Everyday Speech Blog
Social Skill Lesson Plans and Articles
Free Middle School Problem-Solving Activity: Learning to Compromise
Middle school students encounter situations that require compromise every day—choosing group project topics, negotiating plans with friends, or sharing common spaces at home and school. However, learning how to find solutions that work for everyone takes practice....
Free Middle School Problem-Solving Activity: Understanding the Problem Scale
Middle schoolers encounter challenges every day—forgetting homework, dealing with friendship conflicts, missing the bus, or feeling overwhelmed by assignments. But not every problem is the same. Some are small and can be solved independently, while others are more...
Problem-Solving Activity for Elementary: Finding Solutions
Every day, elementary students face challenges—whether it’s figuring out how to fix a mistake, navigating a disagreement with a classmate, or deciding what to do when they forget an assignment. The ability to think through these situations and make thoughtful...
How Everyday Speech Creates Engaging Video Lessons for Secondary Students
Engaging middle and high school students in relevant, collaborative learning experiences is a challenge many educators face. Research shows that student engagement is linked to critical outcomes such as academic achievement, school completion, and overall well-being....
Free High School Problem-Solving Activity: Brainstorming Solutions
High school students encounter challenges every day—balancing academics, managing friendships, dealing with frustration, and making tough decisions about the future. Without effective problem-solving skills, they may feel stuck, react impulsively, or struggle to find...
Teaching the Problem-Solving Process: Free Poster & Lesson Plan for Elementary Students
Every day, elementary students face challenges—whether it’s figuring out how to fix a mistake, resolve a disagreement, or make a tough decision. But without a clear process, students may feel frustrated, stuck, or unsure of what to do next. Related resources: See our...
Free Preschool & Kindergarten Problem-Solving Activity: My Problem-Solving Toolbox
Problem-solving is one of the most important skills young learners can develop. Every day, preschoolers and kindergarteners face small challenges—sharing toys, taking turns, finding missing items, or figuring out what to do when something doesn’t go as planned....
Free Problem-Solving Lesson Plan for High School: The Problem Scale
High school students face challenges every day—missed assignments, social conflicts, test anxiety, and big decisions about the future. Without the right skills, they may feel overwhelmed, react impulsively, or struggle to find effective solutions. Related resources:...
Free Preschool Problem-Solving Activity: How to Ask for Help
Preschoolers are still learning how to navigate everyday challenges—whether it’s needing help tying their shoes, asking for a turn with a toy, or figuring out how to express their feelings. One of the most important skills they can develop at this age is learning how...
No-Prep Activities
Solve It: A Game to Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Middle School Students
Introduction Teaching problem-solving skills to middle school students can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. With Solve It, educators can guide students through a step-by-step process that helps them address everyday issues in a structured and effective...
Building Strong Friendships: A Guide for Middle School Educators
Introduction Friendships are an essential aspect of social-emotional development in middle school students. Friends provide support, happiness, and trust, all of which contribute to a positive school experience. By guiding students to build strong friendships,...
Helping Elementary Students Agree More Often: A Social-Emotional Learning Activity
Introduction Everyone has their own opinions and feelings about various topics. As educators, it’s essential to teach students the importance of being aware of how often they disagree with others. Agreeing more often can lead to positive feelings and better...
Compromising and Controlling Feelings: A Guide for Elementary Educators
Introduction As educators, we understand that teaching students to compromise and control their feelings is essential for their social and emotional growth. This blog post will focus on the skill of compromising, which involves finding a middle ground when there are...
Teaching the Importance of Handwashing to Elementary Students
Introduction Handwashing is an essential skill that not only promotes good hygiene but also contributes to a healthy environment for everyone. It is important for educators to teach their students the significance of washing their hands, as well as when and how to do...
Developing Cyber Skills for Online Messaging: A Guide for Educators
As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our students how to communicate effectively and safely online. With the increasing popularity of online messaging, it is essential to equip students with the right Cyber Skills to ensure a positive online...
Understanding Bullying: Types, Prevention, and Social-Emotional Learning
As educators, it is our responsibility to create a safe and supportive environment for all students. One important aspect of this is addressing and preventing bullying. In this blog post, we will discuss what bullying is, the various types of bullying, and how to...
Teaching PreK Students to Change the Channel on Strong Emotions
Introduction Strong emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness can fill our whole brain and make us choose poor decisions. Learning to control emotions, even strong ones, is an essential skill for students in their early years. By teaching them to "Change the...
Teaching PreK Students to Act Interested – A Social Rule for Better Connections
Introduction As educators, we strive to teach our PreK students various social skills that will help them build better connections and friendships. One such skill is the ability to act interested in what others are saying, even if the topic might not be interesting to...
Teaching PreK Students to Stay Calm and Focused When Others Aren’t Following Rules
Introduction As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our young students how to stay calm and focused when they encounter situations where others are not following rules. In a PreK classroom, this skill is essential for fostering a positive and...
PreK Conversation Drivers and Stoppers: Bingo Game Activity for Educators
In today's world, effective communication is an essential skill. As educators, we strive to teach our students how to engage in meaningful conversations and develop their social skills. This blog post focuses on a fun and engaging activity called Conversation Drivers...
Teaching Kindergarten Students to Address Distractions and Communicate Respectfully
Introduction As educators, we strive to create a positive learning environment for our students. An important aspect of this is teaching Kindergarten students how to address distractions and communicate respectfully with others. By developing these skills, students...
Teaching Elementary Students the Importance of Answering Questions
Introduction Effective communication is a fundamental aspect of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). One key aspect of communication is teaching elementary students the importance of answering questions when asked. By doing so, they learn to be more considerate,...
PreK Educators: Introducing the Conversation Measuring Cup
Introduction Welcome to the world of the Conversation Measuring Cup, a valuable concept that helps PreK students understand how to balance their talking turns during conversations. The Conversation Measuring Cup teaches children to adjust the length of their responses...
Helping Students Evaluate Relationships: A Guide for Special Education Educators
Introduction Relationships play a vital role in our lives, and understanding how to evaluate them is an essential skill. In this blog post, we will discuss an activity to help students in special education settings reflect on their relationships, identify potential...