Materials Required:

• 2 puppets
• small book for the puppet show
• puppet theatre (optional)
• visual schedule outlining the schedule for this session
• rules board
• toy bone for group game
• crayons, markers or pencils (one per child)
• scissors (one per child or enough for children to share)
• glue (one per child or enough for children to share)
• art activity sheets for “When Someone Says My Name” (one per child)
• “What I did in Social Skills Group” worksheets (one per child)
• “When Someone Says My Name” story books (one per child)

Schedule:

1. 1. Review the plan for today’s session by showing the children the visual schedule.
      • When reviewing the schedule, point to and name the pictures in order (e.g., first we will sing hello, have a puppet show, etc).
      • You may consider removing each picture as the activity is completed. You can create a pocket at the bottom/end of the schedule that represents “finished” or “all done”.
      • Place the schedule in a visible and accessible place where it can be referred to throughout the session.

Visual Schedule Pictures

1. 1. Each session begins with a song that welcomes all the children and teachers to the group. Here are a few suggestions:
      • Sing “Hello (child’s name), hello (child’s name), hello (child’s name), so glad you came today”. Repeat until everyone in the group has been greeted. Encourage the children to join in by waving hello and singing along.
      • If age appropriate, create name cards/tags for each child and teacher. Hold up each card while singing the “Hello Song” above. After singing the child’s name give them the name card to hold. Once the song is finished, ask the children to put their name cards behind them. The children can use the name cards later in the session when completing the worksheet.
      • You may also choose to use a “hello” or “welcome” song that you currently sing in your classroom.
   2. A rules board or a positive behaviour chart can help to provide a clear and consistent description of rules and expectations for the session. Decide on the main rules that will help the session run smoothly and help the children be successful in their learning. In our sample board, the rules are: raise your hand for a turn to speak, one person talks at a time, listen to others, sit on the carpet, keep your hands and feet to yourself, and have fun!Review the rules during each session. Have the children look at the rules, point to them and label them. Place the rules board in a visible and accessible place where it can be referred to during the session.

Group Time Rules

1. 1. OPTIONAL: Review the skill from last session. Ask the children if they remember what they learned in the previous social skills session. Can they recall the steps involved?For example, the previous skill was “Listening to Others” and the steps are:
      • stop what I am doing,
      • look at the person talking to me,
      • be quiet so I can hear, and
      • wait until the other person is done talking and try not to interrupt
   2. The puppet shows that you will be performing help to demonstrate the concept or skill for this session. At this time, you will be performing the ‘Appropriate Script’ which models the steps involved in what to do when someone calls your name.After the puppet show, have a brief discussion with the children about what they saw. Here are some sample questions you may want to ask:
      • What was Mona doing? (She was reading a book.)
      • When Jerome called Mona’s name, did she continue to read her book? (No, she stopped reading.)
      • Did Mona look at Jerome? (Yes, she did look at Jerome.)

Puppet show script: Someone Says Your Name

1. 1. At this point, you can introduce the social skill for this session by showing the steps involved in what to do ‘when someone calls your name’. Refer to the “Step by Step Visuals” and show them to the children.
      • I have to stop what I am doing.
      • I look at the person calling my name.
      • Then I can answer by saying, “Yah, yes, or I’m here!”

      We recommend keeping these visuals out so the children can refer to them during the puppet show that follows. For example, place them on the floor in the middle of the circle for all the children to see.

Step by step: Someone says name

1. 1. The second puppet show that you will be performing is a scenario where one of the puppets does not follow the suggested steps for ‘when someone says your name’. At this time, you will perform the ‘Inappropriate Script’ for when someone says your name.After the puppet show, have a brief discussion with the children about what they saw. Here are some sample questions you may want to ask the children:
      • What was Mona doing? (She was reading a book.)
      • When Jerome called Mona’s name, did she stop reading her book? (No, she continued to read.)
      • Did Mona look at Jerome? (No, she walked away.)
      • How did you think Jerome was feeling?
   2. The story helps to reinforce the steps and desired responses about ‘what to do when someone calls your name’. Read the story to the children. Let them know they will receive a copy of the story to look at later and/or to take home.

Book: Someone Says My Name

1. 1. The group game is intended to give the children an opportunity to practice how to stop, look, and answer when someone calls your name. The following is a suggested group game:Doggie, Doggie Who’s Got Your Bone
      All the children sit to form a circle. One child is selected to sit at the centre of the circle and pretends to be a dog; then, he/she covers their eyes. The teacher then selects another child and gives him/her a toy bone to hide behind their back or in their lap. The rest of the children pretend to hide a bone.

      Now everyone chants:
      Doggie, doggie who’s got your bone?
      Somebody stole it from your home.
      Guess who, maybe you, maybe the monkey from the zoo.
      Wake up doggie find your bone; if you find it take it home.

      When the chant is finished, the child, who is pretending to be the dog, open his/her eyes and now has three chances to find the bone. He/she will go around to the children sitting in the circle, and say “Ruff, ruff, (other child’s name), do you have my bone?” That child can respond either yes or no.

      If, after 3 chances the bone has not been found, ask the child hiding the bone to reveal it to everyone.

   2. OPTIONAL: The art activity focuses on the sequence of steps involved in responding to when someone says your name. You can include this activity as part of the session or use it as a follow up activity to be completed another day.Please refer to the Art Activity sheets.

Art activity: Someone Says my Name

1. 1. Distribute the “What I did at Social Skills Group” worksheets to each child along with a marker, crayon or pencil. Once the children have all the materials, review the worksheet and point out what needs to be completed in each section.For example,

      

      a) Point to the title box and read this to the children.

      b) Ask the children to write their name on this line (point to the line at the top of the paper).

      c) Review the pictures in the “Group time activities” section by pointing to the each picture as you label it. Ask the children to circle the activities from this session.

      d) Here, ask the children to write the name of at least one other child they played or interacted with during the session.

      e) Have the children identify how they were feeling during today’s group session.

      * If you are using name cards or tags, ask the children to place them on the floor in front of them. The name cards can be used to help children to complete the worksheets by writing their own name, and the name(s) of a friend they played with during the session.

      Once the worksheets have been completed, collect the writing materials and ask the children to place the worksheets in front of them. Let the children know they can take the worksheets home to share with their family and friends.

Worksheet: Someone Says My Name

1. Distribute “When Someone Says My Name” books to each child. Let the children know that they can bring the story home to read with their parent(s), family and friends.You may want to include a copy of the story at the book centre in your classroom.
2. Sing a goodbye song to conclude the social skills session.
   • Sing “Goodbye(child’s name), goodbye(child’s name), goodbye (child’s name), so glad you came today”. Repeat until everyone in the group has been greeted. Encourage the children to join in by waving goodbye and singing along.