The Ministry of Higher and secondary education of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Developing children's social skills

Developing social skills is also very important at this learning stage. Children need to learn to socialise with each other, applying some important values such as respect and sharing. It is essential that the teacher explains why such values are important, and then constantly remind them of their importance when conflicts appear within the classroom.

Five important tips for teachers who are new to this age group:

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  Establish a set of classroom rules from day one. This will help you control behaviour within the classroom. Remind them of the rules regularly.
  
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  Use procedures to organise the class. Children at this stage need to know what to do before activities begin. Remember that instructions need to be straightforward, and activities should be demonstrated (modelled) in advance.
  
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  When conflicts arise, do not panic. Show yourself at ease and approach the students at their level, making eye contact. Speak to them with a soft tone of voice.
  
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  Show enthusiasm about the activities they are going to participate in. Be part of the activities as well.
  
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  Have a set of songs, chants and quick games to hand to keep their attention. You can use them at any moment in the class to change from one activity to the other.
  

The British Council and Aardman – creators of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep – have teamed up to establish a new global network of English language learning centres for early-years learners (2-6 year olds). The first two centres have opened in Chile and Singapore.

One of the staples of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching is the role play. Role plays are used to allow students to practice speaking in a conversational situation, build confidence and fluency, assess progress, and put learning into action.

They are often set up to target particular grammar points – simple past tense, future with ‘going to’, infinitives, etc. – and to test social interaction skills such as negotiating, interrupting, asking for assistance and making small talk. Role plays may be as simple or as complicated as the teacher desires. Verbal instructions, secret messages, gestures and cue cards are all common ways of setting a scene.

In the classroom there are four main types of role plays, but bear in mind that there is often overlap and particular situations may combine two or more of these elements.