Nature of Friendship

This is a programme of structured experiences which aim to help students to understand what friendship is and in particular to explore those qualities and behaviours which promote good relations between people.

Friends are important. The ability to relate in a positive way with others is important too. People who are unable to do so often experience isolation, rejection and suffer from adjustment problems. Studies show that children who fail in relationships are more likely to get into trouble  at school, break the law, and have more mental health  problems when  they  become adults.

Your Choice is a complete, easy-to-use course of PSHE activities and strategies, with accompanying photocopiable master worksheets. It is designed for Personal and Social Skills lessons or active tutorial work, based on experiential learning methods. The exercises are flexible enough to be dipped into as a component of a Health Education, Religious Education, or English course. For young people Your Choice provides a secure and stimulating framework within which they can consider their attitudes and behaviour, and develop more mature insights into their own personalities and their interaction with others.

Each handbook represents about a term's work on a specific aspect of personal skills development and each chapter provides a structures lesson plan, and suggestions for further work. The Nature of Friendship aims to help students understand what friendship is and to recognise the qualities which foster good relations. The activities are encouraging students to apply what they learn to everyday relationships.

Authors Shay & Margaret McConnon spent 15 years in special education, teaching young people who had emotional and behavioural difficulties. They developed programmes to enhance the self-worth of these students and to improve their social skills. The Your Choice books are best sellers in their field and continue to form the basis for many PSHE programmes across the English-speaking world.

'Your Choice Series is a valuable resource, which can be used with flexibility – large chunks or single activities can be used with equal success' Tracy Hollyhead, Social Inclusion Facilitator, Telford & Wrekin Council Sensory Inclusion Service.