Walden County Middle School
Social Skills
Small Group 
About the Group:
7th grade girls,
4 members,
30 minute sessions,
1 time per week
for 6 weeks
click to edit
Why focus on social skills? The development of appropriate social skills can have a positive effect on a child’s mental health, academic achievement, and their ability to handle social situations (Sorlie, Hagen, & Nordahl, 2020). Social skills will help build and maintain positive relationships with peers and adults. During the middle school age, student’s need the opportunity to have these skills modeled and reinforced in order to maintain growth in a positive and healthy direction. The student-teacher relationship and the student-student relationship is an indicator of how the student is developing socially.
Sorlie, M., Hagan, A., & Nordahl, K., (2020). Development of social skills during middle childhood: Growth trajectories and school-related predictors. Internaltionsl Journal of School & Educationsl Psychology. 10.1080/21683603.2020.1744492
The session's lesson should be planned prior to beginning. Establishing this lesson structure will help with time management, preparations of resources, and identifying objective. https://brightfutures-counseling.com/blog/2018/7/27/how-to-plan-elementary-school-counseling-groups-for-first-year-school-counselors
Establish a location that is comfortable to all participants and has the group's requirements such as privacy, tables, technology, and warm atmosphere
The 5 Cs of Ethical Group Leadership: 1.Carefully review legal and ethical considerations for group work. 2. Consent should be obtained prior to group participation. 3. Conduct pre-group interviews. 4. Confidentiality should be emphasized. 5. Consultation with other professionals can provide support. (Table 4.2)
Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) says to "A.7.c Screen students for group membership". This will help determine in the student is a good fit for the group and if they are willing to participate.
American School Counselor Association.(2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors.Retrieved fromhttps://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf
Prepare yourself. Prepare your clients. Prepare other staff.
How to Plan Lessons Part 1 This YouTube video talks about how to plan lessons for a group that fit with the ASCA standards.
Peer Reviewed Article:
Abstract- A structured approach is critical to the success of any group teaching session; preparation and planning are key elements in ensuring the session is systematic and effective. Learning activities guide and engage students towards the achievement of agreed learning outcomes. This paper introduces the central concepts of planning and preparing a small group teaching session. It provides an overview of key theoretical principals in lesson planning, delivery, and to provide effective feedback in this setting. Planning preparing and structuring a small group teaching session
It will be important to empower these middle school girls by creating activities they will be engaged with and can relate to others with. Link for website with more resources below. Counselor Keri
Learning Resource
Section A talks about the best practice in planning
Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best practice guidelines 2007 revisions. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111–117. doi:10.1080/01933920801971184
This article discusses a group counseling intervention used to develop and foster resiliency in middle school students by implementing the Achieving Success Everyday (ASE) group counseling model. The authors aimed to discover what impact this group counseling intervention, which focused on resiliency characteristics, would have on students' academic and personal-social success. To evaluate this, the authors used both qualitative and quantitative data. The results showed that some students achieved an increase in their GPA and personal-social functioning following the intervention. The article presents implications for practice and ideas for future research.
Rose, J., & Steen, S. (2015). The Achieving Success Everyday Group Counseling Model: Fostering Resiliency in Middle School Students. Professional School Counseling, 18(1), 28–37.
ASCA National Model Small Group Templates
Pictured: Social Emotional Learning wheel that can live in the counseling space visible for students to see what they skills they are working towards building. Also a guide for group facilitators to ensure they cover every topic under the Social Emotional Learning umbrella. There are enough topics to expand upon the course of 5 weeks or more.
Peer Reviewed Article:
Summary: This article explores how the integration of social emotional learning intervention into middle schools is linked to higher academic achievement amongst middle schoolers. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a tool used to aid in the process of building positive relationships with peers, learning how to manage feelings/emotions and teaching how to express those emotions in a healthy manner, etc. in order to help middle schoolers navigate through the changes and challenges that young adolescents normally experience. Naturally, some students may handle these changes better than others. This group will incorporate SEL lessons into the sessions in order to foster a more positive self image and in turn, students with higher academic standards and abilities.
Chung, Saras, and Amanda McBride. “Social and Emotional Learning in Middle School Curricula: A Service Learning Model Based on Positive Youth Development.” Science Direct , June 2015, www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/science/article/pii/S0190740915001346?via=ihub.
Social and emotional learning in middle school curricula: A service learning model based on positive youth development
Learning Resource: Social Skills Lesson Plans
This Pinterest site offers many Social skills lesson plans ranging from peer skills, disciplinary skills, skills with adults and many more! It is a one stop shop for all things social skills. Great for novice counselors who might need a little extra help getting their group started.
Social Skills for Middle School Students
Resource: Social Skills Jeopardy game: Conflict Resolution- a fun way to get group members engaged while learning important conflict resolution skills at the same time.
(https://jeopardylabs.com/play/conflict-resolution-jeopardy6)
Peer Reviewed Article:
Abstract: This article presents a study that examines adolescent well-being and self-esteem. The results show that the life skills intervention had a positive affect on adolescent mental health.
E. P., A. A. (2015). Positive Mental Health through Life Skill Education: Empowering Adolescents having Psychosocial Problems. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 10(1), 21–31.
Positive Mental Health through Life Skill Education: Empowering Adolescents having Psychosocial Problems