This four-part series introduces interventionists (professionals and parents) to the many important facets of development that underlie social learning in preschool- and early elementary-age students, clients, and patients. What looks like pure fun to us has important social learning consequences for the developing mind. The ability to participate in collaborative play and learn as part of a group depends upon flexible thinking, social language, self-regulation, and solid social emotional development, as well as the executive functioning skills to manage all of these simultaneously. Educational standards highlight the importance of classroom listening and collaboration, which are hallmarks of developmental learning in preschool and early elementary years. In this this series, we share key strategies and innovative practices for helping early learners with average to strong language and learning abilities develop critical social competencies, including:

• A research perspective on social emotional learning and executive functioning/self-regulation—and their interactive impact on socio-communicative abilities—and how to put the research and best practices of teaching social information into action
• Five Social Thinking Vocabulary concepts that have been adapted for social learners ages 4-7: thoughts and feelings, the group plan, thinking with your eyes, body in the group, and whole body listening (listening with Body and Brain)
• Methods to teach these concepts through storybooks, music, structured activities, and play with fidelity

Part 1: Foundations for Early Learners—Thoughts, Feelings, and the Group Plan covers the foundations of our work with early learners and delves into the core Social Thinking concepts thoughts and feelings and the group plan. At the core of social learning are our thoughts and feelings. We break down the ins and outs of introducing and concretely teaching about these abstract social concepts to support knowing our own, sharing them with others, and taking others’ thoughts and feelings into account as we act and react. Figuring out and being a part of the group plan begins with understanding that there is a group plan, that others are thinking about the same thing together. We break down how to increase social awareness and explore ways to support students, clients, and patients when they are following their own plan. Participants will learn about the research-based components of social-cognitive development from birth to age five and how they connect to the core Social Thinking concepts taught through our curriculum.

In Part 2: Building on Foundations—Thinking with Eyes, Body in the Group, and Whole Body Listening (Listening with Body and Brain) we continue our journey by exploring thinking with eyes, body in the group, and whole body listening.

After completing these first five lessons with students, the interventionist can then begin to explore the use of We Thinkers! Volume 2 (Parts 3 and 4 in this early learner course series).

Part 3: Assessing Peer-Based Collaboration and Play to Provide Specific Teaching Pathways
Part 4: Advancing Social Learning with Five Concepts to Promote Executive Functions

Course Content Disclosure: While this course includes information about other products and the work of other authors, it primarily focuses on the content included in the We Thinkers! Volume 1: Social Explorers curriculum guide and five storybooks to teach this information with fidelity.

Who Should Attend

The Social Thinking Methodology is used by a wide variety of professionals; including speech-language pathologists, special and general education teachers, social workers, counselors, clinical and school psychologists, occupational therapists, behavior specialists, and school administrators to name a few. It’s also used by family members and caregivers across settings.

This four-part series teaches interventionists (parents and professionals) to implement with fidelity our award-winning curriculum, storybooks, and music collection when using We Thinkers! Volume 1: Social Explorers and We Thinkers! Volume 2: Social Problem Solvers (formerly The Incredible Flexible You!).

Using examples, multi-sensory lessons, and strategies to promote social collaboration and play at school, home, and in the community, we’ll explore social development and demonstrate how to teach 10 core Social Thinking® concepts and use the storybooks to help students learn how the social world works, so they can better learn to navigate in the social world. We’ll also review the use of the Group Collaboration, Play and Problem-Solving (GPS) Scale to provide individualized pathways for different types of social learners. The vocabulary and strategies are adaptable for use with other activities and age-appropriate literature.

The series includes four courses preferably experienced in the following order, beginning with Volume 1 in our two-volume We Thinkers! curricular set:

Part 1: Foundations for Early Learners—Teaching Thoughts, Feelings, and The Group Plan
Part 2: Building on Foundations—Teaching Thinking with Eyes, Body in the Group, and Whole Body Listening (Listening with Body and Brain)

The next two courses provide information on the GPS assessment tool, as well as five executive function concepts:

Part 3: Assessing Peer-Based Collaboration and Play to Provide Specific Treatment Pathways
Part 4: Advancing Social Learning with Five Concepts to Promote Executive Functions

Throughout this series, you will learn not just the “why” behind the concepts we teach but the “how” with practical strategies and examples that you can start infusing into the things you already do and say.

Series Content Disclosure: While this series includes information about other products and the work of other authors, it primarily focuses on the content included in the We Thinkers! Volume 1: Social Explorers and We Thinkers! Volume 2: Social Problem Solvers curriculum guides and 10 storybooks to teach this information with fidelity.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least two key milestones that underlie the development of social cognitive skills from birth to age five.
2. Explain why an early learner (ages 4–7) with social learning differences and/or challenges may struggle to work and learn as part of a group.
3. Describe two ways to structure learning experiences in preschool and early elementary settings to promote social emotional learning.
4. Describe at least three ways to teach Social Thinking Vocabulary concepts thoughts and feelings and the group plan to students ages 4–7.

Agenda

• 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Exploring the difference between a skills-based approach and a social cognitive-based approach in teaching social concepts to young learners.
  • Introduction to the key components of social cognitive development from birth to age five.
• 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Best practices for teaching Social Thinking curriculum to early learners using Social Thinking Vocabulary.
  • Introduction to the concepts of thoughts and feelings and the group plan.
  • Practical strategies to teach these concepts through storybooks, music, structured activities, and play.
  • Previously Recorded Q & A Session

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