According to a study backed by the American Journal of Public Health, a child that exhibits a high level of social skills in kindergarten is one of the single-most, biggest predictors of his/her later success in adulthood! By practicing EQ skills with your children in their earliest years, you’re offering your littles a guaranteed boost as they grow toward contributing to a greater society and the world at large. (Fun Fact: That’s 100% why our curriculum includes key EQ lessons in the areas of relationships, social-emotional skills, family connection, daily habits, empathy, and more!).
While most of us think social skills are fostered on the playground during recess or in a Tuesday morning show-and-tell, much of today’s recent research suggests otherwise. In fact, contrary to popular belief, social skills aren’t even built in the presence of other people! As it turns out, you alone can easily facilitate the development of social and emotional skills without even leaving your home. Ready to find out how?
Building Social Skills Through Books
Flip through a magazine or book in your home. Together, point out different faces showing a variety of emotions. Ask your child to share his/her perspective on what emotion each character might be experiencing.
Once he/she identifies an emotion for each character, ask your child what about the picture makes him/her think the character feels that way, e.g., “Could it be the high eyebrows?” “The pursed lips?”
Ask your child to draw a picture of another person feeling this same way.
Why it Matters: One of the beautiful aspects of homeschooling is that we can educate the whole child – mind, body, and heart. By inviting a communicative dialogue about feelings and emotions, you’re offering your child the holistic chance to learn more about his/her own interior life – and others’!
Challenge: Encourage your child to think of a scenario of why the character might be feeling the way they’re feeling. Ask, “Have you ever felt this way?” Share a story from your own life of when you’ve felt the same.
Related Reading (Optional): The Bad Mood and the Stick, by Lemony Snicket
Building Social Skills Through Pretend
During a choice mealtime this week, set a restaurant scene to delight your child. Try throwing a tablecloth over your typical table and “light” a few tea candles (we love these!). Task your child with making a menu of what foods are available for his/her special dinner – either with words or both words and pictures. Encourage him/her to “order” from his/her menu accordingly! Bonus points if you play up the server aspect – it’s a hit every time!
Why it Matters: Introduce copywork the playful way by serving your child a healthy dose of writing/spelling practice – with a happy mealtime memory to boot!
Challenge: Extend this learning opportunity by inviting a beloved friend or family member to your “restaurant”! Let your child take the lead in the server role by filling up guests’ water glasses and/or serving the meal. Or, hand over the chef’s role and let your child‘s kitchen creativity fly!
Related Read-Aloud (Optional): The Boy Who Wanted to Cook, by Gloria Whelan
Building Social Skills Through Poetry
This week, try reciting “Little Things,” a beloved Julia Carney poem, to your child. Commit to repeating it aloud each morning over breakfast:
Little drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean And the beauteous land.
And the little moments, Humble though they be, Make the mighty ages Of eternity.
So our little errors Lead the soul away, From the paths of virtue Into sin to stray.
Little deeds of kindness, Little words of love, Make our earth an Eden, Like the heaven above.
Why it Matters: All recitation benefits aside, this particular poem packs a major social-emotional punch. By helping your child to see the importance of littleness, you’re not only affirming his/her youth, but you’re teaching him/her that even his/her smallest actions will send profound ripples throughout his/her day – and, of course, life!
Challenge: Encourage your child to invent hand motions to accompany the poem for a multi-disciplinary twist.
Variation: Can your child come up with a tune to transform this poem into a song?
Related Read-Aloud (Optional): Here’s a Little Poem, by Jane Yolen
Building Social Skills Through Play
Pull out a new-to-your child board game and teach him/her how to play. Don’t have one? An old favorite works, too. Winner picks snack!
Why it Matters: There are endless learning opportunities present when playing a game – taking turns, following instructions, reading…the list goes on. Not to mention that there are also lots of fun opportunities to connect with your child as you play the game together. Everyone wins!
Challenge: Your child can make up a new board (or card!) game for you to play together, possibly focused on something he/she is already interested in – Legos? Inventions? Royalty? Make sure to help your child identify a clear objective for the game and how to meet that objective (also known as winning!). And for some homeschooled, 6-year-old, game-inventor inspiration, check out this Washington Post profile of Miranda Evarts and her game Sleeping Queens!
Variation: Instead of a board game, play Dots & Boxes together. Download our version here!
Related Reading (Optional): Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg
The Bottom Line
The next time you’re feeling a little stir-crazy or are totally convinced your kids aren’t getting the social skills they need: rest assured — they’re learning far more than you think within their own four walls – from empathy to grit to perspective-taking and everything between.
Keep up the great work!
p.s. Want to step up those social skills a notch? Enjoy our 5 favorite empathy lessons, now available instantly!