Everyday Speech Blog
Social Skill Lesson Plans and Articles
Conversation Skills Activity for Middle School: Shifting the Topic Spinner
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Students often need help recognizing how to manage the flow of a conversation. They may jump to new topics too quickly, stay stuck...
Conversation Skills Activity for High School: Conversation Drivers and Stoppers
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Many high school students need structured support to participate in reciprocal conversation. Even at this stage, it is common to see...
Online Communication Lesson for Middle School: How to Email a Teacher
Middle schoolers are expected to email teachers regularly, but few are taught how to do it well. Many students use the same tone with teachers that they would with friends. Others leave out key details or send emails that come off as abrupt or unclear. These...
Elementary Conversation Skills Poster: How to End a Conversation Respectfully
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Many students are taught how to start a conversation, but fewer are taught how to end one. That’s where this lesson comes in. Ending...
Conversation Skills Activity for Elementary: Think It or Say It
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Elementary students are still learning how to regulate their words in social situations. They may blurt out whatever they’re...
Conversation Skills Activity for Preschool: Interactive Matching Game
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Preschoolers are just beginning to learn conversation skills. They may talk over others, change the subject suddenly, or focus only...
Conversation Skills Poster for High School: Starting a Conversation
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.For many high school students, starting a conversation is harder than it sounds. They may worry about saying the wrong thing, fear...
20+ Self-Esteem Activities for Teens (Middle & High School)
Self-esteem plays a major role in how teens handle challenges, express themselves, and make decisions. But it doesn’t develop on its own. It’s built through small moments—when students reflect, speak up, or learn from a setback. This page offers no-prep,...
Conversation Skills Activity for Middle School: Drive the Conversation
Activities to Teach Conversation Skills Help students start, maintain, and deepen peer interactions with no-prep printables and lessons.Many middle school students can start a conversation, but continuing it can be a challenge. They might give short answers, go off...
No-Prep Activities
Teaching Turn-Taking in Conversation for Special Education Students
Introduction Communication is a vital skill in everyday life, and taking turns during conversations is an essential aspect of effective communication. For students in Special Education, learning to take turns while talking can be challenging. In this blog post, we...
Teaching Middle School Students to Think Before They Speak: Two Sides Activity
Introduction Encouraging students to think before they speak is an essential skill in Social-Emotional Learning. By teaching them to consider if their thoughts are kind and helpful before expressing them, we can promote a more respectful and understanding environment....
Understanding Voice Pitch and Tone in Social-Emotional Learning
As educators, we know that effective communication is a critical component of social-emotional learning. One key aspect of communication is understanding how voice pitch and tone can impact the meaning of our words. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of...
Teaching Teamwork and Collaboration Skills to Elementary Students
Introduction Teamwork and collaboration are essential skills for students to develop, as they help build strong relationships and improve problem-solving abilities. In this blog post, we will explore an easy-to-implement activity that encourages teamwork and...
Teaching Tone of Voice to Kindergarten Students: A Guide for Educators
Teaching young children about tone of voice is essential for developing their social-emotional skills. This blog post will provide educators with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and additional resources to help Kindergarten students understand how their tone...
Teaching the Importance of Eye Contact in Social-Emotional Learning
Introduction Eye contact is a foundational aspect of communication and plays a significant role in social-emotional learning. It helps us connect with others, express our feelings, and demonstrate that we are actively engaged in conversations. In this blog post, we...
Teaching Students the Art of Saying No Respectfully: A Guide for Educators
Introduction As educators, it is essential to teach students the importance of setting boundaries and respecting their own needs and feelings. One crucial aspect of this is learning how to say no in a respectful manner. By teaching students to say no politely, we help...
Developing Empathy: Activities and Discussions for Educators
Introduction Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, or "putting yourself in someone else's shoes." This essential social-emotional learning skill helps students form meaningful connections with their peers, fostering positive...
Teaching PreK Students the Art of Gentle Correction
Introduction As educators, we understand the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for our PreK students. One key aspect of this is teaching them how to handle situations where they may know more about a subject or a game than their peers....
Joining Friends on the Playground: A Guide for Educators
Introduction Playing with others on the playground is not only fun but also essential for students' social development. Sometimes, students may find themselves in situations where they need to join a game or activity that has already started. This blog post will...
Teaching High School Students the Importance of Keeping Secrets and Building Trust
Introduction Trust is a crucial aspect of any relationship, especially among high school students. One way that trust is built is by keeping secrets when someone confides in you. By respecting someone's privacy and not sharing their secrets, you demonstrate that you...
Phone Etiquette for Elementary Students: Teaching Essential Skills
Introduction Teaching phone etiquette to elementary students is an important aspect of their social development. As they begin to communicate with friends and family members over the phone, it is essential for them to learn the appropriate ways to interact. In this...
Teaching Students to Show Interest in Others’ Conversations
Introduction It is crucial for students to understand that everyone has different interests and preferences. When engaging in conversations, it is essential to show interest in what others are saying, even if the topic is not personally appealing. By actively...
Teaching Flexibility to Kindergarten Students: Activities and Discussions
Introduction Flexibility is an essential component of social-emotional learning that helps students adapt to changes and cope with unexpected situations. For kindergarten students, developing flexibility skills can lead to improved relationships, reduced stress, and...
Staying Calm in School: Strategies for High School Students
Introduction High school can be a challenging environment for students, with numerous situations that can trigger feelings of stress, anxiety, or anger. It's essential for students to learn how to stay calm and maintain self-control in these situations, not only for...