Introduction

Communication is a crucial aspect of a child’s social-emotional development. One way to enhance communication skills is by understanding conversation drivers and stoppers. Conversation drivers are strategies that help start or maintain a conversation, while conversation stoppers can prematurely end a conversation. This blog post will introduce an enjoyable, no-prep activity called Conversation Drivers and Stoppers Bingo, designed to help elementary students recognize and practice using conversation drivers while avoiding conversation stoppers.

No-Prep Activity

Conversation Drivers and Stoppers Bingo is an easy-to-implement activity that requires no preparation or materials from the educator. Here’s how to play:

1. Divide the students into small groups or pairs.
2. Ask each student to create a simple 4×4 bingo board on a piece of paper, with each square containing a conversation driver or stopper (e.g., asking open-ended questions, showing interest, giving one-word answers, or interrupting).
3. Have students take turns role-playing different conversation scenarios. One student will use a conversation driver or stopper from their bingo board, and the other student(s) must identify and mark it on their own board.
4. If a student gets four drivers or stoppers in a row—up, down, across, or diagonal—they can say “bingo!” The first person to get bingo is the winner.

Throughout the game, pause to discuss how different conversation drivers and stoppers affect the flow of communication and the feelings of those involved.

Discussion Questions

Here are some questions to stimulate further discussions about conversation drivers and stoppers:

• How did it feel when someone used a conversation driver in the role-play? How about a conversation stopper?
• Can you think of a time when you used a conversation driver or stopper in real life? How did it affect the conversation?
• Why is it important to use conversation drivers and avoid conversation stoppers?
• What are some strategies to help you remember to use conversation drivers during your everyday conversations?

Related Skills

Besides conversation drivers and stoppers, there are other essential social-emotional skills that can help elementary students communicate effectively and build strong relationships:

• Active listening: Paying attention, making eye contact, and nodding to show understanding and interest in the conversation.
• Empathy: Putting oneself in another person’s shoes and understanding their feelings and perspectives.
• Assertiveness: Expressing one’s thoughts, feelings, and needs respectfully and confidently.
• Conflict resolution: Addressing disagreements in a constructive and respectful manner.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve explored Conversation Drivers and Stoppers Bingo, you can further enhance your students’ social-emotional learning by accessing a variety of free sample materials, including videos, games, and activities. Sign up for free samples and discover more engaging resources to support your students’ social-emotional development.