Social Problem Solvers We Thinkers Volume 2! Product Review

Do you love social thinking and their programs?  Want more to add to the mix!  Social Problem Solvers Volume 2 is ready and I got to try it out!

I was fortunate to have been offered the opportunity to preview and try out the Social Thinking Curriculum for Preschool and Early Elementary Years program by Kari Zweber Palmer, Nancy Trashes, Ryan Hendrix, and Michelle Garcia Winner.  You can check out this product by clicking HERE.  Note, all thoughts and opinions are mine!

What is included?

• We Thinkers Book: which goes into detail on the mindset behind the program, has checklists, screeners, and such.
• Social Problem Solvers Curriculum: this book contains activities for all storybooks included
• 5 We Thinkers Social Problem Solvers Storybooks

What are the 5 storybooks included?

• 6: Hidden Rules and Expected and Unexpected Behaviors
• Smart Guess
• Flexible and Stuck Thinking
• Size of the Problem
• Sharing an Imagination

How can you use the We Thinkers V2 Book?

• This book provides more background information on the program
• It connects the program to educational standards
• Provides RTI and IEP assistance
• Provides a GPS Play Scale which is 5 levels, goes into thorough detail on this play scale, observation and treatment suggestions, and how you can use this scale to create a treatment plan using this program.  It helps you understand the different levels and how they will be addressed with each storybook so you can create a lesson unique for that student based on their needs.

How can you use the curriculum book?

• It helps explain what social thinking skill is targeted
• Provides definitions of the different social thinking concepts targeted in each storybook
• Helps explain why the concepts are being taught
• Helps you understand what to do before teaching
• Provides an opening activity
• Helps you plan the materials to prep before implementing the storybook and lesson
• Provides structured activities to go along with the storybooks
• Provides visuals to reproduce and provide to students to make activities interactive and correlated to the storybooks since the images match
• Provides scrips or possible phrases to say to students while teaching the concepts
• Although the books and lessons contains cartoons, they are appropriate for all ages (not too baby-ish)
• This book really helps you teach students to connect the social skills with other skills already learned (whole body listening, body in the group, the group plan, thinking with your eyes, etc.)
• For each book, 6 activities are provided as well as family letter/at home activities (perfect for carryover and parent training)

Want to learn more about the storybooks included?

• They have child friendly themes like pirates, mystery adventure, ice cream, dinosaurs, and fire fighters.
• They use the same students/characters across all storybooks which helps with familiarity and build connections between the books.
• Uses emotions, images, and language of social thinking
• Tons of opportunities for repetition!
• Helps students understand thinking about thinking when it comes to social situations
• Gives social scripts which our students can really benefit from
• Incorporates literacy into the instruction of the story skills
• And the activities included in the curriculum book uses the same images and language of the storybooks which allows for TONS of bombardment and opportunities to learn and use the rules.

How do I plan to use this program with my speech and language students?

• I really want to incorporate more of social skills into my lesson with my life skill students
• I am excited to use these storybooks and lessons during my push in sessions so that the classroom teacher and aides will become familiar with the social thinking phrases and terminology
• Will be great to incorporate these skills into my role playing lessons for what to do around the community, around the school, and at home.
• I love that I don’t need to think or plan!  It is all done for me!
• I can use the play scale provided to justify services for students that only have social skills difficulties.  I can also use it to show progress!

I highly recommend this program for anyone that wants to incorporate the social thinking program.  It is thorough, comprehensive, and easy to implement with all the resources provided.  I know it can be pricy for SLPs that pay for their own materials.  But if your district is looking to invest, you can show them my product review for more information.   You can also look to get this product funded through Donors Choose.  Click HERE to learn more about this program and to see other products by Social Thinking.