Social Skills

Cooperative learning is important, but in order to work successfully in groups, social skills are needed. So, what is a social skill?

Social skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each other both verbally and non verbally through gestures, body language, and our personal appearance. For example, following directions is an example of a nonverbal social skill that children should learn.

An important aspect of utilizing social skills is face to face interaction. Face to face interaction not just a basic element of a social system, it:

• Boosts successful relationships
• Is perceived as credible
• A great form of persuasion, engagement, and leadership

It is important to use face to face interaction in the classroom, and it works best when the desks are positioned in tables or groups rather than rows. Below is a good example of how to promote face to face interaction in the classroom.

                                                 

There are four skills needed for cooperative learning: functioning skills, forming skills, formulating skills, and fermenting skills.

1. Functioning skills are needed to manage the group's activities to complete a task. They help to maintain effective working relationships among members.
2. Forming skills are basic skills that are needed for functioning in a social situation. They are required for cooperative learning groups. Examples include taking turns and using quiet voices. 
3. Formulating skills are needed to understand the material that is being studied at a deeper level. These skills stimulate the use of higher quality reasoning strategies and maximize mastery and retention. 
4. Fermenting skills are needed to rethink the material that is being studied. They can be used to manage cognitive conflict, search for more information, and to communicate the rationale behind one's conclusion

There are five steps to teach social skills. They are as follows:

1. Discuss the need for social skills and make sure students understand why they need them. Demonstrating the skill yourself can be helpful
2. Make sure the students understand what the skill is and how and when to use it. Using a T-chart is helpful for this
3. Set up practice situations and allow for guided practice
4. Give students feedback on their use of the skill
5. Make sure students practice the skill until it becomes automatic

Social skills are just like any skill in life, meaning that they often need practice before they are perfected. Making sure you provide practice in the specific skill is vital for students understanding. 

Being able to socialize and work in a group setting is not only vital in the classroom, but also in life in general. It is important that we give students a strong foundation in these skills so they can perfect it and utilize it later in life.