Thinking Inside the Box:Promoting Positive Social Skills Using Cartooning

Marie Kohart, MS.Ed

Introductions

Goals for Today

To provide early educators with specific cartooning ideas

and strategies to support children’s social and behavioral

needs which teachers can begin implementing in their

classroom immediately.

To provide teachers tools and resources to share with

parents in order to support cartooning as a strategy

parents can use at home.

What is Cartooning? A visually oriented strategy that involves drawing a picture

to explain a situation and the thoughts of others during the situation. Cartooning can be used to teach social, behavioral, organizational and academic skills. It is a way to help individuals understand "the obvious". Cartooning can be as simple as drawing stick figures or simple drawings, often times including thought bubbles and speaking bubbles.

Why Cartooning?

DEC Recommended Practices and

Cartooning

E3: Practitioners work with the family and other adults to modify and adapt

the physical, social, and temporal environments to promote each child’s

access to and participation in learning experiences.

The itinerant early childhood special education teacher works with a childcare

provider to modify transitions in the childcare setting by posting a visual schedule

of the daily routine.

E1: Practitioners provide services and supports in natural and inclusive

environments during daily routines and activities to promote the child’s

access to and participation in learning experiences.

Cartooning is child specific and can easily be individualized

ATL.p3.6: Initiates play with other children.

ATL.t.1: Begins to maintain focus,

despite distractions, during brief delays

in task.

ATL.p3.11: Identifies a

problem and attempts

multiple ways to solve it,

including working with others

as part of a team, with some

adult assistance.

SED.CD.t.3: Begins to more easily separate

from caregiver.

SED.R.t.2: Remembers and follows

expectations for familiar routines

SED. R.p3.2: Follows predictable classroom routines and

manages transitions positively most of the time when

supported by an adult.

SED.R.p3.7: Uses simple conflict resolution

techniques

SED.R.p3.6: Manages

(i.e., expresses, inhibits

or redirects) emotions,

impulses and behaviors

with support from an

adult.

https://consciousdiscipline.com/

SED.SD.p3.1: Expresses

concern for the needs of

others and people in

distress.

SED.SD.p4.5: Displays socially competent behavior with

peers (e.g., helping, sharing and taking turns).

SED.SD.p3.4: Follows rules and simple

directions (1-2 steps).

ATL.t.3: Continues to play when a

caregiver leaves the area.

Cartoon Layout Ideas

Sequence Problem/

Solutions

Example/ Non-Example First-Then

What if I Can’t Draw?!

“Strip Designer” App available from itunes Draw or use pictures

Add balloons and stickers

Share

Think Like

a Turtle!

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html#scriptedstories

Created using the Comic Caption Cartoon Creator App

Family

Resource to

Share

Stick Figure

Cheat Sheet

References Ali, S., & Frederickson, N. (2006). Investigating the Evidence Base of Social Stories. Educational Psychology In

Practice, 22(4), 355-377. doi:10.1080/02667360600999500

Arwood, E. (1991). Semantic and pragmatic language disorders (2nd ed.). Gaithersburg, Md.: Aspen.

Arwood, E., & Brown, M. (1999). A guide to cartooning and flowcharting: See the ideas. Portland, Or.: APRICOT.

Arwood, E., & Kaulitz, C. (2007). Learning with a visual brain in an auditory world: Visual language strategies for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Shawnee Mission, Kan.: APC.

Blagojevic, B., Logue, M, Bennett-Armistead, V., Taylor, B., and Neal, E. (2011). Take a look! Visual supports for learning. Teaching young children 4(5), 10-13.

Briody, J., & McGarry, K. (2005). Using social stories to ease children’s transitions. Beyond the Journal • Young Children on the Web. Retrieved on January, 29, 2015 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/TYC_V4N1_BriodyMcGarry.pdf.

Brogle, B., Jiron, A., & Giacomini, J. (n.d.) How to use social stories to teach your child new skills and expectations. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/do/resources/documents/bkpk_social_stories.pdf

Fox, L., & Lentini, R. (n.d.). Tips and ideas for making visuals to support young children with problem behavior. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/explore/pbs_docs/tips_for_visuals.pdf

Ganz, J. B., & Flores, M. M. (2008). Effects of the Use of Visual Strategies in Play Groups for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their Peers. Journal Of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 38(5), 926-940. doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0463-4

Glaeser, B. G., Pierson, M. R., & Fritschmann, N. (2003). Comic Strip Conversations. Teaching Exceptional Children, 36(2), 14-19.

Gray, C. (1994). Comic strip conversations: Illustrated interactions that teach conversation skills to students with autism and related disorders (Rev. and updated. ed.). Arlington, Tex.: Future Horizons.

Rogers, M. F., & Myles, B. S. (2001). Using Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations to Interpret Social Situations for an Adolescent with Asperger Syndrome. Intervention In School & Clinic, 36(5), 310.

Using visual supports with infants and toddlers. (2012, October 1). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://tnt.asu.edu/files/Oct2012Newsletter.pdf