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Friendship With Yeti
Use
“Friendship with Yeti” to help your students make new friends!
“Friendship with Yeti” to help your students make new friends!
In this world of video games, tv taking over and
internet consuming us, all too often I have students come to me because they
have no “real” friends. They can give me the screen names of their
online friends, yet have no friends in class. After a brief chat, it is clear
to me that they do not know how to communicate in real life with other kids.
They haven’t yet learned the social skills that allow them to make friends. They could potentially be the
best friend someone could ask for, but no one will ever know because they do
not know how to set the stage for friendship. This resource attempts to change
that by teaching children how to make friends by following the moves to the
“sifting dance”.
internet consuming us, all too often I have students come to me because they
have no “real” friends. They can give me the screen names of their
online friends, yet have no friends in class. After a brief chat, it is clear
to me that they do not know how to communicate in real life with other kids.
They haven’t yet learned the social skills that allow them to make friends. They could potentially be the
best friend someone could ask for, but no one will ever know because they do
not know how to set the stage for friendship. This resource attempts to change
that by teaching children how to make friends by following the moves to the
“sifting dance”.
I first show them
the posters to help explain each step of the “sifting dance”.
the posters to help explain each step of the “sifting dance”.
S- Say Hi
I- Introduce yourself
F- Find out what they are like
T- Talk about something fun
I- Invite them to do something with you
N- Name something fun you can do together in the
future
future
G- say Goodbye
I like how it breaks apart each step into
understandable pieces that can be displayed students to utilize. You can also put them on a ring and create a book out of the posters for
easy storage!
understandable pieces that can be displayed students to utilize. You can also put them on a ring and create a book out of the posters for
easy storage!
If I have a lot of
time, I then move on to the twelve conversation starter
cards.
time, I then move on to the twelve conversation starter
cards.
These
cards include common scenarios that could lead to friendship such as a new
student in class or a game being played at recess the student may want to join,
as well as thought provoking questions such as “what do you do to make
friends?”
cards include common scenarios that could lead to friendship such as a new
student in class or a game being played at recess the student may want to join,
as well as thought provoking questions such as “what do you do to make
friends?”
It
helps me to understand their thinking patterns and opens up some great
conversation. It also allows them to think about how they would approach each
situation and role play what they may say.
helps me to understand their thinking patterns and opens up some great
conversation. It also allows them to think about how they would approach each
situation and role play what they may say.
Once
students are more comfortable, we work through the “How to Make a Friend” workbook (if I don’t have a lot of time, I go straight
into the workbook activity and skip the conversation starter cards).
students are more comfortable, we work through the “How to Make a Friend” workbook (if I don’t have a lot of time, I go straight
into the workbook activity and skip the conversation starter cards).
This workbook allows students to dive deeper into
each step of SIFTING by breaking apart each step into easy to manage
components. It helps them create a plan and learn the steps to making a friend!
In the end, students will fully understand how they can approach someone to
start a potential friendship.
Before they leave, I give them each a Takeaway Card they can use as memory
joggers to refer to long after they leave my office.
joggers to refer to long after they leave my office.
After utilizing these activities, my kids have a
much clearer understanding of how to make a friend and more confidence to put
the skills into practice.
much clearer understanding of how to make a friend and more confidence to put
the skills into practice.
Download
your own copy HERE.
your own copy HERE.
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Hi, I'm Ashley!
I am a school counselor who helps educators to change the lives of students with engaging, creative, and meaningful SEL resources.
