Social Skills · Social Skills
Reading Social Cues Worksheet
Body, face, voice, pacing — slow down the read before you act on it
A field guide to the four cue categories — body, face, voice, and pacing — with the signal each usually sends. Use to slow down the automatic interpretation and check the read before acting on it.
Cue channel
Signal it usually sends
What I'll notice next time
Body — turned toward / away, arms open / crossed
Interest vs. closing off
Face — brief smile, eyebrow raise, softening around eyes
Warmth or genuine interest
Voice — pace, volume, upward inflection at end
Energy, uncertainty, or invitation
Pacing — pauses, jumping in, trailing off
Wanting the floor vs. wrapping up
A recent moment I misread — what I saw, what I decided, what was actually going on
A cue I over-weight (usually silence or brief looks) and the story I attach to it
One check-out line I can use when unsure ('Are you good to keep going or is now not the time?')