Introduction
Greeting others is a friendly way to let people know we are happy to see them. It is important to teach elementary students how to greet their friends when they first see them, as it makes them happy and helps them maintain friendships. This blog post will guide educators on how to teach students the skill of greeting a peer, discuss a no-prep activity, provide discussion questions, related skills, and suggest next steps.
No-Prep Activity: The Greeting Train
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. Have students stand in a line. The first student in line will turn to face the student behind them, smile, and say “Hi” or “Hey,” while maintaining personal space. The second student will respond with a greeting, and then turn to face the third student, repeating the process. Continue this activity until all students have greeted each other. The Greeting Train helps students practice moving closer, facing their bodies towards their peers, looking at them, smiling, and saying a greeting.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to greet our friends when we first see them?
- How does greeting a friend make both you and your friend feel?
- What are some other ways we can greet our peers, besides saying “Hi” or “Hey”?
- How can we maintain personal space while greeting a peer?
- Why is it important to smile and make eye contact when greeting someone?
Related Skills
Teaching students how to greet a peer is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other relevant skills for students include:
- Maintaining eye contact during conversations
- Listening actively to others
- Expressing empathy and understanding
- Sharing and taking turns
- Respecting personal boundaries
Next Steps
Interested in more resources to support your students’ social-emotional learning journey? Sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and others at Everyday Speech. These materials will provide you with additional tools to help teach and practice essential social skills with your elementary students.
