Session 1 Warm-Up: Name & Hobby Share

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• Feelings Ball
• Name Tag Templates
• Visual choice board (pictures & words for hobbies)

Steps:

1. Greet each student by name as they enter and help them attach a name tag.
2. Gather students in a circle and show the Feelings Ball.
3. Explain: “When you catch the ball, say your name and your favorite hobby.”
4. Model first: catch the ball, say your name and a hobby (e.g., “I’m Lenny and I like drawing!”).
5. Pass the ball to a student. Provide extra wait time and one-on-one support as needed for responses.
6. Use the visual choice board to help students select or name a hobby by pointing or saying a word.
7. After each share, give specific praise or a quick token reward (e.g., “Great sharing, Alex!”).

Accommodations & Supports:

• Offer nonverbal options (pointing to pictures) for students with limited speech.
• Provide sentence starters on a small individual board (e.g., “My name is ___ and I like ___.”).
• Allow extended processing time and individual prompts.
• Repeat steps as needed for comprehension and confidence.

Goals:

• Help students learn peers’ names and build group rapport.
• Practice speaking in front of a small group with visual and verbal supports.
• Establish a positive, engaging routine at the start of each session.

Session 1 Discussion: Why Have Rules?

Time: 5 minutes
Materials:

• Chart paper with sentence stems and visuals
• Dry-erase board or large sticky notes
• Markers

1. Gather and Remind (1 minute)

• Invite students to sit back in the semi-circle under the Session Rules Poster.
• Remind them: “We just practiced our three rules. Now let’s talk about why we have them.”

2. Guided Question #1: Purpose of Rules (2 minutes)

Prompt: “Why do we have rules in our group?”

• Show chart paper with the sentence stem: “Rules help me to _____.”
• Provide a visual icon for each stem (safety, listening, fun).
• Encourage one student at a time to complete the sentence.

Student Response Area:
Rules help me to _____

Follow-ups (choose as needed):

• “Can you point to the picture that matches your idea?”
• “Who can repeat __________’s idea with their own words?”

3. Guided Question #2: Consequences of No Rules (1 minute)

Prompt: “What could happen if someone does not follow our rules?”

• Use yes/no or thumbs-up/thumbs-down checks for understanding.
• Provide a two-column T-chart: “Good things” vs. “Not so good things.”

Student Response Area:
If we don’t follow rules, _____

Follow-up: “Why might that make our group less safe or less fun?”

4. Guided Question #3: Personal Connection (1 minute)

Prompt: “How do you feel when you follow rules? How do you feel when someone else follows rules?”

• Offer emotion cards (happy, calm, safe) for nonverbal students.

Student Response Area:
I feel _____ when we follow rules.

5. Closing the Discussion (30 seconds)

• Summarize key ideas on the chart:
  • Rules keep everyone safe
  • Rules help us listen and learn
  • Rules make our group fun
• Praise participation: “Thank you for sharing your ideas!”
• Transition: “Now we’ll celebrate our understanding with the Rule Relay game!”

Accommodations & Supports:

• Provide one-on-one prompting as needed.
• Use visual icons on sentence stems.
• Allow extra wait time and simplified choices (e.g., two-choice visuals) for students with processing delays.

Session 1 Core Activity: Rule Role-Play

Time: 5 minutes
Materials:

• Scenario cards with simple picture cues (e.g., interrupting friend, offering help)
• Session Rules Poster for reference
• Token reward items (stickers, stamps)

Steps:

1. Introduce Scenarios (1 minute)
   • Show each scenario card and briefly describe it using simple language and pictures.
   • Example Scenario A: “Friend talking, you wait your turn.”
   • Example Scenario B: “Friend drops supplies, you help pick up.”
2. Model the Behavior (1 minute)
   • Teacher and aide act out one scenario, demonstrating the correct rule (e.g., waiting to speak, offering help).
   • Highlight key steps: looking at your friend, using kind words, keeping hands to yourself.
3. Partner Role-Play (2 minutes)
   • Divide students into pairs; hand each pair a scenario card.
   • Encourage partners to take turns playing each role.
   • Provide picture cue strips and scripted sentence starters as needed (e.g., “I’m sorry, you go first.” or “Here, let me help you.”).
4. Reinforce and Reward (1 minute)
   • Observe each pair and give specific praise: “Great waiting, Maria!” or “Nice helping, Jose!”
   • Award a token to each student who follows the rule correctly.

Accommodations & Supports:

• Visual Supports: Use picture cues on scenario cards and prompt strips.
• Sentence Starters: Provide written or symbol-based starters for students needing speech support.
• Extra Processing Time: Allow silent pauses after instructions; repeat steps one at a time.
• One-on-One Coaching: Aide circulates to guide students who struggle, modeling prompts as needed.

Goals:

• Practice applying group rules in real-life situations.
• Build turn-taking, listening, and helping skills.
• Increase confidence in peer interactions through scaffolded support and positive reinforcement.

Session 1 Game: Rule Relay

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• Session Rules Poster
• Rule Cards (each card shows one rule with picture and text)
• Cones or tape to mark a start line
• Token reward items (stickers, stamps)

Steps:

1. Divide students into two teams and have each team line up behind the start line facing the Session Rules Poster.
2. Place the Rule Cards face-down in a pile beside the poster.
3. On “Go,” the first student from each team runs to the pile, flips over a card, names the rule aloud (using picture support as needed), then runs back and tags the next teammate.
4. Continue in relay fashion until all cards are named.
5. The first team to correctly name all rules wins. Celebrate both teams with a group chant (“Social Skills Superstars!”) and hand out token rewards to every participant.

Accommodations & Supports:

• Offer adult or peer assistance to help students decode or name each rule.
• Allow nonverbal students to point to pictures on the card and say the rule name or use a communication device.
• Use a visual timer so students know how long they have for each turn.
• Provide sentence starters on each card (e.g., “This rule is ______”).
• For students needing fewer choices, reduce the number of cards in their relay pile.

Goals:

• Strengthen recall of group rules through active practice.
• Foster teamwork, turn-taking, and gross-motor engagement.
• Reinforce self-regulation by waiting and transitioning quickly between turns.

Greeting Gurus: Say Hello and Understand Why!

Part 1: What is a Greeting?

A greeting is how we say hello to someone! It shows we see them and are friendly.

Question 1: Draw a picture of two friends greeting each other with a wave or a handshake.

(Hint: Think about happy faces and friendly actions!)

Part 2: Different Ways to Say Hello!

There are many ways to greet people. Look at the words below.

• Hello! (Say with a smile)
• Hi! (Waving your hand)
• Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening! (Look at their eyes)
• Nice to meet you! (Sometimes with a handshake)

Question 2: Write three different ways you can greet a friend. You can use words or draw small pictures next to them!

Question 3: Circle the best greeting for each picture:

• Picture 1: You see your teacher in the hallway. (Imagine a picture of a student seeing a teacher, perhaps with books or a backpack, smiling.)

  • "Hey!"
  • "Good morning, Mr. Smith!"
  • "Yo!"
    
    
    

• Picture 2: You meet a new student in your class. (Imagine a picture of two students meeting, one extending a hand for a shake.)

  • "What's up?"
  • "Hi, nice to meet you!"
  • "Move it."
    
    
    

Part 3: Why Do We Greet People?

Greetings are important because they help us be friendly, start conversations, and show respect.

Question 4: Why is it important to greet someone when you see them? Write one reason and draw a small picture of how it makes someone feel.

Question 5: How does it make you feel when someone greets you with a smile and a friendly "Hello"? Circle the word that best describes how you feel:

• Happy
• Calm
• Okay
• Unsure