Pragmatic Skills Series: Perspective Taking

In my Speech Room I spend a lot of time intently teaching my students how to ‘step into someone else’s shoes.’ Here’s a peek at how I teach perspective taking.

 

Working on perspective taking will allow your students to show the appropriate social reactions and make conversation choices based on inferencing.

 

To kick off the perspective taking activities in my speech room, I start with a game I developed called “In Your Shoes.”

 

The download includes 3 games: Problem Solving 1 & 2 and Perspective Taking. The problem solving games include social situations that require the student to identify a solution. I use this large graphic in the middle of the table to remind the kids to identify the problem and the solution! The game cards are tennis shoes with a social problem listed. For example:  A new student came to school today. He’s standing near the lunch line looking nervous.. What could you do? The level one cards are appropriate for students in grades k-4, but depending on developmental level they may work for your older students as well. Level 2 problem solving includes social problems appropriate for students in grades 4-8. For example: Chad wants to play football and be in band. They have practice afterschool at the same time. What should he do?

 

The perspective taking cards encourage kids to imagine themselves in someone else's shoes! You can use them to open discussion about empathy and making decisions based on others feelings. Theory of mind is such a difficult skill to teach, but it's fun when it clicks! The lack of perspective taking skills can really impact the kids ability to be sensitive to others and identify how others are feeling and reacting in a conversation.

 

The week after we play the ‘In Your Shoes’ game I start introducing a new way to play the game. Each week I bring a shoe to school. I usually start with a shoe that’s the opposite of my students. This year I started with my wedge sandal. We talk about how MY perspective is different than their perspective. We talk about different scenarios and each take a turn ‘walking in my shoes’. When we play the game this day – we all answer as though they are the ‘teacher.’ During the following day I will bring in a small child’s shoe and we will talk about the perspective a preschooler.

 

Once we work through those perspectives that vary greatly from their own, I will start bringing in kid shoes that tell a story. For example, I might bring in shoes with braces indicating a child with a physical handicap. The next week I will bring a pair that are very worn down and tell the story of someone who’s family can’t afford new shoes for their child. I might even bring in my walking cast this year!

The possibilities are endless! How do you teach perspective taking?

 

 

Jenna Rayburn, M.A., CCC-SLP is a pediatric Speech Language Pathologist who works in a clinic and school. She authors Speech Room News (SpeechRoomNews.blogspot.com) where she shares what she’s doing in her Speech Room.  Find her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/SpeechRoomNews), Twitter (https://twitter.com/SpeechRoomNews) and Pinterest. (http://pinterest.com/JennaRayburn/)