did you feel when you were the one interrupting?
3. What are some other situations where you might need to interrupt someone politely? Can you think of any examples from your own experiences?
4. How would you feel if someone interrupted you without being polite? How would you handle that situation?

Related Skills

In addition to teaching students how to interrupt conversations politely, there are other related social-emotional skills that can benefit kindergarten students. These include:

• Active listening: Encouraging students to pay attention when others are speaking, making eye contact, and responding appropriately.
• Empathy: Helping students understand and share the feelings of others, which can lead to more considerate behavior in social situations.
• Conflict resolution: Teaching students how to handle disagreements respectfully and find solutions that work for everyone involved.
• Communication: Developing students’ ability to express themselves clearly and confidently in various social contexts.

Next Steps

Now that you have an idea of how to teach kindergarten students the art of polite interruption, you may be interested in exploring more social-emotional learning activities for your classroom. Sign up for free sample materials to help you continue building these skills in your students and create a more harmonious classroom environment. You’ll find resources that cover a wide range of topics, including those mentioned in the “Related Skills” section.