Everyday Speech Blog
Social Skill Lesson Plans and Articles
How to Teach Social Skills Using a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach
Teaching social skills has long been part of the work of student support teams. Speech-language pathologists, counselors, psychologists, and special educators are regularly asked to help students navigate conversations, group work, peer relationships, and...
10+ No-Prep Social Skills Games for Any Setting
Try This Problem-Solving Game for Kids: Social Road Race
Social Road Race: Solving Problems with Friends Help students work through common friendship problems by identifying problem size, thinking through actions and consequences, and choosing effective solutions with this engaging game. Play Social Road Race Helping kids...
Play This Compromising Game for Kids: Social Trivia
Social Trivia: Compromising Support flexible thinking and teamwork with a points-based game that helps students practice compromising and problem-solving in real peer situations. Play Social Trivia Helping students learn how to compromise can be one of the most...
Play This Conversation Skills Game for Teaching Connected Comments: Social Navigator
Social Navigator: Making Connected Comments Help middle and high school students practice staying on topic and making connected comments during conversations with this interactive game. Play Social Navigator Helping middle and high school students stay on topic during...
Play This Digital Citizenship Game for Middle and High School: Escaping Cyber City
Escaping Cyber City: Digital Citizenship Guide middle and high school students through online safety, digital identity protection, scam awareness, and empathetic interaction with this interactive adventure game. Play Escaping Cyber City Helping middle and high school...
Play This Free Self-Regulation Game With Students: Selby Says
Selby Says: Self-Regulation Get students up and moving while they practice self-regulation, listening, and impulse control with this no-prep game designed for real classroom and therapy use. Play Selby Says Helping students build self-regulation skills can be one of...
25+ Video Modeling Activities for Building Social Skills
Example Video Modeling Lessons for Social Skills Below are examples of video modeling lessons that support social skills development across age levels. Each video shows students what a skill looks like in action, helping them connect language, behavior, and outcomes...
Social Skills IEP Goals: Examples, Templates, and Writing Tips
How to Write IEP Goals for Social Skills Before you explore the examples below, it helps to understand what makes a strong social skills IEP goal. Each one should clearly describe what the student will do, when it will happen, and how progress will be measured. The...
No-Prep Activities
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 Kindergarten Students to Be Social Chameleons
As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our students not only academic skills but also social skills that will help them navigate the world around them. One such skill is the ability to be a Social Chameleon. This blog post will explore what it means to...
Teaching PreK Students the Importance of Staying with the Group
Introduction In the early stages of a child's development, learning to stay with the group is crucial for fostering positive social interactions and building strong relationships. This blog post will focus on an engaging no-prep activity for teaching PreK students the...
Teaching Independence to PreK Students: Activities and Discussions
Developing independence is an essential skill for young children. As they grow, they will encounter situations that require them to be self-sufficient and make decisions on their own. In this blog post, we will explore an engaging, no-prep activity that promotes...
Helping PreK Students Think Before They Speak: A Social-Emotional Learning Guide
Introduction Sometimes, people ask us questions and we’re not sure what to say. This can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. In this blog post, we'll introduce an easy, no-prep activity to help PreK students practice focusing and thinking before answering...
Teaching PreK Students to Recognize Interest in Conversations
Introduction Teaching young children effective communication skills is an essential part of their development. One crucial aspect of communication is the ability to recognize when someone is interested in the conversation. This skill helps students build better...
Teaching Personal Space to Special Education Students: Activities and Discussions
Introduction Educators working with special education students understand the importance of teaching social skills, including respecting personal space. Personal space is the invisible bubble around us that should be maintained when interacting with others. Teaching...
Teaching Small Talk Skills to Students in Special Education
Introduction Small talk is a crucial social skill that allows individuals to engage in short, polite conversations with others, especially when interacting with strangers or acquaintances. By teaching students in Special Education how to make small talk, we can help...
Box Breathing: A Powerful Technique for Middle School Students
Deep breathing is an essential skill that helps students maintain a calm state of mind, allowing them to think clearly and calmly. One such powerful technique is Box Breathing, a simple yet effective method for controlling worries, anger, and fears. In this blog post,...
Understanding and Preventing Bullying: A Guide for Special Education Educators
Introduction Bullying is a harmful behavior that can have lasting effects on individuals, especially students in special education settings. As educators, it's crucial to understand the different types of bullying and teach our students how to recognize and prevent...
Teaching Trust and Confidentiality: The Importance of Keeping Secrets
Introduction Trust and confidentiality are essential components of building healthy relationships. When someone shares a secret with us, it demonstrates their trust in our ability to keep their confidence. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of secrets and...
Enhancing Cyber Skills in Texting for PreK Students: Activities and Discussions
Introduction Texting is an important mode of communication in today's digital age, especially for young learners. However, it can be confusing due to the absence of facial expressions and tone of voice, leading to misunderstandings. To navigate these tricky...
Act It Out! Role-Playing Game for Elementary Educators to Teach Body Language
Introduction Welcome to Act It Out!, a role-playing game specially designed for elementary educators to teach students about body language. Through this engaging activity, students will learn how their bodies can affect the messages they send to others and improve...
Teaching PreK Students to Be the Bigger Person: Activities and Discussions
Introduction As educators, we strive to teach our PreK students valuable life skills that will help them navigate the challenges they may face. One of these essential skills is learning to be the bigger person in difficult situations. When others make us angry or...
Developing Close Friendships: A Guide for Special Education Educators
Introduction Close friendships play a crucial role in our lives, providing emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging. For students in special education, developing these friendships can be challenging, but with the right guidance and support, they can...
