Tips for teaching Social Thinking in Homeschool

1. Learn more about the Social Thinking Methodology

The Social Thinking® Methodology is designed to teach and support individuals, ages four and older, how to better understand the social world, foster relationships, develop organizational skills, and build social competencies to meet their authentic social goals. The materials in the methodology are comprised of storybooks, teaching curricula, games, posters, and other products that have been developed alongside our clients and families. Our strategies help to break down complex social and organizational concepts into understandable parts that can be applied across settings. We believe that social concepts like social attention, perspective taking, interpretation, and problem solving form the foundation of academic standards. These core building blocks promote literacy, collaboration, and executive functions and provide a scaffold for interpreting abstract academic and social information.

The Social Thinking Methodology focuses on teaching “why” we use social competencies rather than using a behavioral approach to teach people to memorize social skills. For that reason, our materials are a better fit for those who actively think about thinking (metacognition) and have strong expressive language and cognition. And while our work is not a good match for everyone, we promote acceptance and inclusion for all.

2. Think about your child’s social learning system.

With any Methodology or curriculum, it is important to ensure we consider the individual child within the context of our teaching. Social Thinking should be taught differently based on the child’s developmental age and social learning system. Our frameworks, strategies and materials reflect this.

One way to introduce Social Thinking is through the Brain Wires activity. This provides an opportunity to discuss multiple intelligences, strengths, and challenges. Families can discuss the process of learning and how we can grow our social smarts, academic smarts and even hobby smarts.

3. Incorporate Social Thinking Vocabulary into Your Day

The Social Thinking Vocabulary is a core strategy within our Methodology. Each vocabulary term teaches a particular social idea to help individuals first understand how the social world works and then learn to use that social concept to develop social competencies in that area.

The vocabulary provides a concrete way to discuss the abstract social world. It helps children notice and talk about their own and others’ social expectations. This helps form a meta-awareness, which can lead to increased social self-awareness and self-monitoring.

The goal is not to memorize a list of words. The goal is to understand the concept conveyed by the words. It is meant to activate thinking, and the thinking is what eventually leads to changes in behavior. It is slow and deep learning!

How to use the Social Thinking Vocabulary

Teach in the context when observing and discussing the social world. Avoid using it to direct behavior. Our goal is to grow the child’s ability to understand and describe how the social world works. Because the vocabulary is designed to be used across situations, it can (and should!) be used withing a variety of lessons and activities.

Embed in Academics

In addition to embedding the Social Thinking Vocabulary into everyday routines, consider bringing the concepts into academics.

The same social thinking is required to relate effectively to people around us and is essential for academic success. Social thinking is required when reading stories to understand the deeper meaning behind the actions of the characters and their relationships. It is also required to write an effective essay. We use social thinking to make sure our arguments make sense to our audience by taking the perspective of the reader and considering what a person may already know or not know about the topic. We must also take the reader’s perspective to consider how to organize the information so it will be logical for the reader to follow.

Thoughts and feelings are core Social Thinking Vocabulary concepts that are readily embedded into academics. Social and academic learning is all about thoughts and feelings. The ability to think about others, play collaboratively and establish friendships is all about thoughts; knowing our own, sharing them with others and taking others’ thoughts into account as we act and react. (What are you thinking? What am I thinking? What is the group thinking about?) We make the connection to feelings because what we think and what we feel are inseparable.

Exploring thoughts and feelings as you read together teaches the concepts in context (where characters are, who is there and what is happening). Exploring thoughts and feelings across the pages shows how characters impact one another and how thoughts and feelings change over time. This directly supports reading comprehension and a deeper understanding of what the characters are thinking, how they may be feeling and fuels both inferences and predictions.

The Social Thinking Vocabulary can not only be utilized when directly teaching academics, but also to support the process of learning.

Embed into Enrichment Classes & Co-Ops

As mentioned above, the Social Thinking vocabulary can support learning across situations and contexts. Therefore, it can also be helpful to bring the concepts into play dates, enrichment classes and Co-Ops.

One of the Social Thinking Vocabulary terms is “the group plan.” We talk about “the group plan” as a way to help children be more aware of what a group of people are thinking about and doing. Knowing the plan of the group supports knowing one’s own role within it. It also gives support for what one can think about and do when they are part of a group. When everyone is following the plan, we are all thinking about each other. This supports moving toward collective goals.

Before heading to enrichment classes, play dates or Co-Ops, talk to your students about the group plan. Share details of the situation and the associated hidden rules/expectations (another STV term we use to describe the expectations people usually don’t talk about). During the experience, use the vocabulary of “group plan” to get organized and remind the group of the collective goals.

Kelly, the author, shared, “As homeschooling families, we have an amazing opportunity to incorporate Social Thinking across the day into both academic and life activities. Since we are with our students so many hours a day, having the Social Thinking concepts and vocabulary to support all aspects of teaching and parenting is essential. Social thinking is in each aspect of life. Helping our students shape their thinking to meet their academic and social goals helps prepare them for both academic and life success.”

About the Author

Kelly Bleckley is a Speech Language Pathologist/social cognitive specialist and mom homeschooling two children. She shares the following thoughts: “As homeschooling families we not only teaching academics but also have to help our student manage their thoughts and feelings as they tackle difficult moments in learning.” The Social Thinking Vocabulary and concepts support teaching and working through this process.