Social Skills: A Report of an Internship Experience in Psychology with Children

Abstract

Social skills refer to a set of learned behavioral classes that help individuals respond adequately to social situations. They constitute an important aspect of life, serving as predictors of positive academic performance, cooperation and responsible behavior. In this sense, the role of a school psychologist involves promoting social skills in the educational process. Thus, the present study aims to describe and analyze the experience of social skills groups with children from the 2nd to the 5th school year in the context of a professional internship in School Psychology based on the theoretical model of Social Skills. Based on observations from the groups, children began to make practical observations of their own behaviors and use more respectful forms of communication. Therefore, drawing on this work and extrapolating its findings, it can be concluded that development of social skills from an early age is essential and should be approached in a preventive manner.