Pragmatic Skills Series: Books that Promote Social Skills!

One strategy to teach social skills is to use storybooks.  I love to use stories to introduce skills, elicit conversation about social topics, or to model social skills.

Here are my top favorite books divided by topics:

Emotions/Feelings:

 Self-Image/Self-Esteem/Bullying/Kindness:

Friendship: 

Personal Space:

Point of View:

Social Thinking:

Social interaction with peers in a variety of age-appropriate situations:

This last book comes in various version for different age levels.  If you have not heard of Jed Baker, I definitely recommend checking him out.  A couple years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop where he was speaking.  It was an unbelievable experience.  It was a workshop for all professionals and parents that work with students with Autism.  He researches and promotes functional activities to teach student social skills.  His books uses real-life pictures and situations to expose students to all situations they may come across.  He uses a strategy/format, "right way" and "wrong way" to demonstrate the appropriate and inappropriate social behaviors.  I have used these books and this strategy with my social skills groups.  I like to read a chapter to introduce a social topic.  Then we can discuss, role play, and practice.  I have created a fun follow-up activity that continues to practice the "right way vs. wrong way" technique. 

Students can look at each picture and verbally express if it is right or wrong way to behave.  Can they explain their answers?  I have also created another fun follow-up activity for students to come up with what they think the people in the pictures would say in those situations.  I found these cute speech bubble cut outs at a teacher supply store.

I took several of them and laminated them.  That way students can write on them with dry erase markers.  By laminating them, they can be used over and over.  This allows students to create a dialogue for the pictures they see.  My students have fun writing sayings for the bad pictures too!  They think it is hysterical!  You can grab your freebie "right way vs. wrong way" pictures here!  The pictures were found using Google Images.  If you cannot find these cut outs, you can easily use a speech bubble image from google images, print and laminate as well.  But you are in luck, I have found some websites where you can purchase them!  Here they are: 

http://www.thechalkboardcatalog.com/speech_bubbles_cutouts-p-1603186.html

http://www.american-classroom-supply.com/speech-bubbles-designer-cut-outs.html

http://www.teachchildren.com/ctp6242.html

You can also create your own social stories to promote skills for individualized needs:

• Dealing with divorce
• How to introduce yourself
• Switching schools
• Playing with friends on the playground.
• And for any other need necessary!!

There are many available social stories if you are having trouble coming up with your own.  You can find many at Speaking of Speech. 

I have created a cute short story that works well with my Pirate Pragmatic Pack! 

All you have to do is print, laminate and bind together!  You can read this story before using the "good pirate vs bad pirate" activity in the Pirate Pragmatic Pack.  I love using stories to introduce concepts!  You can access this download at my TpT store!


There are also TONS of apps that provide social stories for various needs.  One developer that has created TONS of social story apps is Touch Autism. 

They have provided me MANY codes to give away for their various social story apps!   They have been extremely generous and I hope you enjoy the chance to win one or more of these great social stories apps!  Visit their website to learn about their other apps!  They are all great for students working on social skills and could benefit from social stories, modeling, and practicing of appropriate social behavior.  Enter to win them below.  Click the links above each rafflecopter to learn more about the apps!!
Joke Telling Social Story and Speech Tool on How to Tell Jokes
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Turn Taker Sharing Tool and Social Story
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wait Timer Social Story and Visual Timer Tool
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Knock Knock Numbers - Joke Telling and Conversations Tool
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Conversation Social Stories and Simple PECS Communication Tool
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Day With WH Words Social Story and Speech Tool
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Emotions and Feelings Autism Social Story
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Using My Words to Ask For What I Want Social Story
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Manners Social Story and Speech Tool
a Rafflecopter giveaway

As you can tell, I love to use stories and reading activities to introduce, practice, and discuss social situations and skills.  There are many other books and activities out there but I had to narrow it down!  Feel free to comment below with your favorite storybooks!  Do you know of one that I do not?!

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