Social Skills and 'All About Me'

I'm thinking of starting an "All About Me" unit next week with my group. Mainly to teach social skills for my preschoolers, but we'll throw in some body parts, my family, my birthday and gross motor too.

One of my dck is quite behind my son socially, and my son doesn't excell in that department either, so I think it's needed. Particularly I'd like to work on emotions (both kids), and engaging with and responding to others (dcb), as well as the other physical parts of the unit.

Does anyone have any ideas for activities or books that would fit well with this theme? Things that have helped preschoolers engage in conversation with each other?

I'm already planning to do:
Life-size tracings
Show and tell (for the older kids) - favourite toy, pets
How do you feel today (circle time activity)
Emotions flash cards and q and a (again at circle time and only 1 per day as it'll only be the older ones who can really appreciate it)
Things I love collage
From head to toe - Eric Carle
Family pictures - paint frame (to be kept here)

Thanks in advance :)

Lookup some of the website for working with kids with autism - they often use what is called social stories to show them how to act in various situations. They would be little booklets to colour and assemble.

I ound some great manners books at costco last week

Songs:

1. Head and shoulders, knees and toes (speed it up and slow it down as you do it, kids think it is super funny)
2. If you're happy and you know it (can do other emotions too, like "if you're grumpy and you know it stomp your feet, if you're sad and you know it cry boo hoo!")
3. Hokey Pokey (good for body parts too)

last week for valentines day I had a Kindness Heart poster on the wall, and every time I "caught" someone doing something kind for someone else or using kind words I wrote their name (or they wrote it) inside the heart. It took some modelling of expected behaviour and some examples of what being kind meant, but they really loved it. I have three 4 year olds that I did this with. I also had them work on noticing if someone else was being kind to them or someone else, preventing them for just doing something kind just so they could have their name on the heart - (Amanda, I shared my blocks with Kara! Can I put my name in the heart?). They could only share what someone else had done, not what they had done themselves.

but I also constantly model social behaviour for them and tell them what they should be saying or doing if they don't do it themselves.

We have a book called "I like myself"...not sure on the author atm but it's a scholastic book. We also read "we share everything" by Robert Munch. There's probably quite a few RM books that would fit into this theme.

When we get a new toy there is sometimes fighting over whose turn it is. I turned this into a game (sort of). We set a timer and the children know when the timer goes off they need to pass it to a friend. Depending on what the toy is, they either crowd around while they are waiting for their turn or I make a list of the order they need to go in. It's really helped with turn taking. One of the little boys (he's 2 in march) has become such a great turn taker that when he gets the toy he plays with it for like 20 seconds and than passes it on lol. He much prefers the "game" over the toy haha.

Emotions...happy and you know it, is a great song for this. I also do hungry..rub your tummy, sleepy..give a big yawn, mad...stomp your feet, sad..cry boo hoo. I also tell the kids it is okay to cry but if we are crying for no reason than we need to sit in the library and maybe a read a book so we don't disturb the other children (this is more so for older children who tend to cry when they don't get their way). An art project for emotions could be that you or they cut out different mouths (smiles, frowns, angry etc) and they can glue them onto paper plates or construction paper with eyes and noses etc.

I also model behaviour constantly. For example I will say, "We don't whine. Tell xxx with your words what is wrong" or "Use gentle hands. Tell xxx that you were not finished with that toy yet" etc.

I also model and give examples of more appropriate behaviour, but I'm beginning to think that modelling isnt the best tool to get through to dcb. I figure doing a full unit on it and having some big examples to look back might help. Couldn't hurt anyway.

Thanks for the suggestions!

The Feelings Book is always a good one to have on hand. It is a fun book.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...FawWMgodoQ0AWw

Good luck with your unit!!

A quote I read on pinterest came to mind when I read your last post...."If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach they way they learn."

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

Good luck with your unit!!

A quote I read on pinterest came to mind when I read your last post...."If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach they way they learn."

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As a parent of a 2E child this is exactly how we should teach children. In the real world meeting the needs of every different child's learning style is near damn impossible. After all teachers are only human, and unfortunatly so many of them are not even trained to do this, especially as more and more often learning styles are becoming far more unique rather than falling under a common section within the spectrum.....off topic lol

I think a full unit on this subject could be very helpful. Sometimes children need constant reinforcement. Modelling is fantastic although with early years education can be a long and grueling process. Quite often success is found with regular and repetitive lessons. Constant reminding isn't always enough for it to become automatic. A lot of children need a sensory component and so having these types of activity based learning is so effective with little ones. There's always the exception though who need more exposure and more extensive support till they "get it". I love every bodies ideas and am already doing some of them. I'm currently working with my 2 1/2 yr old dcb about feelings as he is acting out a bit recently since a change in family dynamic. Thanks for this thread 2cuteboys, very helpful :)

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Originally Posted by bright sparks

Thanks for this thread 2cuteboys, very helpful :)

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I'm happy someone else can benefit! I always love the threads on planning, sometimes there are ideas that come up that aren't even on my radar. It's great to share ideas!

Bright Sparks...as much as I love the quote and do believe in it, I do realize that unfortunately it's not always possible. I wish more parents realized that it's not up to only the teachers/dcp's to follow this quote but their own responsibility as well.

I think it is a very interesting unit !! Opens the door to dealing with so much behaviour and social graces !! As well as interaction with situations and people !!

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Originally Posted by Spixie33

The Feelings Book is always a good one to have on hand. It is a fun book.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...FawWMgodoQ0AWw

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Also, spixie, my kids love Todd Parr!