Social Thinking
Are you a Social Dective??
Please check out Michelle Garcia Winners Social Thinking page.
In Haddon Township we are focusing on Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking program to help our students become social thinkers. For our younger students (Pre-K through 1st grade) we are using the concept of Whole Body Listening. For our older students we add in the concept of being a Social Detective/Social Thinker. We are striving to use consistent vocabulary to discuss these ideas. Please click on this link to connect to social thinking vocabulary.
Whole Body Listening. Being a good listening means much more than hearing what is said with the ears. It is important that you break down ALL components of listening for your children. Many children hear various statements like “Show me good listening”, “Pay attention” or simply “Listen”. However; we often forget to explain what listening looks like to other people, and what it feels like to the child.
Whole Body Listening is more than just “hearing” with the ears. It includes:
- Listening with the eyes (look at the speaker)
- Listening with the ears (both ears ready to hear)
- Listening with the mouth (closed and quiet)
- Listening with the hands (quietly at the side of body or in the lap)
- Listening with the body (facing the speaker)
- Listening with the feet (standing still or quietly on the floor)
- Listening with the brain (thinking about what the speaker is saying)
- Listening with the heart (caring about what the speaker is saying)
