The Planning a Group

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Table of Contents

Purpose of the Group
Benefits
Recruitment and Screening
Mechanics
Structure
Leadership
Difference
Ending and Evaluation
Conclusion
References

Group activities provide people with many benefits when coping with trauma or learning new skills. They are one of the pillars of social work as they put one individuals situation into perspective and reveal that many people may experience the same struggles in life. For children, this practice may be especially relevant as they are at the stage of learning how to interact with others and the world as a whole. The present proposal describes a closed social skills group that combines the goals of education and socialization. The group aims to recruit four children at the age of elementary school with the purpose of navigating them through everyday social situations and assisting them in understanding interaction patterns.

Purpose of the Group

The primary purpose of the group is socialization and the advancement of social skills. According to Toseland and Rivas (2016), this type of group activity helps members learn social skills and socially accepted behavior patterns, which should lead to productive functioning in their respective community (p. 41). Social skills are a basic set of norms that allow people to interact with each other, have conversations that lead to positive outcomes of mutual understanding and respect. They also assist people in creating strong bonds with others that are based on trust and appreciation. Therefore, this part of learning is a vital step for all children to integrate withing the population of their peers as well as adults (Achkar, Leme, Soares, & Yunes, 2019). The proposed group will serve children that attend elementary school. They are usually between 6 and 11 years old, but the group will focus on children from 7 to 9 to lower the gap between development levels.

Emotional intelligence is a necessary skill that gains more and more value during development. As Küçükkaragöz and Erdoan (2017) find, social skills are essential for children because they positively influence their ability to improve their social-emotional learning. In turn, this knowledge is crucial for engaging in friendships, romantic relationships, and family building in the future. Furthermore, Achkar et al. (2019) argue that the inability to build strong relationships and peoples negative social experiences lead to poor academic performance and low rates of life satisfaction. In this case, one can see how social skills, among other factors, can contribute to personal and professional success in the long term. The evidence-based literature analyzed for the proposal reveals the role of social skills in many aspects of childrens lives, emphasizing the need to teach children in a friendly and transparent manner.

Benefits

To achieve the proposed goal, children have to not only learn about social skills and various interaction scenarios but also practice them with peers and understand the outcomes of using their acquired information in real life. Individual work can be beneficial for making sure that the person understood the contents of the teaching process (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). However, it cannot guarantee that the individual will use the skills in real life with success.

Moreover, the dynamic between the worker and the child is not equal as the former acts as a mentor and a leader, while the latter is a recipient of the information (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). Thus, an attempt to explain peer-to-peer interactions is not supplied with examples and an opportunity to employ new information in a safe setting. The same reason can be provided for group work being more effective than family work in this situation. Parents may be protective of their childrens skills, or they may put additional pressure on their child or worker, depending on the circumstances (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). Overall, family relationships differ from peer friendships and school interactions.

Group work, in contrast, offers an environment where the leader of the group can both supervise the interactions and allow participants to explore and use the new information. The chosen demographic should provide children with a safe environment to practice scenarios and use roleplay to demonstrate how social skills help in understanding each other and forming relationships. One can see that socialization and group work are closely tied, as one cannot exist without the other.

Recruitment and Screening

The process of recruitment for a group for a young population involves additional concerns for establishing a connection with the participants parents and guardians. Moreover, children have to be in the same age group and have some problems with social interactions. Toseland and Rivas (2016) suggest a variety of recruiting techniques, including direct contact, networking, announcements over mail or through community organizations, and others. For this group, several ways can be utilized to reach out to parents and children attending the agency or elementary schools in the area. First, direct contact can be established with parents through phone or email, using the database of the agency. Next, the agency should create an announcement in print and digital form. Print versions can be displayed onsite at the agency and elementary school boards. Digital advertisements can be distributed to the local schools to reach out to families that may not know about the agency.

The screening process should ascertain the childrens level of development, potential issues related to the groups purpose, and their fit for the composition. The small number of members raises the question of ensuring that demographic and sociocultural factors are acknowledged. It may be beneficial to select children of different genders and cultures to introduce diversity and make the conversation more nuanced. According to Toseland and Rivas (2016), mixed groups are more effective than homogenous ones, although they have a higher risk of interpersonal conflicts.

However, one should note that children with an autism spectrum disorder, for example, may not feel comfortable if they are grouped with children without the condition and are not accounted for in the development of tasks and activities (Gates, Kang, & Lerner, 2017). Thus, autism screening tests or the use of childrens established diagnosis may help the worker to recognize the presence of children in the group. One can use the Social Skills Improvement System SSIS Rating Scales to select members with social skill-related concerns (Gresham & Elliott, 2008).

Mechanics

The young age of the members heavily influences the time and place of the meetings for the group. First of all, the site for the meetings does not have to be large as the group is small four people and the leader can successfully hold meetings in a small room with at least five seating places. The purpose of the group is to learn about and practice social skills therefore, a circle seating position and floor-based seating are also possible. Second, the group may need interactive materials, including a projector or a screen for watching videos and presentations. Visual aids are beneficial for children whose attention span is short (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). Additional costs include print materials for exercises and discussions, but the core activities rely on members and the leader communicating.

The time of the meetings should not interfere with childrens school hours. However, late hours are inappropriate as well due to the childrens need to do homework and spend their time with their families and friends. For example, the group can meet on a school day after the lessons are over, approximately at 5 pm. All childrens transportation options have to be reviewed to ensure that they can arrive and leave on time. If the parents or guardians of all four members have a car and are able to drive them to the meeting, then the issue is resolved. Otherwise, parents and the agency should discuss possible child care strategies. The small size of the group allows for individual discussions to be held with each family.

Structure

The duration and number of meetings have to accost for the subjects covered in the process. The purpose of the group is rather narrow to discuss and improve social skills for children of a specific age group. A weekly meeting schedule that lasts for two or three months should be sufficient to cover the basic information and apply the knowledge in different roleplay activities. According to Gates, Kang, and Lerner (2017), the majority of group social skills interventions are held on a weekly basis, with the session length of one or two hours. Acknowledging the members young age, this proposal suggests a one-hour meeting every week. The study does not find enough proof that longer or more frequent meetings are positively correlated with better results. Thus, the proposed schedule seems to be sufficient for young children.

The length of the program is set for two months (with a possible extension to three months) to cover a wide range of situations but avoid excessive repetition. The final number of meetings can be decided when the group is formed as some children may require more information or roleplaying opportunities than others. Finally, the group is closed to new entrants this increases the ability of the leader and members to interact and guides the children through the information without the need for excessive repetition.

Leadership

In a group that combines socialization and education, the leader has to assume several roles as well. First of all, to share the information with the children, the worker has to be a teacher (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). Next, one has to lead the roleplay scenarios and moderate the behavior of the participants to show which words and actions are appropriate for the chosen situations (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). At the same time, it is vital for the leader to allow children to explore their interpersonal relationships and provide them with enough time and opportunities to interact with one another directly. Members have to practice social skills outside of the prepared scenarios as well, emphasizing the need for nondirective leadership.

Some of the possible interventions are integrated play and adventure-based counseling. Thompson, Ryals, Spencer, Taylor, and Holloway (2018) find that play is vital for young children as it balances unmediated emotions and social interactions, which lead to the formation of appropriate responses. Nugraha, Handoyo, and Sulistyorini (2018) have similar conclusions, outlining the positive influence of traditional play on childrens social skills. Roleplaying and play therapy remove the adverse outcomes of typical social interactions such as shame or fear and allow children to make mistakes that can become a learning experience.

Difference

Cultural differences can lead to conflicts between members and lower the positive outcomes of the program. In a broad sense, culture includes traditions, attitudes, and values that are held by a particular group. The chosen techniques for leadership will heavily depend on the children that attend the meetings the current rules for selection welcome participants from different backgrounds. The main difference between children and adults lies in the age difference. Furthermore, as a teacher and a leader, one needs to step back from interactions between children unless mediation is necessary. Children have to learn how to talk to each other without the intervention of adults who have a different type of authority in this relationship.

Next, it is crucial to address the difference between children in social scenarios, underlining the need for understanding and compassion. One should see to which activities the children respond, including verbal feedback, nonverbal cues, specific language, and style and tone of speech. Such tools as Bales Systematic Multilevel Observation of Groups (SYMLOG) can assist in evaluating the culture of the formed group (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). Then, the leader can adapt the exercises and information to better suit the members attitudes.

Ending and Evaluation

The preparation for the groups conclusion should start in advance. The proposed group is closed and time-limited, thus making the date of the final meeting clear from the beginning. The worker should make sure that children understand all scenarios and activities used in the program. Change efforts should be maintained after the group ends the members have to function independently without the leader or other group members (Toseland & Rivas, 2016). Moreover, it is vital to plan for the future, especially if the children do progress in the group significantly. In the last meetings, the participants should be provided with time to reflect and discuss what they gained from the group and what they found to be helpful. The worker can ask for feedback about other members and the learning process in general. The evaluation of the effectiveness will rely on goal attainment scaling, Bales Interaction Process Analysis, and SYMLOG.

Conclusion

The proposed group has the purpose of education and socialization, helping children to acquire necessary social skills. According to research, the ability to act confidently and appropriately in social situations increases young peoples emotional intelligence and helps them boost their academic performance. The group will have four members, children in the age group between seven and nine years old. The recruitment will happen through direct contact with the parents of the potential members and announcements in the agency as well as schools in the area. Children will be screened to determine possible social issues and conditions that may require additional attention. The place for meetings has to be equipped with a projector or a monitor for visual aid and toys for play therapy. Nonetheless, as roleplay will be the main activity, this group does not require many resources. One-hour sessions will be held weekly, on a school day at 5 pm. The leaders primary roles will be those of a teacher and a guiding force to share information and navigate the roleplay activities. In the end, the group will be evaluated using observation and self-reported feedback.

References

Achkar, A. M. N. E., Leme, V. B. R., Soares, A. B., & Yunes, M. A. M. (2019). Life satisfaction and academic performance of elementary school students. Psico-USF, 24(2), 323-335.

Gates, J. A., Kang, E., & Lerner, M. D. (2017). Efficacy of group social skills interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 52, 164-181.

Gresham, F., & Elliott, S. N. (2008). Social Skills Improvement System SSIS Rating Scales. Web.

Küçükkaragöz, H., & Erdoan, F. (2017). The analyzing of elementary school students social skills and their social emotional learning levels according to some variables. Journal of Human Sciences, 14(1), 39-48.

Nugraha, Y. A., Handoyo, E., & Sulistyorini, S. (2018). Traditional game on the social skill of students in the social science learning of elementary school. Journal of Primary Education, 7(2), 220-227.

Thompson, S. R., Ryals, K. B., Spencer, K. A., Taylor, M. S., & Holloway, V. J. (2018). Play is hard work: Using integrated play therapy to build social skills. Journal of Education and Social Development, 2(2), 68-76.

Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2016). An introduction to group work practice (8^thed.). Harlow, England: Pearson.

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