Possessing a set of proper oral language skills can be described as an essential life skill in today’s times. Parents should start teaching their kids basic communication skills during the early years and go on to hone their skills as they grow. Assuming that kids may learn suitable communication skills sans parental guidance can be a huge mistake. Parents may wish to coach their kids not only to communicate effectively but also politely.
Communication skills are important in child development for the following reasons:
Some basic communication skills a child should know can be:
Some useful tips on how to develop children’s communication skills can be:
Few interesting communication activities and games for kids can be:
This popular and fun game may help enhance good listening skills in kids and can be played by kids of all age groups. You can include other members of the family as well. Have them all sit in a circle close enough to whisper easily. Start with one child who will whisper a message into the ear of the player sitting to the right, who then whispers it into his neighbor’s ears until everyone in the circle have taken a turn. You can start with a simple message and slowly progress to more complex sentences.
Nonverbal communication activities for kids can include this simple game. Ask your kid to write down directions to his nearby favourite shop or park. Then embark on a journey along with your kid following those written directions to reach the place. On the way, help him understand how can he make it better or things he may mention to communicate better.
Show and tell activity can be a delightful verbal communication game for kids. Give your kid a topic like his favourite fruit, a favourite book or a road trip with family. Have him exhibit an item related to the topic and ask him to speak five lines on it. This activity can assist in furthering your kid’s confidence, vocabulary and eloquence.
Picture storytelling can be a very interesting activity as kids love to tell stories. Provide your kid with a set of pictures. Ask him to arrange them in a logical sequence and spin a story from it. Alternatively, you can offer him just one picture and have him describe the things he perceives in the picture like the scenery, people, colors and other details.
This exciting activity may not only promote your kid’s oral language skills but also aid him to get comfortable with public speaking. You can propose various themes ranging from the recitation of a favourite poem to expressing his views on current topics like saving water, recycling, use of gadgets. Ask him to prepare a short presentation to present to a family gathering, local park functions and so on.
Extempore or spontaneous speech forms an important part of oral communication and can be used to expand communication skills. Extempore may support your kid in thinking on his feet and articulating his inventive ideas correctly with accuracy. This activity may suitably prepare him for his future career prospects as well. Make chits on interesting topics and have your kid pick a chit and speak on the chosen topic impromptu for a few minutes.
This fun activity is great for helping kids understand different facial expressions, signals, body posture when communicating. These are the non-verbal communication cues which complement verbal communication. Hand out a few cards to your kid each card depicting a particular emotion like anger, sad, bored, tired, happy and have him act them out. Your kids can also draw the different emotions he is likely to experience in ordinary situations.
20 questions is a wonderful game which may enable your kid’s ability to formulate and ask direct questions. Ask the kids to stand in a circle with one kid in the centre. The kid in the middle has to think of a famous place or a known personality. Other kids in the group have to identify it by asking a set of 20 questions. The child can respond by saying only yes or no. In case the group fails to guess then the child is declared the winner.
You may require 4 -5 kids for playing this game. Blindfold one of the kids and the rest of the players chose an object which can be described elaborately for easy identification. Every player takes a turn describing one feature of the chosen object. The blindfolded kid may request for additional questions as cues.
This game can be a great training tool for teaching kids to recognize body language indicators. Choose one kid as the leader who may perform certain actions like stomping his feet or clapping. The others kids have to imitate his actions. The leader may select another kid as the leader by smiling or winking at him. Other kids have to detect the new leader and then replicate his actions.
Parents who communicate more with their kids may be able to help them develop sound communication skills easily. Communication proficiency may not only provide your kid with better comfort in social situations but can also ensure improved performances academically and later in their careers.