Introduction

One of the essential skills for developing healthy communication and social interactions is learning when to think before speaking. In this blog post, we will introduce a fun and engaging activity called Two Sides, designed to help elementary students differentiate between thoughts they should keep in their head and those they can say out loud. The activity promotes Social-Emotional Learning by encouraging students to consider the impact of their words on others, fostering empathy and kindness.

No-Prep Activity

Two Sides is a simple, no-prep activity that requires no additional materials from the educator. The game involves presenting students with various scenarios, asking them to decide whether the characters in the situation should Think It or Say It. The objective is to determine if the thought or statement could potentially hurt or offend someone, in which case it should be kept in the head. If the thought is kind, helpful, and respectful, it can be shared out loud.

To play the game, the educator can either create their own scenarios or use examples from everyday situations that students may encounter. For instance, a student might think their classmate’s drawing isn’t very good. In this case, the thought should be kept in their head to avoid hurting the classmate’s feelings. Alternatively, a student may want to compliment their peer on their excellent presentation. This thought can be shared, as it’s kind and encouraging.

Discussion Questions

Here are some questions to stimulate further discussions among students:

1. Why is it important to think before we speak?
2. How can our words affect others, both positively and negatively?
3. Can you think of a time when you chose to keep a thought in your head instead of saying it out loud? How did that make you feel?
4. What strategies can we use to communicate our thoughts respectfully, even when we disagree with someone or need to correct them?
5. How can practicing empathy help us decide whether to think or say something?

Related Skills

Teaching students to think before speaking is just one of many essential skills that contribute to their social-emotional development. Other related skills include:

• Active listening
• Empathy and understanding others’ feelings
• Conflict resolution
• Assertiveness and setting boundaries
• Gratitude and appreciation

Next Steps

If you’re interested in exploring more activities like Two Sides and other Social-Emotional Learning resources, we invite you to sign up for free samples of our materials at Everyday Speech. Our comprehensive library includes videos, games, and worksheets designed to help educators teach valuable social-emotional skills to their students. Don’t miss out on these engaging and effective resources!