Friendship plays a pivotal role in our lives, especially during the foundational years of childhood. As educators, we are entrusted not only with the academic growth of our students but also their social development. To help you in this endeavor, we’re delving deep into the qualities of a good friend. And guess what? We’ve got a treat for you – a free elementary friendship board game from Everyday Speech that you can download and integrate into your teaching strategy!
Why Is Teaching About Friendship Important?
Children, especially those in elementary school, are still in the process of learning about the world around them. Their interactions with peers provide a foundation for relationships that will influence their social behavior for the rest of their lives. By teaching them the qualities of a good friend, we’re equipping them with the tools they need to build strong, supportive relationships.
Objectives of the Friendship Lesson
The downloadable friendship board game from Everyday Speech centers around five key objectives to develop basic friendship skills:
- Showing Interest: The ability to show interest in someone else’s hobbies, stories, or feelings.
- Turn-taking: Recognizing the importance of give and take in conversations and activities.
- Acting Like a Friend: Behaving in a manner that fosters trust and mutual respect.
- Solving Conflicts with Friends: Identifying issues and addressing them in a healthy, constructive manner.
- Communicating with Friends: Using words and actions effectively to convey thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
Introducing the Free Elementary Friendship Board Game
This game is a treasure trove of scenarios, challenges, and opportunities to teach these core skills. Here’s how you can seamlessly incorporate this into your classroom:
Lesson Plan
Duration: 30 minutes
- Introduction (5 minutes)
- Begin with a short discussion on what makes a good friend.
- Introduce the Free Elementary Friendship Board Game.
- Playing the Game (15 minutes)
- Divide the class into small groups, providing each group with a game board.
- Allow them to play, ensuring each student gets a turn. As they progress, prompt them with questions related to the objectives.
- Discussion (5 minutes)
- Once the game concludes, encourage students to share their experiences. What did they learn? Were there any challenging scenarios?
- Conclusion (5 minutes)
- Reiterate the importance of the qualities discussed and remind them of the significance of being a good friend.
Concluding Thoughts
In conclusion, the foundation of good friendships is laid in childhood. As educators, we can play an influential role in shaping these interactions. By using engaging tools like the Friendship Board Game from Everyday Speech, we can make this journey both educational and fun.
Sample Video
Students learn best from watching real students their own age model skills. Try out this sample video-modeling lesson below. We offer our entire Social-Emotional Learning platform free for 30 days here!
Related Blog Posts:
Free Elementary Friendship Material
Teaching Elementary Students the Qualities of Good Friends
Building Strong Foundations: Friendship Skills for Elementary Students
