Introduction

Sharing and asking for permission are essential skills for students in Special Education to learn. These skills help create a positive social environment and foster healthy relationships among peers. Through Social-Emotional Learning, educators can teach students the importance of sharing and asking permission during playtime to ensure everyone has a fun and enjoyable experience. In this blog post, we will discuss an easy, no-prep activity to teach these skills, along with discussion questions, related skills, and next steps for educators.

No-Prep Activity: The Sharing and Asking Permission Game

This simple activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. It allows students to practice sharing and asking for permission in a safe and controlled environment. Here’s how to execute the activity:

1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each pair or group with a set of toys, games, or other objects that they can share.
3. Encourage the students to play together, making sure to emphasize the importance of sharing and asking for permission before using another person’s toy or game.
4. Observe the students as they play, offering guidance and support when necessary.
5. After the activity, gather the students for a debriefing and discussion.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to stimulate further discussions among the students:

• How did it feel when you shared your toys or games with others? How did it feel when others shared with you?
• How did you feel when someone asked for your permission before using your toy or game? How did you feel when someone didn’t ask for permission?
• Why is it important to share and ask for permission during playtime? How does it affect our relationships with others?
• Can you think of other situations where it’s important to share and ask for permission? How can we practice these skills in those situations?
• What can we do if we forget to share or ask for permission? How can we make it right?

Related Skills

Teaching sharing and asking for permission in Special Education is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills that educators can focus on include:

• Active listening and communication
• Respecting personal boundaries
• Empathy and understanding others’ feelings
• Cooperation and teamwork
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about teaching sharing and asking for permission in Special Education through Social-Emotional Learning, it’s time to put these skills into practice. To help you get started, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of these skills and others at Everyday Speech. These resources will provide you with more activities, lessons, and ideas to support your students’ social-emotional growth and development.