Why should I do it:

• Many students lack basic social skills
• Increases instructional time
• Improves student interactions
• Increases student productivity
• Helps students improve daily social functioning
• Helps students make friends
• Teaches students essential life skills
• Helps students to fit in
• Helps students to function better in classes
• Teaches students to follow rules, expectations, procedures, etc
• Increases self confidence, self concept, and self esteem
• Gives students a common “language”

How do I do it:

In the realm of social skills, there is a broad range of skills and topics, as well as a good deal of overlap with other skills, like interpersonal skills, coping skills, etc
Some common areas for social skills instruction include:

• Hygiene
• Manners
• Listening
• Being polite
• Being considerate
• Being respectful
• Sharing
• Taking turns
• Appropriate words
• Appropriate touch
• How to behave in the halls, lunchroom, during instruction, etc
• Etc