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Social Skills - Intermediate Level

Join Others' Activities/Invite Others to Play
Intermediate Level

  • Description of Skill - This skill set is the ability to interact with peers during play times and unstructured activities without the constant supervision or intervention of an adult. This may include joining a game in progress or initiating activities with others and includes the basic communication skills needed to engage with others.
  • Examples of what the skill looks like -
    • Jaimie sees a group of students jumping rope at recess. Although she does not know them well, she enjoys jumping rope. She approaches the group, waits until she has someone's attention, and asks, "Can I have a turn?"
    • A second grade student uses a variety of different phrases to join activities, including "What are you doing?", "That looks fun", and "Can I have a turn?"
    • Carl walks by a group of students playing dinosaurs. They ask him to play, and he joins them, even though he does not routinely play with them.
  • Skill Sequence
    • Ask to join an activity already in progress
    • Ask a variety of peers to play
    • Use a variety of verbal strategies to join activities
  • Assessment - If the student can do the following, they should be ready for the Intermediate level:
    • Join others' activities when asked
    • Ask to join preferred activities that are already in progress
    • Ask a familar peer to play
Lesson Plan
  • Student Outcomes - At the end of this lesson the student(s) will be able to:
    • Ask to join an activity already in progress
    • Ask a variety of peers to play
    • Use a variety of verbal strategies to join activities
  • Materials -
Teaching Format
  • Introduce the skill - Review basic rules around asking to play: For example: 1) Find a friend 2) Look at them and ask 3) Wait for an answer. Discuss/ask the students what would happen if they could not find their usual friends or did not get an answer right away.
  • Model - Have two people model situations in which the person asking to join cannot find their usual friends, or is not immediately successful. Model self-talk and the strategy used. Such strategies could include:
    • Ask in a different way ("Wow, that looks fun! Can I have a turn?", "Can I try it?")
    • Look for another activity (If there isn't room for more people to play wall-ball, maybe I could jump rope instead).
  • Role-play for practice - Engage students in role-play around a variety of activities. Have students practice initiating based on scenarios in which the basic rules and students' routines are not enough. Include:
    • A situation in which the student gets no response.
    • A situation in which the student is turned down or gets a rude response.
    • A situation in which the student is not able to find a familar or preferred peer.
    • A situation in which the student is not able to find a pre-taught or preferred activity.
  • Skill maintenance/Generalization Activities (identify real-life situations to apply the skill) - Identify a range of situations & strategies during recess, unstructured times, before and after school for joining an activity already in progress, asking a variety of peers to play, and using a variety of verbal strategies join activities.
  • Extensions -
  • Resources -
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