Developing Friendships: A Preschool Priority

Webinar Handouts

By Mindy Ely, TVI

A Breakdown of Friendship Development

  • Preparing for Friendship (Motivation for interaction)
  • Introducing a Friendship (Entrance into play)
  • Building a Friendship (Sustaining play interactions)

Preparing for Friendship

  • Build a Motivating Environment
  • Build Peer Familiarity
  • Teach Theory of Mind
  • Teach Skills for successful interactions

Introducing a Friendship (Entrance into Play)

  • Identify Play Options
  • Choose a Play Option
  • Move to the Play
  • Use Appropriate Entry Script

Building a Friendship (Sustaining Play)

  • Interaction Skills
  • Teacher Involvement and Modeling
  • Teach Typical Preschool Play Schemes
  • Teach Turn-Taking
  • Practice Contingent Conversational Skills

Self-Reflection

How much emphasis to you play on teaching students to engage in age-appropriate, peer interactions?

Where are your student’s strong and weak related to these interactions?

How can you support their strengths and improve their weaknesses?

Peer-Interaction Checklist

For Preschool Children with Visual Impairments

Child:______Age:______

Date of Observation: ______

Observer’s Name: ______

Observer’s Role:______

Initial Observation and Information

Classroom schedule: (note any portions of the schedule in which the student is regularly removed from the room for therapy or other services)

Describe child’s peer-engagement level during teacher-directed activities such as small group, circle time, or one-on-one instruction:

Describe child’s peer-engagement level during unstructured or child-directed activities such as free choice or gross motor play:

Preparing for Friendship

Environmental Considerations

  • Does the child interact with a variety of items in age-appropriate ways?
  • Is the child familiar with:
  • The environment and it’s contents?
  • The schedule?
  • Expected routines?

Peer Familiarity

  • Is the child familiar with a variety of children in the classroom? For example, does the child call various children by name or ask to play with specific children?
  • Do the children in the classroom appear comfortable interacting with the child who has a visual impairment?

Theory of Mind

  • Does the child appear to be aware of the emotions of peers?
  • Does the child appear to be aware of the impact their current or past actions have on others?
  • Does the child anticipate how their future actions will impact others?

Skills for Success

  • Concerning age-appropriate engagement with other children, does the child
  • Cooperate?
  • Collaboratively problem-solve?
  • Express curiosity or interest?
  • Regulate his/her own emotions?

Introducing a Friendship (Entrance into Play)

  • Identify Play Options
  • Does the child know the environment well enough to identify options for play?
  • Does the child know the children well enough to ask to join playmates by name?
  • Does the child use resources to inquire about play options?
  • Choose a Play Option
  • Does the child make choices once options are identified?
  • Move to the Play
  • Does the child move independently and purposefully within the environment?
  • Use Appropriate Entry Script
  • Is the child successful in gaining entry into play with peers?
  • Does the child ask necessary questions so that he/she can enter into play in an acceptable manner?

Building a Friendship (Sustaining Play)

  • Interaction Skills
  • Do skills in the following areas prohibit ongoing play once entry has been accomplished?
  • Cooperation
  • Collaborative problem solving
  • Curiosity
  • Self-regulation
  • List any other interactive skills that prohibit the child from successful ongoing play:
  • Teacher Involvement and Modeling
  • How do teachers introduce new play schemes and materials? Is this enough instruction for the child or is additional instruction needed by specialists?
  • Do teachers typically voice non-verbal cues related to rules for play as the children develop them?
  • How do teachers encourage and/or facilitate peer interactions?
  • Teach Typical Preschool Play-Schemes
  • What play-schemes do the children commonly engage in?
  • Are these play-schemes (and the materials involved) familiar to the child?
  • Is the child successful in engaging in ongoing play in common play-schemes?
  • Teach Turn-Taking
  • Is the child able to comply with turn-taking rules to allow for successful ongoing play?
  • Practice Contingent Conversational Skills
  • In conversation with peers, does the child
  • stay on-topic?
  • build on the ideas of others?
  • ask questions related to another’s perspective or feelings?
  • add to the conversation in a way that is considerate of peer perspective and/or interest?