Social Skills

Maxwell's Manor: A Social Language Game

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Ages: 4-9 Grades: PreK-4th

Outcomes

  • Improve nonverbal communication by using gestures and facial expressions
  • Build conversation and friendship skills
  • Control impulsivity, take responsibility, ask permission appropriately, and use polite forms
  • Develop rule-following behavior

Social language areas include:

  • Nonverbal communication: acting out emotions with events, using gestures and facial expressions to communicate simple thoughts or sentences
    • Say this without words: This tastes good!  
  • Conversation skills: giving information, asking questions, and using appropriate voice style for various situations

    Your dad says, “What would you like for a snack?” What could you do?

    1. Look at the ground and say nothing.
    2. Shrug your shoulders.
    3. Look at him and say, “Cookies, please.”
  •   Being a friend: getting along with peers in a variety of situations that involve sharing, apologizing, complimenting, saying “no,” joining a group, borrowing, lending, handling teasing, consoling, protecting, accusing, and tattling

    You stepped on Alonzo’s toy car and cracked it.
    What could you say to Alonzo?

  • Self-control: controlling impulsivity, taking responsibility, and asking permission

    Some kids tease you about your hair. What do you do?

    1. Tease them about their hair.
    2. Ignore them.
    3. Spit at them.
  • Be polite: using polite forms, such as please, thank you, and excuse me, in specific situations

    What do you say when someone says, “Thank you”?

    Follow the rules: know the classroom and social rules (e.g., raising your hand, not interrupting, returning something you’ve borrowed)

  • What is a rule about putting your finger in your nose?

The cards are numbered so you know the order of developmental complexity within each deck. You can remove and replace cards quickly, and you can adapt play to any group of students. Use this game for students with social and pragmatic deficits due to NLD, Asperger's Syndrome, autism, and behavioral and/or emotional disorders.

Copyright © 2001

Components

11" x 17" heavy duty, single-fold game board; 300 cards on perforated card stock, 6 pawns, instructions; vinyl folder

 

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