Introduction

Conversations are an essential part of our daily lives, and helping PreK students develop the skills to start and end conversations is crucial for their social-emotional development. In this blog post, we will explore a no-prep activity to teach these skills, along with discussion questions and related skills that can support your students’ growth in this area.

No-Prep Activity

Here is a simple no-prep activity that requires no additional materials or preparation from the educator:

1. Ask your students to pair up and stand facing each other.
2. Explain that one student will start a conversation by getting their partner’s attention and greeting them with a “hi” or “hey.”
3. The other student will respond with a greeting, and they will have a short conversation about a predetermined topic, such as their favorite toy or a recent event.
4. After a minute or so, signal the students to end their conversation using one of the methods discussed in the introduction: stating why they are ending the conversation, making a final connected comment, or apologizing for interrupting.
5. Finally, they should say goodbye with a phrase like “bye” or “see you later” before walking away or turning to face another direction.
6. Have the students switch roles and repeat the activity.

This activity allows students to practice beginning and ending conversations in a structured and supportive environment, reinforcing the importance of these skills in their social-emotional development.

Discussion Questions

After completing the no-prep activity, engage your students in a discussion with the following questions:

1. How did it feel to start and end a conversation with your partner?
2. Why is it important to greet someone when starting a conversation?
3. How can we make sure we are ending a conversation politely and at the right time?
4. What are some other phrases we can use to start or end a conversation?
5. How can we practice these conversation skills outside of the classroom?

Related Skills

Teaching students the art of beginning and ending conversations is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that can support their development include:

• Active listening: Encourage students to pay attention and respond appropriately to their conversation partners.
• Empathy: Help students understand and share the feelings of others during conversations.
• Nonverbal communication: Teach students to recognize and interpret body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
• Conflict resolution: Guide students in resolving disagreements or misunderstandings that may arise during conversations.
• Respect for others: Foster a classroom environment where students treat each other with kindness and respect during conversations.

Next Steps

If you found this blog post helpful and would like to access more resources to support your students’ social-emotional learning, sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and others at Everyday Speech. These materials can help you create engaging and effective lessons that promote the development of essential conversation skills in your PreK students.