Supporting social communication and interaction

Social use of language is important for children to develop and maintain relationships with their friends and adults. It also helps in managing daily life. Social use of language includes:

• taking turns in a conversation with another person to give and receive messages
• understanding when you are expected to respond, for example, if someone has spoken to you or asked a question
• noticing and responding to non-verbal communication, such as body language and facial expressions
• maintaining talk about the topic, changing topic appropriately and interrupting politely
• talking and behaving appropriately to different people. For example, speaking more formally to a headteacher and less formally to friends
• knowing that you need to listen to the ideas of others, negotiate, compromise and try different ideas

Activities to develop social interaction skills

Turn taking activities

Encourage the child to take turns in structured games and in conversation.

• For early turn taking skills, practise taking turns to roll a ball to each other or put bricks on a tower. Talk about whose turn it is, "my turn" and "your turn".
• Take turns to pass an object round a group of children and describe or talk about it. Children must listen and wait their turn to ensure they do not repeat somebody else’s answer.
• Each child has a turn to say, "I went to the shops, and I bought X". As each child has a turn, they should remember the previous items to make a verbal shopping list.
• Set up opportunities where children need to work together. This might be completing a new task, trying a new game together, or getting a message to another teacher.

Read more about activities to support attention and listening.