Introduction

As educators, we know the importance of teaching our PreK students valuable social skills. One such skill is the ability to take turns in conversations. Introducing the Conversation Stoplight, a simple yet effective concept that helps students learn when to speak and when to listen during a conversation. The skills we focus on are:

• Listening for clues
• Conversation Share, which gives others a chance to talk too
• Speaking only when it’s our turn

In this blog post, we will explore a no-prep activity to teach the Conversation Stoplight, discuss related questions, and mention other relevant skills for students.

No-Prep Activity

Here’s a simple, no-prep activity to teach the Conversation Stoplight to your students:

1. Begin by explaining the concept of the Conversation Stoplight to your students. Use the following analogy: When someone else is talking, we have a red light. This means we wait and listen for clues. When the other person has finished talking, we have the green light and it’s our turn to talk.
2. Ask your students to sit in a circle. Start a conversation by asking a question, such as “What is your favorite color?”
3. Encourage your students to practice using the Conversation Stoplight. Remind them to listen for clues and wait for the green light before speaking.
4. As the conversation progresses, provide feedback and guidance to help students improve their turn-taking skills.

Discussion Questions

After completing the no-prep activity, use these discussion questions to stimulate further conversation and reflection:

1. How did it feel to use the Conversation Stoplight during our activity?
2. Why is it important to wait for the green light before speaking?
3. Can you think of a time when you didn’t use the Conversation Stoplight and it caused a misunderstanding? What happened?
4. How can you apply the Conversation Stoplight concept in your daily life?

Related Skills

Beyond the Conversation Stoplight, there are other essential social skills that can help students effectively communicate and build strong relationships. Some of these include:

• Active listening
• Empathy and understanding
• Nonverbal communication
• Conflict resolution
• Assertiveness

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about the Conversation Stoplight and how it can benefit your students, we encourage you to explore more resources and activities to further enhance their social skills. To get started, sign up for free samples of skill-building materials at Everyday Speech. These resources will provide you with additional activities and tools to help your students grow and succeed in their social interactions.