Date
29 March 2024

Facilitate positive peer relationships

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Supporting and strengthening peer relationships’

Create a supportive peer culture

Create a supportive peer culture

Two year 13 students reflect on the way they support each other to make school work.

Ideas to support friendships

Ideas to support friendships

  • Create opportunities to talk about how to build conversations, expand interactions, and be a good friend.
  • Be a positive role model and respect individual differences. Model respect, caring, patience, and positive interactions.
  • Promote connections around common interests.
  • Provide opportunities for ongoing student connections.
  • Help students to join ongoing group activities and support roles where they can participate and contribute fully.
  • Share information about emergent friendships with parents so that they can arrange for students to get together outside class.

Source: Adapted from Promising practices to support friendships in inclusive classrooms (opens in a new tab/window)

Utilise peer tutors and helpers

Utilise peer tutors and helpers

Students who act as peer tutors or helpers for their classmates experience personal benefits.

8800 [NZC-Scenario-35-Numeracy-29.jpg]

Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga (opens in a new tab/window)

Source:
Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Talk about how to make friends

Talk about how to make friends

An animated video to support younger students with talking about making and keeping friends.

Using technology to build friendships

Using technology to build friendships

A parent describes how using Facetime has helped her son with Aspergers connect with his classmates.

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Impact: Promising practices to support friendships in inclusive classrooms

This site provides a list of ways that professionals and parents can help support friendships.

Publisher: University of Minnesota

Visit website

Website

Teaching guide: Being friends for grades K–5

Classroom activities to support students to learn how to make and be a good friend.

Publisher: Live Wire Media

Visit website

Website

Inclusive education – the foundation for friendship

This guide includes a list of ways educators can encourage interactions and support friendships between students.

Publisher: Inclusion BC

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Support and strengthen peer relationships”:

Return to the guide “Supporting positive peer relationships”

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