Social literacy entails the development of social skills, knowledge and positive human
values toward desire and ability in human beings to act and react positively and
responsibly in a wide range of complex social settings. It can be acquired through social
process of inquiry, values exploration and social decision-making that relate to the
acquisition of knowledge and understanding (Arthur, Davison and Stow, 2000).
In school, social literacy can be demonstrated by teachers in dealing with their superiors,
colleagues, parents, students and others, while for students, by way of interaction and
interrelation with the surroundings around them - their peers, the media and political influencers,
technology agents, religious groups, school staff, family members, etc.
Social skills are aspects of social literacy. As such, these are an integral part of
functioning in society. It involves good manners, communicating effectively with
others, being considerate of others’ feelings and expressing personal needs. In fact,
children gain social skills through playing while adults obtain it by interrelating with
others, both verbally (spoken language) and non-verbally (gestures, body language,
facial expressions, eye contact and appearance).
Social skills are also important in schools because they help build, maintain and grow
relationships of students with classmates, peers, teachers, students, and others, while
for teachers, with their superiors, colleagues, parents, students, and others.
These can be attained through:
(1) gaining ideas, information, techniques and perspectives from people
with different areas of expertise;
(2) (2) providing their own perspective for the benefit of others;
(3) (3) accomplishing tasks and working together toward shared goal;
(4) (4) providing mutual support for difficult situations;
(5) (5) expanding network to learn about and pursue new opportunities;
(6) (6) gaining feedback and referrals from people who can personally attest
to work, skills and qualities; and
(7) (7) making the school truly a healthy and conducive learning
environment.
1. Effective communication. It is the ability to communicate
effectively and share thoughts and ideas with students
through group conversations, discussions, etc.
2. 2. Conflict resolution. It is the ability to get to the source of
the problem and find a workable solution by weighing both
sides from those involved with the goal of mediating for
reconciliation.
3. 3. Active listening. It is the ability to pay close attention to a
student in times of counseling, introspection and
consultation.
4. 4. Empathy. It is the ability to understand and identify the
feelings of students in times of difficulty and trouble
5. Relationship management. It is the ability to maintain
relationships and build key connections with school
stakeholders for the student's development.
6. Respect. It can be done by knowing when to initiate
communication and respond during interactions or even in
times of heated arguments and confrontations.
7. Problem-solving skills. These involve seeking help, making
effective decisions and accepting consequences to derive better
solutions to the problem.
8. Interpersonal skills. These include the abilities of sharing,
joining activities, asking for permission and waiting for one's
turn in every facet of school undertakings.
Social skills can be proved by focusing on sustaining desirable
attitudes and eliminating those undesirable ones through
modeling, roleplaying and performance feedback mechanisms.
In addition, one may consider: (1) maintaining eye contact; (2)
using proper body language; (3) knowing the difference
between being assertive and being aggressive; (4) selecting
effective communication channels (5) being flexible; (6)
accepting criticism without being defensive; (7) remaining
positive at all times; and (8) being teachable and a good
student in most instances
Likewise, other ways that may help are as follows: (1) Behave a
social person; (2) Start small if necessary; (3) Ask open-ended
questions; (4) Encourage others to talk about themselves; (5)
Create goals for yourself; (6) Offer compliments generously; (7)
Read books about social skills; (8) Practice good manners; (9)
Pay attention to your body language; (10) Join a social skills
support group; (11) Stay up to date on current events; and (12)
Identify and replace negative thoughts.
Possessing social skills results to: (1) better relationships; (2)
better communication; (3) greater efficiency; (4) advanced
career prospects, and (5) increased over-all happiness
