Introduction

One essential skill for young students to learn is the importance of getting someone’s attention before speaking to them. This ensures that the listener is aware and prepared to engage in the conversation. This blog post will provide educators with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, related skills, and next steps to help kindergarten students understand and practice this crucial social skill.

No-Prep Activity

This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be easily implemented in the classroom. It is designed to help students understand the importance of getting someone’s attention before speaking to them.

1. Split the students into pairs and have them sit facing each other.
2. Explain to the students that they will take turns being the “speaker” and the “listener.”
3. When it is their turn to be the speaker, the student should try to get their partner’s attention using one of the methods mentioned earlier (looking at the person, tapping them on the shoulder, or using their words).
4. Once the listener’s attention is gained, the speaker can share a brief story or fact about themselves.
5. After each student has had a turn as the speaker, invite the class to discuss their experiences and what they learned from the activity.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to stimulate further discussion and understanding of the importance of getting someone’s attention before speaking to them:

1. Why is it important to get someone’s attention before speaking to them?
2. What might happen if you don’t get someone’s attention before speaking to them?
3. How did you feel when you successfully got your partner’s attention during the activity? How did you feel when you were the listener and your partner got your attention?
4. What are some different ways to get someone’s attention in different settings, such as at home or in public places?
5. How can you tell if someone is paying attention to you when you are speaking to them?

Related Skills

Teaching students the importance of getting attention before speaking is just one aspect of fostering effective communication and social-emotional learning. Other related skills that can be addressed in conjunction with this topic include:

• Active listening
• Maintaining eye contact during conversations
• Using appropriate volume and tone of voice
• Understanding personal space and boundaries
• Recognizing and responding to nonverbal cues

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about the importance of teaching kindergarten students to get someone’s attention before speaking and have a no-prep activity to use in your classroom, consider exploring more resources to support your students’ social-emotional learning. To get started, sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and others at https://wpstaging.everydayspeech.com/sample-materials/.