In the early elementary school classroom, we as teachers expect that our students know basic social skills. This is not always the case! Teachers must teach these skills to both our typical students and also our students with special needs. Students with special needs are sometimes over stimulated and over exposed in our classrooms and do not know how to cope with these things yet. Social Stories are a WONDERFUL way to teach them how to handle these situations.
Social Stories are a way for the child, whether typical or not, to see the situation played out for them with appropriate examples of how to handle them. If the stories are saved on a digital device such as an iPad, they can be carried with the student all day long. The student can refer to these stories when a situation arises where they are unsure of how to react. Social Stories are made by the teacher, student, or parent and presented to the student or class as a way to teach the children how to act in certain social situations. For example, if the class is having an issue with the proper procedures of carpet time, a social story can be made to teach them how it is supposed to be done. This can be in the form of a video with voice over explaining the procedure, or even a digital story with pictures of the proper behavior.
In the classroom, social skills are being developed as well as curriculum being taught. Some children need more assistance learning these things. Advantages of social stories are endless! We can include parents in the learning of these skills as well as in the classroom! Our children need us to help them along and social stories are a perfect way to do this.
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