This Social Skills strategy provides a structured format for students to help them socially interact with their classmates and peers.
How Do Social Skills Help Peer Interaction?
Some students benefit from a “scripted” format to follow when interacting with their classmates, at least until more spontaneous social skills are established. Providing a format for them to follow (script) within a familiar setting (i.e., the school “store”) can help students feel more comfortable when interacting with their peers.
Example:
The students in my Life Skills class need more practice with social skills, but they always seem to clam up during unstructured times, like lunch and between classes. Is there something I can do to help them have more opportunities to interact?
Using Social Skills as a Structured Format
The School Store Social Skills strategy provides a structured format for students to follow within a familiar setting.
Quick Facts
- Child’s Age: 11-17
- Planning Effort: Moderate
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
Pre-requisites
- Ability to follow visual script
- Dollar store school supply purchases
- Small business cash register or cash box with calculator
- Administrative permission to sell approved items on school property
- Large display cart on wheels
- Basic money skills
Steps to Using Social Skills for Peer Interaction
- Purchase a variety of inexpensive school supplies from dollar stores and discounted school products (i.e., notebooks, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, highlighters, keychains, lanyards, pencil cases, etc.)
- Meet with students to decide appropriate prices for each category of item. (Price these items reasonably so that students can afford them BUT make sure your class members will still make a small profit.) Research current store ads and internet prices for suggested price ranges.
- Have the students create colorful signs advertising the items for sale and where and when they can be purchased. (i.e., your room number, in between classes, cafeteria.)
- Make simple visual scripts for the students to follow when talking with a potential customer. Simple greetings like “Hi” and questions like “Can I help you?” can go a long way in encouraging customers to shop at your store more often.
- Teach these scripts to your students and practice role-playing with you and other students as customers. Prompt students when necessary with the visual scripts until they’re able to interact with customers more independently.
- You’ll also need to teach them how to handle money (i.e., take customers’ payments, tally the total amount owed, make change).
- Finally, make sure they thank their customers with a smile to encourage repeat business!
Peer Interaction Resources
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