Let's Talk About Life Skills - Binder 1

The easy-to-use binder featuring 800 Questions and Answers and 800 Practice Activities provides teachers and counselors with high-interest subjects that are simple enough for students of all ages to understand, yet challenging enough to inspire lively discussion of the various life skills.

This comprehensive and well-organized manual offers a convenient and flexible way to conduct life skills instruction in a group discussion format. It is ideal for use with all size groups in a home or work setting, an entire classroom, or for one-on-one counseling sessions. The fast-paced group format allows participants to express their feelings on a wide ranging variety of subjects and also to learn more about their peers. This in turn teaches the most important life skill of all: the social skill of getting along with and showing respect for the feelings and opinions of others. A special section entitled "How to Get Started" gives educators step-by-step instructions and tips on getting the most out of the materials enclosed.

Topics Covered:

Behavior

Focuses on which behaviors that are acceptable and which are not acceptable in various settings such as home, school, work, and in the community. Life skill topics include: taking responsibility for own actions; showing anger in acceptable ways; respecting the rights, feelings, and property of others; learning when an apology is needed; learning to tell the truth; coping with people who yell, hit, or threaten others, and more.

Communication

Focuses on knowing what personal or basic orientation information they may need to communicate to others. Skill topics include: learning basic identification and survival information, names of peers and other people in their lives, identifying two or more trusted people, days of the week, choosing the correct restroom, functional time management, importance of carrying an ID, and more.

Community

Activities teach basic skills needed to safely utilize community resources with maximum independence. Skill topics include: name of neighborhood, city and state; rights of all people in the community; utilizing the library, post office, grocery store, medical facilities and bank; identifying community helpers; danger of strangers; what to do if lost, and more.

Cooking

Activities reinforce cooking instruction in a kitchen setting. Skill topics include: kitchen safety and sanitation; identify cooking ingredients; choosing correct utensils, pots and pans; definition of basic cooking terms; using measuring spoons and cups; how to use the stovetop, a toasteroven and a microwave; using potholders; meal planning; making a shopping list, and more.

Grooming

Promotes discussion of all aspects of grooming and personal hygiene. Skill topics include: taking responsibility for own appearance; importance of bathing regularly; privacy issues while grooming and dressing; hand washing hygiene; when to use deodorant; wearing clean clothes; clothing choices for school and work; bushing and flossing teeth; bathroom safety, and more.

Mealtime

Activities focus on basic table manners and eating safety. Skill topics include: acceptable and unacceptable mealtime behavior; using a knife and fork to cut; chewing with mouth closed; appropriate dinner conversation; eating at restaurants; setting the table; how to avoid choking on food; household eating rules; food allergies, and more.

Self-Awareness

Activities encourage participants to learn about themselves and each other. Skill topics include: recognizing positive traits about self, peers, teachers, and other people in their lives; showing respect for feelings of others; standing up for own rights; dealing with peer pressure; treating people and property with respect; making good decisions; acceptable ways to calm down when angry, and more.

Workplace

Focuses on exploring vocational interests and finding and keeping a job. Skill topics include: business hours of local work places; information on a job application; basics of a job interview; supervisor and work-worker relationships; acceptable and unacceptable workplace behaviors; workplace attendance and punctuality; following dress codes; calling sick to a workplace, and more.

Also Available:

• Let's Talk About Life Skills - Binder 2
• Let's Talk About Life Skills - Binders 1 & 2