Social skills activities for middle school
20 Evidence-Based Social Skills Activities and Games for Kids
Oct 14 2020
Positive Action Staff
•
SEL Articles
Activities and games for socialization are a great way for your child to learn how to behave around their peers, no matter if he is a toddler, preschooler or if he just started kindergarten. Games can teach skills like taking turns, managing emotions, and reading body language.
Use these evidence-based social skills activities to help your child build their social behaviors and learn how their actions affect others. With these games, they can become more independent and maintain healthy relationships throughout their lives.
1. Staring Contest
Many children have trouble maintaining eye contact in conversation. A staring contest can help kids make and keep eye contact in a way that allows them to focus on that task, rather than trying to communicate simultaneously.
If your child still feels uncomfortable, you can start smaller. Place a sticker on your forehead for them to look at and then build toward having a conversation.
2. Roll the Ball
It’s never too early to start building social skills, and a game of roll the ball suits children as young as toddlers. Kids take turns rolling a ball back and forth between them, laying the foundation for other social skills.
Kids learn to carry this skill into taking turns in conversation or when doing joint activities. They also learn self-control by aiming the ball toward their friend and rolling it hard enough to reach them yet with limited force.
3. Virtual Playtime
Sometimes, your child can’t have play dates in person, but they can still spend time together over video chat and other online spaces. Video chats help kids make eye contact by looking at their friend on the screen.
Learning to adapt to new situations becomes a valuable trait, whether with social distancing or in their future workplace.
Coming up with new ways to spend time together increases problem-solving abilities, which adds to a set of vital social skills.
4. Emotion Charades
Emotion charades involves writing different emotions on strips of paper. Your child picks one out of a hat or bucket. Then, they must try to act out that emotion.
Emotion charades can help children learn to recognize emotions using facial and body cues. You can even adapt social skills activities like this to create a game similar to Pictionary, where children draw the emotion.
By depicting and acting out emotional expressions and reactions in social skills activities, children learn emotion management, which plays an important role in creating positive relationships and communicating feelings.
5. Expression Mimicking Games
When you play this game with your child, you're teaching social skills with expressions. Mimicking your expressions allows your child to understand what certain expressions mean and recognize them when others make them in real conversations.
When kids with social challenges learn to read facial expressions, they become more comfortable in situations involving them.
6. Topic Game
You can play several variations of the topic game, but the most common one involves choosing a topic and naming things that fit into that category using each letter of the alphabet. For example, if you choose animals as the topic, you might come up with:
- A: Aardvark
- B: Baboon
- C: Chicken
The topic game teaches kids to stick to one subject and follow directions until they complete the activity. It also helps them make connections and get creative with letters that have fewer options.
7. Step Into Conversation
Step Into Conversation is a card game made for children with autism. The game presents structured social skills activities, like starting a conversation and talking about specific subjects based on cards.
The game helps kids learn how to talk to others appropriately and carry a conversation with perspective and empathy.
It teaches good manners and self-control by showing them how to politely enter a conversation, when to talk, and when to listen.
By using socialization games like this one, you give structure to conversations to develop the social skills necessary to handle different situations in their daily life.
8. Improvisational Stories
Many children tell stories even outside of intentional social skills activities. With improvisational stories, you add another challenge that requires them to collaborate and create a narrative without thinking about it beforehand.
For this activity, place cards with pictures or words face down. The child picks three of these cards, and they must include these objects or topics in the story they tell. The game ends when all the cards are gone, or the kids reach the end of their story.
You can use this activity as a multiplayer game where children take turns adding to the story and building on each other’s ideas, or one child can tell you their own story.
9. Name Game
With this simple game, kids roll or toss a ball to someone after they call out their name. Social skills activities like this one work well for helping even toddlers learn their peers’ names. It shows that they are attentive to others, and it’s a step toward getting to know other people.
10. Simon Says
Simon Says builds social skills for kids' self-control, listening, and impulse control as they copy their peers' movements and follow instructions. It also helps keep the attention on the game and rewards good behavior for those who follow the rules throughout the game.
11. Rhythm Games
You can incorporate rhythm games as a social skills activity both at home and in the classroom. These music-making games let your child be creative while following directions and recognizing patterns.
A 2010 study by Kirschner and Tomasello shows that joint music-making helps social behavior. In a game where children must “wake the frogs” with music, the researchers found that kids who followed the rules by making music were more likely to help others who tried waking the frogs with non-musical means.
12. Playing with Characters
These social skills activities involve tapping into your child’s natural tendency to play. Using stuffed animals or dolls, you can interact with your child through the toys.
Having conversations through toys teaches kids to recognize behaviors and communicate their feelings. They practice their social skills through the toys in an imaginary, low-risk environment, without worrying about the toys’ hurt feelings.
13. Play Pretend
Kids will typically create a scenario in which they pretend to be someone or something else. For example, they might play house and take on the roles of parents, become a doctor, veterinarian, teacher, or cashier. Each of these situations allows them to explore different social skills activities.
As they pretend to parent another child, for instance, they must learn to recognize and respond to emotions, deescalate situations, and adapt to new situations.
14. Token Stack
You can adapt token stack from board games like checkers to create social skills activities that teach children how to have a considerate conversation.
Every time the child speaks and responds appropriately, they add another token to their stack.
They face the challenge of trying to stack their tokens as high as possible while taking turns speaking. This activity makes them focus on having a calm conversation and giving thoughtful responses to questions and statements.
15. Decision-Making Games
Social skills activities like decision-making games come in many forms. By using strategy games or activities as simple as sorting and matching, your child learns persistence, thoughtfulness, and cooperation with others.
These games help kids with indecision, as they ask the child to make a choice, even if it’s not right the first time. It demonstrates low-risk consequences and encourages them to try again if they make a mistake.
16. Building Game
When children work together to build something, like a tower using blocks, they must communicate, take turns, and understand each other to bring their creation to life.
Kids will work together to come up with a method to build their item. When they apply it, they learn to try again if the creation falls and celebrate each other’s unique abilities when they finish the project successfully.
17. Community Gardening
Community gardening works differently than other social skills activities in that it teaches children to nurture a living thing.
Gardening with others increases social competence by having your child take care of something and learn responsibility, as they cannot neglect their plants. This activity also gets kids outdoor and can help calm them.
18. Team Sports
Children can participate in team sports through their school, on a recreational team, or even play with friends in their backyard. Team sports show kids how to work together toward a common goal and keep their focus on the game.
They also learn to recognize emotions, like when someone gets hurt or scores a goal, and react appropriately when they win or lose.
19. Productive Debate
A productive debate works well for older kids to learn how to manage emotions and work on positive expression, even in challenging situations. They learn how to have difficult conversations calmly, without turning them into an argument or trying to insult the other person.
People who can debate and listen to their opponent develop more of the skills needed to become leaders in the classroom and workplace.
20. Scavenger Hunts
During scavenger hunts, children work together to find objects or get a prize at the end of the activity. By working toward their goal, they learn teamwork, organization, and positive decision-making. They can choose to split up, move as a group, and collaborate to reach the end of the game.
They also get rewarded for cooperating. These activities help them with creative problem-solving abilities by making up clues for other players to solve.
What’s Next?
Using evidence-based social skills activities and games helps your child build social skills while doing something they enjoy.
You can adapt any of these activities to something that engages your child and allows them to get creative with their socialization.
However, activities and games can only go so far. The Positive Action social skills curriculum is designed to work in tandem with activities like these and more to help your child identify their self-concept and shift this introspection to their social interactions. We feel social skills start within.
Explore our sample lessons for even more ways to encourage your child’s social-emotional learning, or contact us to find out how our program can improve your child’s social skills and have fun doing it today!
25 SEL Activities to Build Social Skills for Different Age Groups
// by Seda Unlucay
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is the foundation for emotional health and healthy relationships throughout students' lives.
This series of engaging and creative lesson plans can be easily adapted for distance learning and are designed to teach students responsible decision-making, mindful self-awareness, conflict resolution skills, positive self-talk, and emotional self-regulation.
1. Practice Yoga and Meditation as a Class Lesson
Practicing yoga and meditation can help students to develop their emotional awareness through breathing and mindfulness while enhancing their body confidence and mental calm. Meditation is also a wonderful way to foster a growth mindset as it encourages students to stay in the present moment and take on challenges one step at a time.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School
Learn More: Super Healthy Kids
2. All About Me Writing Exercise
This self-awareness development activity challenges students to create a list about themselves, with a different strength, talent, or quality for each letter of the alphabet.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Brainwaves Instruction
3. Take a Mindful Moment
Mindfulness is the capacity to pay attention to the present moment as well as one's own thoughts and emotions with acceptance and non-judgment.
Thus, it's an essential skill for students to cultivate in order to learn emotional self-regulation.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School, Highschool
Learn More: Class Dojo
4. Practice Goal Setting with SMART Goals
Setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely) goals is a wonderful way to empower students to reach their personal and academic potential.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Learn More: Creative Educator
5. Try a Fine Motor SEL Lesson
This fine motor emotions activity teaches students the helpful RULER acronym for cultivating emotional intelligence: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn More: Forward With Fun
6. Practice a Read Aloud
Practicing reading aloud helps students develop confidence in their communication and public speaking abilities, skills that will serve them well in their daily lives.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: The Colorful Apple
7. Teach Kids How to Apologize
Knowing how to apologize graciously is an important emotional skill for developing positive relationships.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School
Learn More: Pinterest
8. Read a Book About Managing Anger
This popular book teaches kids how to deal wisely with anger instead of reverting to aggressive behavior. Why not have a whole-class discussion to reinforce student learning about this important common goal?
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn More: Amazon
9. Create a Calm Down Corner
This collection of resources teaches students how to self-regulate their emotions and provides them with strategies for calming down, including taking a brain break and practicing balloon breathing. Why not create a calm-down corner in your classroom to support students with these core lessons?
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
10.
Create a Worry Box A Worry Box is a place where kids can store away frustrations, challenging emotions, or fearful thoughts. It's a wonderful way to develop students' emotion management skills by helping them express their feelings and take control of stressful situations.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Very Special Tales
11. Teach the Zones of Regulation
This free Zones of Regulation printable package includes lessons on expected versus unexpected behavior, how to determine the actual size of a problem, and how students' actions can affect what zone other people are in. Learning about the four zones is an evidence-based way of practicing healthy emotional expression and building strong relationships in the classroom.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: He's Extraordinary
12. Practice Mindful Coloring
Mindful coloring has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep and develop attention skills.
Try putting on some relaxing music and turn it into a class-wide activity!
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School
Learn More: Truth Be Told
13. Play a Game of Emotion Charades
Playing a game of emotional charades is a perfect cooperative learning opportunity that encourages elementary students to develop social awareness, eye contact, and social competence skills.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Education
14. Learn About Forgiveness Through Song
Learning to forgive is an important social-emotional skill that will serve children throughout their entire lives. This video, song, and drawing activity helps young learners develop healthy decision-making skills when faced with social conflicts.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Education
15. Feeling Playdough Mats
By replicating the emotions on these vibrant mats with playdough, students can develop emotional learning skills that will serve them well in skillfully expressing their feelings throughout the school day.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn More: Fairy Poppins
16. Watch a Collection of Youtube Videos
This curated collection of videos comes with Thoughts and Feelings Cards, which offer concrete and visual anchors for students to identify their own feelings.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Adventures In Speech Pathology
17. Develop Friendship Skills
This engaging list of social skills activities helps familiarize students with the qualities of a good friend, features a friend scavenger hunt for them to get to know their classmates, and challenges students to perform acts of kindness for others.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Proud To Be Primary
18. Play an Emotions Board Game
What better way to learn about emotions than with a fun board game? This s'mores-themed game also promotes social development, listening skills, and a deeper discussion about emotional wellbeing.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Life Over CS
19. Read and Discuss The Color Monster
By associating colors with emotions, this internationally best-selling book helps students to identify them more easily. It's also an excellent way to develop active listening skills and features a whole host of extension activities for preschoolers.
Age Group: Preschool
Learn More: Virtual Book Club For Kids
20. Develop Awareness of Feelings Through Observation
Kids can learn to interpret emotions by paying careful attention to the body language and gestures of the characters in this short animated film. Why not challenge them to see how many different feelings they can identify?
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Ahmed Elshraby
21. Practice Social Skills with Task Cards
By teaching kids about anti-bullying, conflict resolution, and positive self-talk, this series of task cards encourage kids to be more mindful of their behavior at school and at home.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn More: Whimsy Workshop Teaching
22. Read and Discuss In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
This beautifully illustrated story is told through the whimsical eyes of a child and teaches kids how to verbalize their feelings by describing how they feel physically.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn More: Amazon
23. Give Back With a Class Service Project
Why not encourage kids to become school leaders by guiding them to participate in one of these community service projects? Ranging from writing Thank You notes, and reading to seniors to packing lunches, there are a variety of excellent ideas for making empathy and service an engaging part of your classroom curriculum.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, Highschool
Learn More: Sign-up Genius
24. SEL Journal Prompts
This collection of journal prompts features questions o to encourage students to express their feelings and ideas while building their self-confidence.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School
Learn More: Journal Buddies
25. Encourage Positive Self-Talk
Positive self-talk is a critical skill for developing healthy self-esteem. This series of activities encourage students to have a deeper discussion about ways to be kinder to themselves.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School
Learn More: Counselor Chelsey
Related posts:
Category: Classroom Ideas
Soft skills or social skills for a student: 85% of success in life
Harvard and Stanford believe that a student's academic knowledge is only 15% of success in his further education, in building a career and in life.
Russian schools actively download knowledge into the heads of our children, but do not teach them social skills, the so-called soft skills - leadership, teamwork, organizational skills, etc. Namely, they allow you to apply the acquired knowledge and achieve your goals: a prestigious university, a successful career, a happy family and true friendship.
nine0003
A study of Fortune 500 CEOs found that long-term and sustained job success was 75% social skills and only 25% academic.
Therefore, European education has long included the training of soft skills, without which it is difficult to succeed in the modern world. Many of these traits are innate and inherent in every child, but they need to be cultivated and developed. Here are some critical social skills that will help any student reach their goals in life. nine0003
TEAM WORK
The ability to listen, the ability to see a common goal and find common ground between a common idea and personal ambitions. Willingness to help others and support in a difficult situation, the ability to convince and find a compromise.
Check if your child can:
- do things with other children?
- help someone solve their study question?
- to make sure that not only he, but his entire team achieves the goal? nine0024
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- team activities: games, performance, volunteer programs;
- joint academic projects, when the project can be defended only by the whole team;
- competitions between "Houses" for students studying on a full board basis.
Join our Telegram channel!
Be the first to know about discounts, events and important news. nine0045 We promise - it will be interesting!
LEADERSHIP
To be a leader means to be a person whom everyone else recognizes as having the right to make responsible decisions for the entire team.
Check if your child can:
- to become a leader for other children: inspire and lead them?
- understand and feel other people?
- to set other children tasks corresponding to their abilities and character and to achieve their fulfillment? nine0024
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- Supervision of junior schoolchildren and beginners by high school students;
- Numerous clubs and hobby classes are sure to resonate in the soul of any student, and he will take the initiative in the area that interests him and gather his team of like-minded people.
We are looking for leaders, but not from the category of "president of the chess club", but from those who, faced with a problem, can at the right time take the lead of the team and lead it to the goal
- Laszlo Bock, Vice President of Recruitment, Google
CREATIVITY
A creative person is able to find non-standard, completely new solutions in familiar situations, he is able to invent and implement new ideas.
Check if your child can:
- Suggest an idea for a gala evening, fashion design or pop star poster?
- tell your friends the story he made up? nine0024
- come up with an idea for a new computer game or mobile app?
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- When solving a problem, the student will be asked not only to give the correct answer, but also to find 10 different solutions;
- Students focus on both academic knowledge and extracurricular activities - music classes, theater productions and acting skills, development of artistic skills.
It is easier for a child with a broad outlook to find a non-standard approach to solving a problem. nine0024
COMMUNICATION
The ability to communicate, openness and the ability to establish contact with other people, as well as to make the right impression on them.
Check if your child can:
- Is it clear and interesting to express your ideas and thoughts?
- speak confidently with a group of your peers, with a school principal, with other adults?
- perform in front of an audience of 100 people?
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- Students are encouraged to actively participate in discussions in the classroom. And the final assessment is influenced by the student's involvement in lectures and seminars and his ability to defend his point of view;
- Schoolchildren are constantly surrounded by their peers and implement academic projects together, participate in sports and creative events, attend hobby groups;
- Career days and meetings with universities are regularly held for high school students.
Schools set aside time to develop a personal resume, self-presentation skills and interviews. nine0024
MANAGEMENT
This is the ability to bring people together to achieve a goal and inspire yourself and others to action. Initiative, demanding of oneself and others, attention to detail, the ability to delegate or do it yourself - all these are important qualities of an organizer.
Check if your child can:
- organize your time so that you can keep up with your studies and take part in extra school activities? nine0024
- put together a team to run cross country together or organize a party?
- make quick decisions when things don't go as planned?
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- time management skills are the first thing a student learns. Unlike Russian students, European students do not study from morning to evening. The whole day is scheduled by the clock, there is time for study, sports, hobbies, homework and, of course, time for rest; nine0024
- Participation in numerous school events requires a variety of skills from a student, including the ability to organize an exhibition, a holiday, a performance, a debate, a sports match, and much more.
POSITIVE
Faith in yourself and in other people. This is such a view of the world in which a person can look at events from different angles and prefers to find positive in everything that surrounds him.
Check if your child can:
- keep a smile on your face despite the challenges?
- to fight and not give up, even when you fail to achieve the goal?
- try to solve your problems on your own, without immediately resorting to your help?
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- Support and attention of teachers, mentors and high school students. The school is well aware of the difficulties students face and is always ready to help with advice and pay attention to positive events. nine0024
- A healthy competitive environment helps students focus on their goals and not on temporary setbacks.
CURIOSITY
Intellectual curiosity, thirst for new knowledge, interest in the world around and desire for new experiences.
This is a natural quality of any child and it is important to preserve it.
Check if your child can:
- look up from your phone or tablet and look around when you are driving? nine0024
- when you find yourself in a new place, try to find out something about it?
- ask questions about how the world works?
How it is taught in a foreign school:
- The task of every teacher is not only to prepare a student for the final exams, but also to make him fall in love with his subject. The first thing that Russian children and parents notice is that students in European schools love to study.
- Well-equipped classrooms and laboratories - here you can study not only theory, but also try everything in practice. Chemistry, physics, biology become especially fascinating. nine0024
- School activities also include guest lecturers and thematic excursions. Children can learn first-hand about the subject and specialties: who you can become in the future, how you can apply the acquired knowledge in practice, what kind of employees employers want to see.
Most children are not very self-confident. They worry about entering a new social situation, about learning new skills, about having to complete a new task, even more difficult. They seek help and support from friends, parents, teachers, and this is natural. nine0003
Studying in European schools, students develop their social skills, becoming more self-confident. These skills have nothing to do with intelligence, the ability to quote Shakespeare in the original, or mentally multiply three-digit numbers. But the ability of a child to clearly formulate thoughts, offer alternatives and respect someone else's point of view will make him successful in all areas of life. After all, as Henry Ford said, confidence is half the battle.
European schools help students develop their social skills. nine0003
They will not appear on your high school diploma or university degree.
But these abilities are important in order to enter a good university, successfully complete it and find a dream job, which means getting a pass to a happy life.
Contact the manager and choose school
by phone +7 (495) 935-85-45
through the request form on the site
See also:
What the school should develop (5 key skills) | British School MCS from MAGIC CASTLE Education
British education in the center of Moscow
Knowledge. A responsibility. Character.
SPECIAL PROJECT
The world is changing so fast that we cannot say with certainty what our life will be like in a year. What can we say about a more distant future - in 10-20 years. How to plan the education of a child so that he finds himself in a new world unknown to us, overcomes any difficulties and succeeds?
The overwhelming majority of experts agree on one thing: the main thing that we must give the child is a set of flexible skills that will determine his future success. The world's leading schools have integrated the development of soft skills into their curricula.
Experts say that education, which is aimed not only at the academic result, but also at the development of the child's personality, opens up new horizons. nine0003
Natalie Kaminsky, founder and director of Magic Castle International School in Moscow, spoke to Forbes Education about why soft skills are so important, which ones need to be developed at school, and how high academic standards can be combined with the development of a child's personality.
Soft skills are needed everywhere: in business, art, science, family life. Thanks to them, a person becomes a leader, inspires, leads others, finds non-standard solutions and does not give up in difficult situations. It is important to think about their development at the earliest stages: most of the soft skills are laid from childhood. nine0003
With the right curriculum, school is an ideal environment for personal development. In addition to academic goals, Magic Castle International School aims to develop key soft skills in its students: a positive and effective attitude to learning, growth and overcoming difficulties, creativity, responsibility, social communication skills.
Self-confidence
The vast majority of people can formulate life goals that they would like to achieve. Unfortunately, when it comes to the implementation of the plan, everything is not so simple. Scientists* have found that self-confidence plays a key role in success. People who believe in their abilities are much more likely to achieve goals: they approach problems more constructively, do not give up when faced with difficulties, and remain optimistic. The task of the school is to teach the child not to be afraid of difficulties, to show that he can achieve high results. nine0045
An overly complex educational program causes the child to lose faith in himself. Too simple - causes boredom and demotivates. In both cases, the child does not feel joy from completing tasks and pride in the result.
All children are different, they need different time to complete tasks and different levels of support from the teacher.
We have seen from personal experience that with the right organization of education, every child can believe in himself and achieve outstanding academic results. The task of our teachers is not only to explain the material clearly, visually and as interactively as possible, but also to make sure that each student can independently cope with the completed task. We adapt the program for each student: we add non-standard and complicated tasks if the child easily copes with the topic, and we provide additional support in cases where the material causes difficulties
Motivation
It always seems impossible until it's done (Nelson Mandella).
Have you ever noticed that it costs one person to set a new world record, which seemed unattainable for many years, as less than a month passes - there are people who are able to repeat the achievement. So it was with the conquest of Everest, the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters, the triple Axel in figure skating.
Why is this happening? When we know that the goal is achievable, it is easier for us to motivate ourselves on the way to it. What makes leaders different? They strive for ambitious goals and find motivation within themselves, even if everyone around them finds the task incredibly difficult. Self-motivation helps to find the energy and desire to achieve your goals. nine0003
It is important to teach children to be constructive about failures and achievements . The words we say when we praise or criticize, inspire and encourage the child, the way the student thinks in situations of difficulty or success, are the key points of development throughout life.
Not only words, but also the environment, the atmosphere can contribute to the development of intrinsic motivation. Even elementary inscriptions on the walls of the school with motivating statements do their job. Moreover, the “Rules for cultivating self-confidence, responsibility and motivation” have become a mandatory annex to the contract.
nine0003
All Magic Castle teachers are trained in how to praise and give feedback to children, and every phrase we use with students is carefully chosen to ensure a growth mindset.
The teacher must distinguish between praise and encouragement. It is necessary to encourage children constantly, and to praise - for concrete successes. Don't tell your child that he is smart. Tell him, “You did a great job! You did well." If the child did something wrong, first emphasize the positive aspects of this experience: “It's great that you are experimenting with paints. Let's make sure that after any experiments, your room remains clean. nine0003
Give your child a positive and personal growth mindset by paraphrasing his language - changing pessimistic scenarios.
"I can't do it."
"I'm stupid."
"I made a mistake again."
"I give up."
"I can't."
"I'm great at this."
"I need time. I'll try different strategies to solve this problem.
"
"I need more time. If I put in the effort, I'll get there."
"Mistakes help me learn." nine0045 "I can always do better. I will keep trying."
"I can't do it yet, but I'll learn. I'll put in more effort and I'll succeed."
"I tried and learned to do it. I got results because I put in the effort."
Responsibility
To be responsible means to be able to make decisions and bear responsibility for them, to lead people and organize the achievement of a common goal, to fulfill given promises, to be obligatory. The formation of responsibility in children begins at the age of 3-4 and is inextricably linked with the ability to show independence and initiative. nine0045
An environment where a child is overprotected or where every step is planned in advance by an adult does not give the child the opportunity to make choices, learn from their mistakes, take initiative and, as a result, develop responsibility.
After all, how can you be responsible for other people's decisions?
It is important to observe the principle: "More duties - more rights."
Each child should have an area of responsibility. For example, household chores might include cleaning, caring for pets or plants, loading/unloading the dishwasher or washing machine, or ironing your own clothes. nine0003
At Magic Castle International School, children not only take responsibility for their own learning, but also initiate new dishes on the menu, supervise equipment and order on school grounds, organize events and charity fairs, participate in decision-making regarding the eco-organization of school life and much more.
In today's world, the success of business and personal life is based on the ethics of decision making. That is why mindfulness, emotional intelligence and an open view of the world are of particular importance. We help our students to formulate their life position and values, including through participation in debates on important issues of politics, economics, ecology, and social development.
nine0045
Creativity and critical thinking
The ability to think creatively is required not only for representatives of creative professions. This skill is becoming more and more in demand in a variety of professional fields. And there is nothing to be surprised at: the ability to find non-standard solutions and quickly respond to the situation is exactly what is needed in the face of constant change and instability. Creative and critical thinking can be developed and trained. And where else to do this, if not at school - after all, it is here that the child faces new challenges every day. nine0045
The standard Russian school curriculum does not always give a child the opportunity to realize their creative potential, as it is primarily focused on the development of technical and standardized skills. Unfortunately, not all teachers are willing to make extra efforts to develop students' creativity.
We want our students to be able to critically evaluate information, generate new ideas, find innovative solutions and bring them to life. nine0003
A variety of practical and creative activities are an integral part of the British curriculum. Our students have the opportunity to realize their ideas in design or art classes; express their own point of view and ask questions in the lessons of history, physics, geography; look for non-standard solutions to practical problems; write your own poems and stories. We try to create an atmosphere of creativity: the school newspaper, mood board, meetings with interesting and inspiring people, career days, a literary magazine, a wall of poetry, annual video reports about class life - all this is an integral part of learning at our school. In addition, at Magic Castle, students discover their many talents during additional classes in art, music, vocals, sports, choreography, design, cooking, IT and many other subjects.
nine0045
Communication skills
Negotiation, conflict resolution, building relationships - all these skills are considered key in the business environment and often predetermine a person's success not only in career but also in personal life. It is at school through communication with peers that children develop their social skills and form a model of behavior that they will follow in the future when resolving conflicts, persuading, and working in a team.
An atmosphere where the child does not feel safe and sees negative examples of communication - forceful resolution of disputes, aggression, bullying.
The task of the school is to create a comfortable environment where children, on the one hand, independently build relationships with their peers, resolve conflicts and prove their point of view, and on the other hand, always feel the support of a mentor and are confident in their safety.
The school must define the boundaries and rules within which children learn through experience effective and ethical communication. nine0003
In addition to creating a comfortable environment, we purposefully practice social skills in the classroom.
In addition to creating a comfortable environment, we purposefully practice social skills in the classroom.
Presentations . Children develop the ability to organize information, illustrate it and present it to various audiences. Our students master different types of presentations - elevator pitch, powerpoint, TED TALKS.
Debate . Through participation in debates, children learn to understand the interests of the audience, find persuasive arguments, develop them and structure the information presented logically.
Negotiation .
The ability to find a solution acceptable to both parties and to prevent a conflict situation is an indispensable skill both in everyday life and in future professional life.
Storytelling / Storytelling is one of the most important skills in the world today. The ability to make your story exciting, emotional, and memorable will come in handy during presentations, debates, negotiations, and essay writing. nine0003
* Bandura, A. (in press). self-efficacy. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.) Cambridge dictionary of psychology . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
July 15 / 2020
#PARTNER_MATERIAL
OTHER SPECIAL PROJECT MATERIAL
What should school education be like to provide a child with a successful future? Parents are talking.
Dual certificate.
