Attribution License A “Tools for Teachers ” Approach for Infusing Social Skills Instruction into Daily Teaching Activities

Students participate in a social community of learners. For children with learning problems, mastering the skills needed to actively participate in this community can be a challenge. How can teachers find time to provide social skills instruction, given the pressures to teach academic subjects first and foremost? This article shows school personnel ways to infuse social skills instruction into their exist-ing instructional activities throughout the school day by: • Integrating social skills and academic instruction. • Amplifying the impact of pre-planned instruction through impromptu responses to naturally occurring social skills problems. • Adding a social skills dimension to the classroom environment and routines. This article introduces and illustrates use of the Social Skills Tools for Teachers, a suite of instructional planning aids available on the web at www.csde.umb.edu/ToolsforTeachers.php. Findings presented show that school personnel have successfully utilized the tools to infuse social skills instruction into daily teaching activities