Chapter+5

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=**SCENARIO:**= Jeff is a student in Miss Erney’s class who lacks the ability to get along with his peers. Jeff’s inappropriate behavior includes taking toys and food from his classmates’ hands. On the playground, students try to avoid Jeff so that he does not take their things. When Miss Erney talked with Jeff about his inappropriate behavior, he refused to take responsibility and blamed his classmates for the problems. Recently, Jeff has withdrawn from the class, and he frequently can be found walking alone on the playground and after school. Miss Erney wants to help Jeff become more socially mature.

1. Discuss the use of sociometric techniques to assess social skills and related problems. How can Miss Erney use information from a sociogram to help Jeff? Sociometric techniques are used to assess students social skills. They are categorized into three main groups, peer nominations, peer ratings and peer assessment. Miss Erney can use a sociogram to help Jeff by taking the information off it and relating it to the class. A sociogram will show Ms. Erney who work together often, and which students choose each other. This will help her, because she’ll find out which students Jeff works best with and those that may decide to choose him as a partner.

2. Discuss the use of social skills training to reduce Jeff’s inappropriate social behaviors. Include the use of direct instruction to increase Jeff’s interpersonal social skills. Social skills can be used to help reduce Jeff’s inappropriate behaviors by showing him the way to properly behave. Some of the social skills being used are conversational skills, friendship skills, and problem-solving skills. Working on these with Jeff will allow him to behave more appropriately with his classmates. Direct instruction would be beneficial because the teacher can create specific goals for Jeff. Using direct instruction, the teacher can break down the assignments and allow Jeff to feel included.

3. Describe three social development activities that may help Jeff with his social problems. Predict some of the possible outcomes of each activity. * Best & Worst Game: By using this game with Jeff, he will learn what is the best thing to do when confronted with a problem and what could be the worst thing to do. Hopefully he will have a better understanding of what to do when working with his classmates. * Socialization Game: This game will help Jeff improve his social skills. He will be able to discuss his feelings and relationships and get to hear the others as well. * Decision Game: This game will help Jeff make proper decisions according to the situation. It also allows the students to work together and explain the reason they made each decision.

4. Instructional games promote positive peer relations and enable the teacher to work on specific social behaviors. Create a game that Miss Erney can use to help promote Jeff’s social development. The game I would create is called “Scenario Game”. The students will move around a board and it would include several squares that say different things. Some of the pieces will have the students create their own scenario and have the other students playing explain what they would do when in that situation and why. It is a fun way to get the students talking about their feelings and learning the proper way to act around each other.

5. Discuss the use of life-space interviewing and reality therapy as two interventions to manage Jeff’s behavior and promote his emotional development. Life-space interviewing can be used by allowing Jeff to make his own decision. He will learn how to work out problems on his own with close teacher assistance. This will enable Jeff to learn the proper ways to interact and also be able to feel like he is able to make his own decisions. Reality therapy teaches students how to properly behave and will allow them to make proper decisions when faced with a problem. Together the teachers and Jeff can work together to develop a plan that will increase Jeff’s responsible behavior. Like life-space interviewing, Jeff can feel his is in control of his punishment and determine what he feels is appropriate. Both techniques have major benefits that will allow Jeff to succeed and increase positive interaction with his classmates.

=Instructional Games in Social Development =





=Instructional Games In Emotional Development =

=Instructional Games In Behavior Development =




 * Information Found From: Teaching Students with Learning Problems, 8th Edition, Cecil D. Mercer; Ann R. Mercer; Paige C. Pullen (2011) **