Everyday Speech Blog
Social Skill Lesson Plans and Articles
Conversation Skills Activities for High School Students
By high school, conversations become more nuanced. Students are expected to shift between informal peer interactions and more formal exchanges with adults, adjust their tone and language, and handle topics that are increasingly complex or sensitive. Strong...
Conversation Skills Activities for Middle School Students
In middle school, conversation skills become more layered and socially demanding. Students are expected to respond to different audiences, adapt their language based on context, and participate in more dynamic exchanges with peers and adults. These skills affect more...
10 Conversation Skills Activities for Elementary Students
Strong conversation skills help elementary students become confident, collaborative communicators. At this age, students are learning how to start and maintain conversations with peers, stay on topic, and express themselves appropriately in social settings. These...
How to Prevent the Summer Slide (Free Materials for PK-12)
When school ends for the year, social learning often pauses. Without structured routines, peer interaction, and adult support, many students begin to lose the communication and self-regulation skills they worked hard to build. This regression—often called the summer...
Conversation Skills Activities for Pre-K and Kindergarten
Preschool and kindergarten students are just beginning to learn what it means to have a conversation. These early skills don’t develop automatically. Most students need direct instruction, consistent modeling, and lots of guided practice. This page brings together...
Conversation Skills Activity for Elementary: Conversation Stoplight Practice Cards
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Elementary students are just beginning to learn how to manage back-and-forth conversations. They may interrupt without realizing it,...
Conversation Skills Activity for Middle School: Connected Comments Spinner
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Many middle school students struggle to stay on topic in conversation. They may respond with unrelated comments, repeat themselves...
Download Conversation Cards: Free High School Activity for Communication Skills
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Teaching conversation skills is a foundational step toward building student confidence in both academic and social settings. By high...
Conversation Skills Activity for High School: Conversation GPS Packet
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.High school students often need structured tools to help them manage the flow of conversation. Even when students can start a...
No-Prep Activities
Teaching PreK Students to Manage Stress with Deep Breathing Techniques
Introduction In today's fast-paced world, even young children can experience stress and anxiety. As educators, we can help them develop healthy coping strategies to manage these emotions. One such technique is deep breathing, which can be easily incorporated into the...
Empowering Independence: Fostering Self-Reliance in Special Education Students
Introduction Gaining independence is a crucial aspect of personal growth that positively impacts self-esteem, confidence, and opportunities for learning. As students grow up, they increasingly rely less on others and take the initiative to do things on their own. For...
Calming Strategies for Students in Special Education: Activities and Discussion Questions
Introduction Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is an essential aspect of education, especially for students in special education. Teaching calming strategies and self-regulation techniques can help students better manage their emotions and behavior. In this blog post,...
Teaching the Skill of Asking a Friend to Play: Activities and Discussion Questions
In this blog post, we will explore the essential skill of asking a friend to play, which is a crucial aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. We will provide you with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, related skills, and next steps to help educators teach this...
Taking Responsibility: A Key Skill for Social-Emotional Learning
Introduction Taking responsibility is a crucial aspect of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). It means being accountable for our actions, acknowledging our mistakes, and trying to fix them. When students take responsibility, they understand that their choices are their...
Teaching Good Hygiene Practices: A Guide for Educators
Good hygiene is essential for maintaining our health and ensuring that we have positive social interactions. As educators, it's important to promote good hygiene habits among students, so they can develop lifelong routines that keep them healthy and make others feel...
Teaching Kindergarteners Effective Handwashing Techniques and Related Social-Emotional Skills
Introduction Handwashing is an essential skill that everyone should learn from an early age. For kindergarten students, it is important to teach them not only the mechanics of handwashing but also the underlying principles of hygiene and self-care. In this blog post,...
Teaching Students the Art of Compromise: A Guide for Educators
Introduction As educators, we understand that disagreements are a natural part of human interaction. One of the most valuable skills we can teach our students is the art of compromise. Compromising is a way to find common ground and resolve conflicts while maintaining...
Act It Out! Empathy Role-Playing Game for Elementary Students
Introduction Welcome to Act It Out!, a role-playing game designed to help elementary students develop empathy and understand the feelings of others. Empathy is a vital skill in social-emotional learning, allowing students to relate to one another's emotions and...
Teaching Kindergarten Students to Keep Calm and Follow the Group
Introduction As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our students how to adapt to different situations and handle their emotions in a healthy way. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in developing these skills. One vital skill for...
Teaching Students to Get Attention Respectfully: Activities and Discussions
Introduction One essential skill for students to learn is how to get someone's attention in a respectful and polite way. This is a vital aspect of social-emotional learning, as it fosters positive interactions and relationships among peers and educators. In this blog...
Teaching High School Students to Drive Conversations Forward
Introduction Conversations are an essential part of everyday life, and engaging in meaningful conversations is a crucial skill for high school students to develop. In this blog post, we will discuss how to teach students to drive or keep a conversation going by asking...
Teaching Indirect Communication Skills to Address Mistakes Respectfully
Introduction Everyone makes mistakes, including adults like parents and teachers. It's important for students to learn how to correct someone without being disrespectful or hurting their feelings. This blog post focuses on teaching middle school students the...
Enhancing Connected Play and Social-Emotional Learning in PreK Classrooms
Introduction Connected play is an essential skill for young students to develop strong social-emotional learning foundations. When children learn to connect their play with others, they enhance their communication, cooperation, and empathy skills. This blog post will...
Teaching Effective Communication with the Conversation Stoplight
Introduction Educators working with elementary students often face the challenge of teaching effective communication skills. One effective method to help students develop these skills is the Conversation Stoplight. This concept helps students understand when to start...
