Conversations can be hard for some kids. They get nervous, think they have to say the perfect thing to get the attention of their peers. The best tip I can give parents is to tell their kids if they feel shy, they should try to be brave and say Hi anyway. Once they say hello and introduce themselves confidently (which you would have to role play with them so they know exactly what that looks like), tell them to ask the person they want to talk to, open-ended questions. You can tell them that an open-ended question is any question that you can't answer with a simple yes or no. Instead of asking, Did you like that movie?, you can ask, What was your favorite part of the movie?
Explain: We are going to role play a situation where you will be pretending to be initiating a conversation with me. I will go first. (You will show them how it's done by saying hello and introducing yourself. Then you will ask them open-ended questions. Once you are done, let them try. If they can't do it at first, you can keep showing them how it's done and they will learn the skill by your example. You could even have them repeat what you say, if that would help).
Role- Play Rules
1. Pick a situation to act out
2. Decide on what role of each person participating
3. Act out the role play
4. Discuss how it went
5. Repeat so everyone participating gets to experience each role
6. Discuss what each person learned by acting out the role play.
Role-Playing is a great way for kids to learn how to act in different situations and help them prepare for situations that may cause them stress or anxiety.
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