The Power of Social Skills in Character Development: Helping Diverse Learners Succeed

Students must demonstrate not only academic ability but also social competence as they develop to become involved members of society. This guide for teachers, parents, and other professionals addresses the necessity for teaching students social competence as they also learn their core academic material. The program starts with solid lessons in self-esteem and character development. Students learn to respect themselves by developing habits of honesty, responsibility, and self-control. With improved self-esteem comes a willingness to accept constructive criticism, the courage to set personal goals, and the desire to treat others as they would like to be treated, thus creating a solid foundation for social development. Eighty lessons and reproducible activity handouts, all within 7 units, make up this resource. These units are: (1) "Self-Awareness"; (2) "Communication Skills"; (3) "Relationships," subdivided into "Family and Friends," and "Dating and Romantic Relationships"; (4) "Criticism and Attitudes"; (5) "Stress Management"; (6) "Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving"; and (7) "Decision Making and Goal Setting." An appendix contains alternative classroom activities: Social Skill of the Month, Attribute of the Month and Character Calendar, Acknowledgment Notes, and My Personal Time Capsule. The book concludes with a list of additional resources and organizations. (Contains 107 references.) (RT).