How to Use Stories to Help Children with Social Skills

LaDonna Werth and Lisa Poppe - Early Childhood Extension Educators Author

09/11/2023 Added

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Children love to listen to stories. Not only are stories used to entertain children, they can also be used as tools to teach new skills and expectations. Many parents read books to teach their children the alphabet or numbers, but stories can also be used to: Teach social skills, such as how to take turns; Teach clear behavior expectations, reinforce routines, such as getting ready for bed; Prepare for new experiences, such as the first day of school; Address a challenging behavior, such as hitting.

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[00:00:00.659]Fit and Healthy Kids - An Early Childhood Podcast. (with music)
[00:00:04.579](LaDonna Werth) Hello from Nebraska Extension.
[00:00:07.339]This is LaDonna Werth and Lisa Poppe,
[00:00:09.889]Extension Educators in the field of Early Childhood.
[00:00:13.299]We bring the research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to you.
[00:00:18.092](music)
[00:00:19.951]As a parent, we enjoy reading to our children.
[00:00:23.131]Children love to listen and ask questions as we read.
[00:00:26.866]Lisa, how can we use stories to teach about emotions?
[00:00:31.855](Lisa Poppe) Children love to listen to stories.
[00:00:34.871]Not only are stories used to entertain children,
[00:00:37.341]they can also be used as tools to teach new skills and expectations.
[00:00:41.973]Many parents read books to teach their children the alphabet or numbers,
[00:00:46.274]but stories can also be used to: Teach social skills, such as how to take turns,
[00:00:51.468]And to teach clear behavior expectations,
[00:00:55.118]they are used to reinforce routines, such as getting ready for bed.
[00:00:59.118]Prepare for new experiences, such as the first day of school,
[00:01:02.778]or address a challenging behavior, such as hitting.
[00:01:06.518](LaDonna Werth) What are social stories and how can we use them?
[00:01:10.198](Lisa Poppe) Social stories are brief, simple stories that are created to show your child
[00:01:14.973]what to expect, and what is expected of him, during a certain activity.
[00:01:19.942]Social stories can include pictures of your child and
[00:01:23.947]they are written in a way that he can understand.
[00:01:26.837]They also use positive language to show your child what he can do
[00:01:30.837]and provide healthy ways to deal with really strong emotions.
[00:01:34.837]For example, a social story
[00:01:36.927]that teaches a new skill to replace hitting might say,
[00:01:39.917]“If my friend tries to take my toy,
[00:01:42.767]I can say ‘Stop. This toy is busy.’”
[00:01:46.767]Social stories validate how your child actually feels,
[00:01:50.767]but also can show him how others are feeling.
[00:01:54.017]When used for specific situations, social stories help children
[00:01:58.266]to make wise choices and give them the confidence to try new experiences.
[00:02:03.060](LaDonna Werth) Lisa, can you give me an example of a social story?
[00:02:07.500](Lisa Poppe) Sure, you must first….
[00:02:10.410]Choose a situation that has been challenging for your child.
[00:02:13.420]For example, if your child and her friend Ben
[00:02:15.940]have been having problems with sharing when they play,
[00:02:18.960]you can write a simple social story to teach her how to share with him.
[00:02:23.330]It might go like this - I feel excited when I go to Ben’s house!
[00:02:27.986]We play with trains, do puzzles and build towers.
[00:02:30.821]Sometimes, we both want to play with the same train.
[00:02:33.903]If we both want the same toy, I have choices!
[00:02:37.045]I can find another train and ask Ben to trade.
[00:02:40.545]I can get a timer and we can take turns.
[00:02:43.545]I can ask my mom for help. OR
[00:02:46.625]I can choose to play with something else.
[00:02:48.795]I feel proud when I make wise choices!
[00:02:51.868]As you can see, this type of social story
[00:02:54.349]helps your child to see that her problem is normal,
[00:02:57.483]teaches her words to help her express her feelings and
[00:03:00.378]gives her choices by telling her what she can do.
[00:03:04.061]Social stories are very helpful to children when they go into a new situation.
[00:03:09.854]Like, if your child is going on an airplane for the first time, you can create a
[00:03:14.844]social story to provide him with clear expectations of what is going to happen.
[00:03:19.923](LaDonna Werth) I love reading story books to children and
[00:03:23.633]watching how the book comes to life for them.
[00:03:26.883]Is social stories a good way to teach children expectations?
[00:03:30.883](Lisa Poppe) Yes they are, reading stories to your
[00:03:34.513]child provides a time for everyone to relax.
[00:03:37.508]These moments are a perfect time to teach your child or talk to her about feelings.
[00:03:42.238]Social stories are a great tool you can use to teach your child expectations or
[00:03:47.098]new skills before she is expected to use them.
[00:03:51.119]When you read a book with your child again and again,
[00:03:54.369]she feels confident about making choices that help her to have a positive experience.
[00:03:59.583](LaDonna Werth) As parents, it is fun to set in a chair and snuggle with your child.
[00:04:05.964]Take this time to read and help your child
[00:04:08.615]figure out new skills and guide them through challenging behaviors.
[00:04:13.575]This has been LaDonna and Lisa with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:04:17.815]Until next time, enjoy your family time together.
[00:04:21.756]Fit and Healthy Kids is a co-production of
[00:04:24.336]Nebraska Extension, Georgia Extension,
[00:04:26.776]Kansas State Extension, South Dakota State Extension,
[00:04:30.383]and the Iowa Childcare Resource and Referral.

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