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Chatting Champs

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Warm Up

Friendly Greetings Warm-Up

Objective: Students will practice initiating conversations with simple greetings.

Instructions:

  1. Greeting Circle (5 minutes): Have students stand in a circle. The teacher will start by greeting the student next to them (e.g., "Hello, [Student's Name]! How are you today?"). The student responds and then greets the next student. Continue around the circle.
  2. Discuss: Ask students, "How did it feel to say hello? Why is it important to greet someone when you start talking to them?"
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Lesson Plan

Chatting Champs

Students will be able to identify and practice key components of a conversation, including initiating, maintaining, and ending a discussion, to improve social communication skills.

Effective conversation skills are crucial for making friends, expressing needs, and navigating social situations. This lesson helps students build confidence and connection.

Audience

Elementary Autistic Support Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive activities and structured practice.

Materials

Friendly Greetings Warm-Up, Chatting Starters Activity, Conversation Connectors Game, Slide Deck: Chatting Champs, and Cool Down: Conversation Checklist Exit Ticket

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm Up: Friendly Greetings

5 minutes

  • Begin with the Friendly Greetings Warm-Up. Guide students through the greeting circle activity, encouraging eye contact and clear speaking.
  • Discuss the importance of saying hello and using names when starting a conversation.

Step 2

Introduction to Conversation

5 minutes

  • Present the Slide Deck: Chatting Champs slides 1-3. Introduce the idea of conversations as a "chat" or "talk" where people share ideas. Emphasize that conversations involve taking turns talking and listening. Use visuals and simple language.

Step 3

Activity: Chat Starters

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Chat Starters Activity. Explain how to use the prompts to initiate conversations.
  • Pair students and have them practice using the chat starters with each other. Circulate to offer support and feedback.

Step 4

Game: Conversation Connectors

7 minutes

  • Introduce the Conversation Connectors Game. Explain the rules for taking turns and adding to a conversation.
  • Facilitate the game, providing prompts and guiding students to maintain the flow of conversation.

Step 5

Cool Down: Conversation Checklist Exit Ticket

3 minutes

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Slide Deck

Chatting Champs: Let's Talk!

What is a Conversation?

  • Talking and listening with someone else.
  • Sharing ideas and feelings.
  • Taking turns!

Welcome students and introduce the topic of conversation. Ask them what they think a conversation is.

Why Talk?

Why are conversations important?

  • Make new friends!
  • Learn new things!
  • Share your thoughts!
  • Understand others!

Explain why conversations are important. Emphasize making friends and understanding others.

Conversation Superpowers!

What do good conversations need?

  • Starting: Saying 'Hello!'
  • Keeping it Going: Asking questions, sharing ideas.
  • Ending: Saying 'Goodbye!'

We're going to learn these superpowers!

Introduce the idea of conversation 'steps.' Explain that we'll break it down.

Superpower #1: Starting a Chat!

How do you start a conversation?

  • Say hello!
  • Use their name.
  • Ask a simple question:
    • 'How are you?'
    • 'What did you do today?'
    • 'Nice weather, right?'

Focus on initiating. Give examples of how to start.

Superpower #2: Keep Talking!

How do you keep a conversation going?

  • Listen! Really hear what they say.
  • Ask questions: 'Tell me more about that!'
  • Share something too: 'I did that yesterday!'

Explain how to maintain a conversation. Stress asking questions and listening.

Superpower #3: Saying Goodbye!

How do you end a conversation?

  • Say 'It was nice talking to you!'
  • Say 'See you later!'
  • Find a good stopping point (like when you need to go to class).

Discuss how to end a conversation politely.

Practice Makes Perfect!

Today, we will practice our conversation superpowers!

  • Friendly Greetings
  • Chat Starters
  • Conversation Connectors

Let's become Chatting Champs!

Summarize the key takeaways and preview the upcoming activities.

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Activity

Chat Starters Activity

Objective: Students will practice initiating conversations using provided prompts.

Instructions:

  1. Work with a partner.
  2. Take turns picking a "Chat Starter" card.
  3. Use the starter to begin a conversation with your partner.
  4. Remember to make eye contact and listen when your partner talks.

Chat Starter Cards (cut these out!):

  • "Hi, what did you do this morning?"
  • "Hello, what's your favorite animal?"
  • "Hey, do you like to play outside?"
  • "Good morning, what's your favorite color?"
  • "Nice to see you, what's something fun you did recently?"
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Game

Conversation Connectors Game

Objective: Students will practice maintaining a conversation by building upon previous statements.

Materials: Index cards with simple conversation prompts (e.g., "My favorite food is...", "I like to play...").

Instructions:

  1. Students sit in a circle.
  2. The teacher draws a prompt card and starts a sentence (e.g., "My favorite food is pizza because...").
  3. The next student completes the sentence and adds a new thought related to the topic, then passes it to the next person (e.g., "...it's cheesy! I also really like tacos.").
  4. Encourage students to listen carefully and build on what the previous person said to keep the conversation flowing.
  5. If a student gets stuck, offer a simple prompt to help them connect to the conversation.
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Discussion

Conversation Reflection Discussion

Objective: Students will reflect on their conversation practice and identify areas for growth.

Instructions:

  1. Gather as a whole class or in small groups.
  2. Discuss the following questions:
  • What was easy about starting a conversation today? What was tricky?






  • How did it feel to keep a conversation going? Did you listen carefully?






  • When is a good time to end a conversation? How did you practice saying goodbye politely?






  • What is one new thing you learned about conversations today?






  • What is one thing you want to practice more to become a
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Cool Down

Conversation Checklist Exit Ticket

Name: _________________________

Date: _________________________

Instructions: Check the boxes that describe what you did in conversations today!

  • I said "Hello" to start a conversation.
  • I made eye contact when talking or listening.
  • I asked a question to keep the conversation going.
  • I listened to my friend's ideas.
  • I shared my own ideas.
  • I said "Goodbye" or "See you later" to end a conversation.

One thing I want to remember about conversations is:





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