Introduction

Teaching students in Special Education to ask for what they need is an essential skill that fosters independence, self-advocacy, and social-emotional development. By incorporating principles of Social-Emotional Learning, educators can help students better understand their needs, communicate effectively, and build meaningful relationships with others. This blog post provides an overview of an easy-to-implement activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators teach students the valuable skill of asking for what they need.

No-Prep Activity: The “Ask for Help” Role-Play

This no-prep activity is designed to help students practice asking for what they need in various situations. Begin by explaining the importance of asking for help or expressing needs when necessary. Then, provide some common scenarios for students to practice role-playing. Here’s how to conduct the activity:

1. Divide students into pairs.
2. Assign each pair a scenario that requires one student to ask for help or express a need (e.g., needing help to tie their shoelaces, asking for directions, or requesting a break).
3. Allow each pair to practice the scenario, taking turns playing both roles.
4. After each pair has practiced, have them share their experience with the class, discussing what worked well and what could be improved.

This activity not only helps students practice asking for what they need but also allows them to experience the perspective of the person being asked for help, fostering empathy and understanding.

Discussion Questions

To further explore the concept of asking for what they need, engage students in a discussion using the following questions:

• Why is it important to ask for what you need?
• How does asking for what you need help build relationships with others?
• What are some situations where you might need to ask for help or express a need?
• How can you ask for help or express a need in a respectful and effective way?
• How does it feel when someone asks you for help or expresses their needs?

Related Skills

In addition to teaching students to ask for what they need, other related skills can help them develop their social-emotional competencies. Some of these skills include:

• Active listening: Encourage students to listen attentively to others, which helps build understanding and empathy.
• Empathy: Teach students to put themselves in another’s shoes to better understand their feelings and perspectives.
• Assertiveness: Help students learn to express their needs, opinions, and feelings in a confident and respectful manner.
• Problem-solving: Guide students in developing strategies to address challenges and conflicts in a constructive way.

Next Steps

Now that you have a better understanding of how to teach students to ask for what they need, we encourage you to explore more resources and activities to support their social-emotional development. To access free sample materials related to this skill and others, sign up at Everyday Speech. These resources will provide you with the tools and strategies needed to promote social-emotional learning in your classroom and help your students thrive.