Using the Path to Friendship Social Success MatThe Path to Friendship can be a very successful tool to help students learn how to start and engage in conversation and practice listening skills that will help them make and keep friends. It was designed to be used by teachers and counselors in grades PK-6.
Roll out the mat anywhere. It’s helpful to have more than one mat in the building so you can easily locate one when it is needed. If you have trouble keeping the mat flat, place a small amount of tape or adhesive weights on the underside of the rolled edges.
Consider first demonstrating the Path of Friendship to students. Choose another person and walk the mat using the language on each step. Remind students that even if you know a person, these steps can help you to learn something new. Also, practicing these skills will make it easier to meet new people and create new friendships.
With the hours that students now spend in front of digital screens, many lack these basic social and active listening skills. Some students may need guidance and prompting on ways to express themselves and the importance of eye contact, tone of voice and body language. The 7 steps on the Path to Friendship include:
Other SuggestionsConsider printing and displaying the “Listening Skills” poster(s) around the school to remind students of the steps to building relationships. The “Listening Skills” can also be purchased as 11” x 11” posters at www.youthlight.com.
Take the next step by teaching students the skills needed to resolve conflicts in a healthy and peaceful way with the Peace Walk® Conflict Resolution Mat created by Perk Musacchio available at www.youthlight.com.
STEP 1Students will show
that they are approachable.
STEP 2Students will use others’
names to make them feel important.
STEP 3Students will check their
body language to show they
are interested.
STEP 4Students will ask questions that will help them get to know other
people.
STEP 5Students
will stand in others’ shoes to understand their point of
Encourage and practice standing in others’ shoes. Print the “Someone Else’s Shoes” worksheet and label the shoes with a description of a person that is different than the students you are working with. Place the worksheet on the floor. Suggest a situation and have the students take turns standing on the shoes and imagining how that person might feel in that situation. Here are a few suggestions:
For Younger Students - Consider labeling the shoes with ‘New Student’ or ‘Shy Classmate’. Suggest a situation where the student is trying to decide where to sit in the cafeteria at lunch.
For Older Students - Consider labeling the shoes with ‘Elderly Person Living Alone’ or ‘College Freshman Moving into a Dorm’. Suggest a situation where the person is thinking about new living arrangements.
INSIDE-OUT COMPLIMENTS
Explain to the students that a compliment is when we say something nice to someone else. There are different kinds of compliments. Some focus on the outside of a person or what we can see. Inside-out compliments focus on the qualities or strengths that a person demonstrates. When we give an inside-out compliment, we show the other person that we took the time to get to know and appreciate something that makes him/her special. The best inside-out compliments not only point out a strength but also give an example of how or when that strength was demonstrated.
Brainstorm a list of personal strengths (see the brief list below to get started). You can write your list on the board so the students can refer to it. Then, pair up the students. Have each student take a turn sharing a quality or strength that he/she appreciates about the other. Have the student go one step further and also share a time he/she saw that strength in action. Here are some examples to share before getting started.
“I like the way you are friendly. You always smile and say, “Hi,” when I pass you in the hallway.”
“I like how you share. Yesterday I forgot my pencil but you had an extra one that you let me use for the day.”
“You are artistic. I really liked the picture you drew of your family.”
Grades: Appropriate for any grade levelSize: unrolled - 12' x 1'; rolled - 1' x 21/2"1 Mat - Item#: PEACE Price: $39.95
Set of 3 Mats - Item#: PEACE3 Price: $99.95
The Peace Walk® Conflict Resolution Mat includes 7 steps to resolving a conflict beginning with recogniz-ing how each student is feeling in the moment and ending with a handshake.
Players practice giving personal affirmations and acting with kindness to encourage others. Discussions include the importance of filling people’s buckets with kind words and actions, and spreading kindness.
Put-Ups (not put-downs)
Item #: FABBALPrice: $14.95
Players are encouraged to put words into action and spread kindness. Students discuss acts of kindness and how they affect others and promote a lifelong habit of being kind.
Acts of Kindness
Item #: ACTBALPrice: $14.95
Thumballs™ are soft stuffed balls to throw, roll, or pass. IT’S EASY! Catch them... Look under your thumb... Respond to the prompt. Thumballs™ are soft and light and measure 4 inches in diameter.
Social Skill Scramble Card GameBy Tonia Caselman & Joshua Cantwell
Social Skill Scramble is a fun, strategic card game which will help players to develop improved social skills by constructing social scenarios and match-ing the scenarios with appropriate verbal responses. For 2-4 Players
Game includes: • Four (4) sets of playing cards • Instructions plus two (2) reproducible worksheets
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