Activities to Encourage Social Interaction

Hi there...! As usual when its tuesday/wednesday, we'll be coming back here again with loads of stuff to share with. As I 'googling' around, I found this helpful website that discuss about interesting activities that can be done in order to get the shy kids interacting socially.

There must be few reasons why students are afraid to interact in class. Sometimes the teacher herself had no idea why it is happening. Maybe the kids are hungry, moody, shy, having low self-esteem and afraid he/she might get a 'boo' from the other classmates. So, first and foremost... if you are concerned about your child’s social behaviour then become proactive and plan a number of activities to encourage social interaction.

Activity 1: Role Play at Home
As mentioned in Kid's Behaviour websites, some children avoid social interaction with others their own age because they do not feel confident in their social skills. Of course young children may not be able to verbalise this lack of confidence, but a general confusion about what to do with, or how to talk to, others could be clues that this is the case.
One easy way to clear this confusion is to role play at home. Without turning it into a lesson, “play pretend” with a child to allow him or her to get used to interacting with others. Pretend to be the butcher, the baker, the teacher or even a fellow peer and allow your child to practice making eye contact, making small talk and even politely ending an interaction. When (s)he seems comfortable with these steps, then look for ways to have him or her interact with others.

 Anyway, in any activity that will be held in class.. it's important for you (as a teacher) to know your own roles which are...

• Watch for children who are having trouble finding play partners. Invite these children to join an activity. For example, "Sam, we are starting a role play game. Would you like to join?"
• Draw attention to mutual interests among the children. Comment on the things children have in common and make suggestions that draw them into social play. For example, "Bill, I notice you like to play as a policeman. Sue is also will be played as policewoman. Perhaps you two can work together and become team mates!"
• Show your enthusiasm for children's social interactions. Positive attention will increase the likelihood that social interactions continue.

Sources: 

www.ehow.com

www.kidsbehaviour.co.uk