Warm Up: Holiday Greeting Gallery

Think about the holidays. You see lots of different people!

Directions: Look at the pictures or read the names of people below. How would you greet them? Write or point to your answer.

Person 1: Your Best Friend

(Imagine a picture of two friends waving excitedly)

How would you say hello to your best friend at a holiday party?

Person 2: Your Grandma or Grandpa

(Imagine a picture of a grandparent smiling warmly)

How would you say hello to your grandma or grandpa?

Person 3: An Adult You Don't See Often (like an Aunt or Uncle)

(Imagine a picture of an adult with a friendly expression)

How would you greet an aunt or uncle you haven't seen since last holiday season?

Person 4: A New Person at the Gathering

(Imagine a picture of someone politely smiling)

How would you introduce yourself or say hello to someone new?

Bonus Challenge for AAC Users: Can you find these greetings on your device?
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Discussion: Holiday Chat Starters

Holiday gatherings are a great time to talk to people! But sometimes it's hard to know what to say.

Starting a Conversation

Think about it: When you meet someone at a holiday party, what are some polite ways to start talking to them? Write down your ideas or be ready to share.

Good Chat Starters can be:

• Asking about something fun: "Did you do anything special today?"
• Talking about the holidays: "What's your favorite holiday food?"
• Commenting on something positive: "This house looks so festive!"

Teacher's Tip for AAC Users: Practice finding phrases like "Hi, how are you?", "What's new?", or "That looks interesting!" on your device. You can also point to pictures related to holiday activities to start a conversation.

Asking Questions

It's great to ask questions to keep the conversation going! But some questions are better than others.

Open-ended questions make people talk more. They usually start with words like Who, What, Where, When, Why, How.

Example: Instead of "Do you like turkey?" (a yes/no question), try "What do you like most about Thanksgiving dinner?" (This gets a longer answer!)

Practice: Turn these "yes" or "no" questions into open-ended questions:

1. Original: "Did you get any presents?"
   New (Open-ended):
   
   
   

2. Original: "Is the food good?"
   New (Open-ended):
   
   
   

3. Original: "Are you having fun?"
   New (Open-ended):
   
   
   

Teacher's Tip for AAC Users: Look for question words on your device (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How). Practice building questions using these words with other vocabulary related to holidays.

Responding Thoughtfully

When someone talks to you, it's important to respond. This shows you are listening and interested.

How to respond:

• Make eye contact (if comfortable).
• Nod your head or say "Uh-huh" to show you are listening.
• Give a related comment or ask another question.

Example:

• Person A: "I loved visiting my cousins for the holidays."
• Person B (Response 1): "That sounds fun! What did you do with them?" (Asks another question)
• Person B (Response 2): "Oh, I love visiting my cousins too!" (Gives a related comment)

Practice: How would you respond to these statements?

1. Statement: "My family is making a huge pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving!"
   Your Response:
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Statement: "I got a new book for the holidays."
   Your Response:
   
   
   
   
   
   

Teacher's Tip for AAC Users: Have some ready responses on your device like "That's interesting!", "Tell me more.", or specific holiday-related comments. Practice combining these with questions to keep the conversation flowing.

Activity: Role-Play Round Robin

It's time to put our communication skills to the test! We are going to practice talking in different holiday situations.

How to Play:

1. Work in pairs or small groups.
2. Your teacher will give you a scenario slip. This slip describes a holiday situation.
3. Act out the scenario with your partner(s)!
   • Start by greeting each other appropriately.
   • Try to start a conversation using our "Chat Starters" ideas.
   • Ask open-ended questions to learn more.
   • Respond thoughtfully to what your partner says.
4. After a few minutes, we will rotate! You'll get a new scenario or a new partner.

Remember to:

• Use clear voices (or your AAC device).
• Look at the person you are talking to (if comfortable).
• Take turns talking and listening.

Sample Scenarios (Teacher will provide slips):

• Scenario 1: You are greeting your cousin who just arrived at your family's Thanksgiving dinner. You haven't seen them since last summer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Scenario 2: An adult family friend asks you, "How was school this year?" You want to tell them a little bit about what you learned.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Scenario 3: You see your aunt admiring a new holiday decoration. You want to comment on it and ask her about it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Scenario 4: Your grandparent gives you a gift, and you open it. You want to thank them and say something about the gift.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Teacher's Tip for AAC Users: Before starting, help students pre-program or locate relevant phrases on their devices for each scenario (e.g., greetings, questions about school/gifts, thank yous). Encourage them to use their device as naturally as possible within the role-play. Consider pairing AAC users with peers who can support their communication.

Game: Social Skills Bingo

Let's see how many holiday communication skills you can spot or use! This is a fun way to review everything we've learned.

How to Play:

1. Each student will get a BINGO card.
2. Your teacher will read out different social skills related to holiday conversations.
3. If you used that skill or saw someone else use it during our activities today, you can mark off that square on your card.
4. The first person to get BINGO (5 squares in a row, column, or diagonally) wins!

Social Skills Bingo Card (Example - Teacher will provide actual cards)

Teacher's Tip for AAC Users: Encourage students to point to the skill on their bingo card if they used it or saw it. If their device has a way to indicate they understand a concept, they can use that as well. You can also provide small tokens for them to place on their bingo squares as they identify skills.