Gary N. Siperstein, Ph.D., & Emily Paige Rickards, M.A.
“Students have become more aware of others’ feelings.”
“She has begun to socialize much more and initiate contact with her peers.”
“One student was being teased by others... He was able to come up with different strategies for dealing with it.”
These are the voices of real-life elementary school teachers who have used this research-based curriculum to reach a crucial goal: improving the social skills of students with mild to moderate disabilities and their peers. Field-tested with 400 elementary school students, this curriculum focuses on developing the cognitive skills behind appropriate social behavior rather than teaching children a set of specific behaviors to enact. Along with a thorough overview, teachers will get 66 activity-based lessons on social skills, organized around topics that build on each other. Students will learn to:
· assess their own emotional states and develop new coping mechanisms
· identify and interpret social cues and other interpersonal dynamics
· set appropriate social goals, generate problem-solving strategies, and think about the consequences of their actions
· consider characteristics of good friendships and explore ways to improve their relationships
Each 30– to 45–minute lesson provides a list of materials, descriptions of the activities, variations for more advanced and less advanced students, and suggestions for reinforcing the skills throughout the school day. To help them implement the lessons effectively, teachers will also find student handouts, helpful illustrations, parent newsletters, and lists of additional children’s books and videos. This inventive curriculum will enhance children’s cognitive abilities to help them become socially successful — both inside and outside the classroom.
Contents:
Teacher Guide
Introduction; Overview; Implementation; Development Process; Conclusion; Acknowledgements;
References
Lessons:
Introductory Lessons: 1: Getting to Know Each Other 2: Introduction to Role Play 3: Role Play- Practice 4: Introduction to Class Meetings 5: Class Meetings- Practice
Understanding Feelings and Actions: Emotional and Behavioral Regulation: 1: Words We Use To Talk About Emotions 2: Happy 3: Sad 4: Alone – Lonely 5: Scared 6: Surprised 7: Love – Hate 8: Frustrated 9: Angry 10: Feelings in Context 11: Different People Have Different Emotions 12: Feeling Intensity Thermometer 13: What to Do When You Are Angry 14: Appropriate Behaviors 15: Why Calming Down is Important 16: Calming Down Strategies 17: Introduction to the Red Light 18: Calming Down- Role Play 19: Practicing the Calming Down Steps 20: Calming Down Steps- Mini Review 21: Chill Out Book 22: Review of Emotional Vocabulary
Using Social Information: Noticing and Interpreting Cues: 1: Introduction to the Yellow Light 2: Introduction to Body Language 3: Body Language- Role Play 4: How We React to Others 5: Tone of Voice- Emotional Expression ; 6: Tone of Voice- Sincerity 7: Accident or On Purpose? 8: Accident or On Purpose- Videos 9: Is This Mean? 10: When Someone is Busy 11: Teasing- Videos 12: Identifying Emotional Displays- Review 13: Using Social Information- Review
Planning What to Do: Problem Solving: 1: Introduction to Goals 2: Identifying Goals 3: Identifying Goals- Practice 4: Generating Strategies 5: Generating Strategies- Practice 6: Generating Strategies Practice Game 7: Assertive Strategies 8: Using Compromise as a Strategy 9: Strategy Selection 10: Strategy Selection- Practice 11: Introduction to Evaluation 12: Evaluation- Practice 13: If It Doesn’t Work 14: Problem Solving- Review 15: Practicing Problem Solving Skills
Making and Keeping Friends: Social Knowledge: 1: Helping and Sharing 2: Friendship Ups and Downs 3: Trust 4: Give and Take 5: Empathy 6: Communication 7: Dealing with Rejection 8: Hurt Feelings 9: Forgiveness 10: Keeping Friends 11: Compliments
APPENDIX A Additional Promoting Social Success Materials APPENDIX B Table 1: Social Cognitive Skills By Lesson APPENDIX C Bibliography APPENDIX D Additional References
Published 1/2004, 544 Pages, A4 Lay Flat Binding
