Social stories are a great tool to prepare your child or students for a field trip. A social story is a visual narrative that describes a situation and appropriate behaviors that can be used to guide children’s behavior in that scenario.
Social stories can be especially helpful for children who struggle with social skills, emotional regulation, or who are sensitive to changes in routine.
To prepare for a field trip, you can create a social story that describes what will happen during the trip, where the children will be going, what they will be doing, and how they should behave in different situations. The story should be written in a positive tone and should focus on appropriate behaviors.
Here are some tips for creating a social story for a field trip:
- Keep it simple and clear: Make sure that the story is easy to understand and that the expected behaviors are clearly outlined.
- Use visuals: Use pictures or drawings to illustrate the story. Visuals can help children understand the story better and can also make it more engaging.
- Focus on the positive: Highlight the positive behaviors that you want your child or students to exhibit. Avoid using negative language or focusing on what not to do.
- Include specific examples: Provide specific examples of the expected behaviors. For example, if you want children to listen to the tour guide, include a picture of a child listening attentively to the guide.
- Involve your child in the creation of the story: Involve your child or student in the process of creating the social story. Encourage them to give their input and incorporate their ideas and choice selections into the story.
Once you have created the social story, read it to your child or students several times before the field trip. You can also use the story as a basis for discussions about the trip and the expected behaviors.
By using social stories to prepare for a field trip, you can help your child or students feel more confident and prepared for the trip, and help ensure that the trip is a positive experience.
The special education resources on this page were authored by Watson Institute’s special education consultant, Andee Morris, M.Ed.
These behavior social stories may benefit your students. They can be downloaded, saved and edited to suit your needs. The * notation indicates the story is formatted in a Power Point presentation and the ** notation indicates a Power Point with sound narration. Each Power Point has animation included on each slide. Some occur automatically – some occur on a “click”. Feel free to send comments or questions to [email protected].
What Will We Do at Heinz Field
Going on a Field Trip to a Farm
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