Tools for Teachers to Improve Social Interaction in the Classroom

To succeed in an educational environment, each student can benefit from exposure to therapy tools that improve social growth.

Classroom-based therapy interventions allow teachers to support all their students, while ensuring that only appropriate students are placed on a therapist caseload. Our whole child approach at Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS) considers all areas of your students’ education, including their social skills and interactions. 

Supporting Social Interaction in the Classroom

There are several tools and activities that teachers can utilize throughout the school day in support of students’ social interactions. To help improve social skills for all students in your classroom, you can:

• Model positive behavior
• Assign classroom jobs to individuals or groups
• Role-play positive social interactions
• Run large and small group activities 

These small actions can encourage positive social interactions between your students and create a classroom environment that supports each student’s social growth. Along with these actions, PTS offers several small-group, classroom-based activities and interventions that therapists can use to improve social interactions.

How Does the PTS Teacher Connection Improve Social Interaction?

As PTS, we offer a range of classroom-based therapy interventions that can help teachers improve social interactions while keeping more students off the therapy caseload. We support every student’s academic, behavioral, and social-emotional growth so that they can succeed in the classroom and beyond. 

Our partnering schools can benefit from our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) approach. This data-driven approach is divided into three tiers of support: 

• Tier 1: Classroom-level support
• Tier 2: Short-term, small-group support
• Tier 3: Individual therapeutic support

The Capable Classroom™ encompasses several Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions that support your students’ whole education. These interventions are designed for every student and can ensure that your special education programs occur in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) possible. 

There are a few interventions within the Capable Classroom™ that are designed specifically for supporting social growth: 

Super Self™—Self-Regulation Group

The Super Self™—Self-Regulation Group is designed for students at the third-grade level or beyond and can be done with an individual or in a small group. This group helps build students’ social skills, self-regulation abilities, and sensory awareness. With an included self-reflective report, they can track their progress and bring those skills to the classroom. 

I Know What to Do! Card Game

The I Know What to Do! card game is a social skills activity that has students match challenging social scenarios with appropriate responses. This can benefit students who struggle with impulsivity and need social stories to develop skills. 

Apply to Work Alongside PTS as a Special Education Teacher Today!

Using Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions from our Capable Classroom™, PTS can help the teachers in our partnering districts support each student’s social skills and interactions. Social growth is a crucial part of education, and with support from our school-based providers, you’ll have the tools needed to ensure your students’ success. 

To learn more about our classroom-based interventions or work alongside us, contact PTS today!