It's Not Just What You Say
TARGET:
6-8 years
INTENSITY:
20 min / 2x per week
LEARNING GOAL
Developing My Ability to Communicate Harmoniously with Others
PEDAGOGICAL INTENTION
Expressing Myself Nonviolently and Respectfully
Target SKILLS
Socio-emotional Intelligence
Co-Intelligence Human-Human
MATERIALS
Video clips (teacher-created or approved)
Tone tracking sheet
DETAILED PROCEDURE
Set up this activity in pairs. Explain calmly to the children: "Scientists say only 7% of communication is the actual words. The rest is how you say them and what your body does."
Step 1
Say the same phrase ('I need help') with 5 different tones: anxious, demanding, curious, deflated, confident.
Step 2
Invite the children to identify which tone they would respond best to - and which would make them want to help.
Step 3
Say gently to the children: "Your tone and body language are communicating even when you're trying to say something good."
Step 4
Partner mirror: practice saying an I-Message with both tone AND body language aligned.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
PROGRESS INDICATORS
The child identifies the emotional message of 5 different tones.
The child adjusts tone and body language to match their intended message.
The child receives the intended response when tone and words are aligned.