Introduction
Staying on topic is an essential skill for students to develop, as it enables them to participate in meaningful conversations and build strong relationships. This blog post will explore the concept of staying on topic, provide a no-prep activity for educators to use in the classroom, and offer discussion questions to encourage further exploration of this important skill. By practicing staying on topic, students will improve their communication abilities and foster better connections with their peers.
No-Prep Activity: Topic Tennis
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and can be easily implemented in the classroom. The goal of Topic Tennis is to help students practice staying on topic by taking turns responding to a conversation prompt while maintaining the focus on the original topic.
To play Topic Tennis, have students pair up and sit facing each other. The educator will provide a conversation starter (e.g., “Tell me about your favorite hobby”). One student will begin the conversation by responding to the prompt, and the other student will reply with a related statement or question. The conversation will continue in this manner, with each student taking turns to contribute while staying on topic. If a student goes off-topic, the educator can gently remind them to focus on the original subject. After a few minutes, the educator can provide a new conversation starter for the pairs to discuss.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to stay on topic during a conversation?
- How can you tell if someone is not staying on topic?
- What strategies can you use to help yourself stay on topic when speaking with others?
- How do you feel when someone does not stay on topic in a conversation with you?
- How can practicing staying on topic improve your communication skills and relationships with others?
Related Skills
As students develop their ability to stay on topic, they will also benefit from working on other related social-emotional learning skills, such as:
- Active listening
- Empathy and understanding others’ feelings
- Appropriate self-disclosure
- Asking open-ended questions
- Respecting others’ opinions and perspectives
Next Steps
To further support your students in developing their conversation skills and staying on topic, we encourage you to explore the free sample materials available at Everyday Speech. These resources include engaging videos, activities, and discussion prompts that can be easily integrated into your lessons to help students improve their communication abilities and build stronger relationships with their peers.
