The success of a child from a very early age depends on his/her better communication skills i.e. listening, hearing and speaking. We can help them utilize the most important skills used in everyday life to express themselves successfully in any situation. Here are five practical tips to follow for your child.
Designing a Perfect Environment for Listening and Speaking
As your children are at the stage of developing their cognitive brain, and also in a continuous process of growth, they need a quiet and peaceful environment to concentrate, more than adults. This does not mean they should not be allowed to watch TV or play their favourite video games, it just means they should have a specific time for these activities. A peaceful environment should be provided for activities like reading, homework, conversations, and presentations, in order for them to learn and deliver better.
Fewer Questions and More Answers
Instead of asking questions from your children try to teach them by telling them the information such as, “Look, it is a desk” rather than posing a question like, “what is this?” Have a healthy conversation with your child full of knowledge through which there will be clarity in their concepts and their communication skills will also be enhanced.
Be a Role Model for your child
You are the one your child continuously watches and imitates. You are essentially, the role model for your children. They will follow your actions more than your advice. For instance, if you show respect and kindness towards others and behave nicely with others, they will emulate these kinds of non-verbal communication skills as well. It also goes without saying, that your child will also copy certain terms and vocabulary you use when communicating with people. This should also be used when communicating with your child. This way, they get to not only learn these skills but also incorporate them into conversations you have with them.
Let them learn to cope with Everyday Challenges
Engage them in everyday activities and let them follow you. Teach them the advantages and disadvantages of the things they do. For example, should you be practising a presentation, show them how the centre stage has the advantage that everyone can listen to you properly, whereas standing at the back of the class has the disadvantage that the students at the back wouldn’t see you properly. So, here he/she learn how to communicate effectively.
Fun Filled Communication and Activities
Make communication fun with playing communication games or different activities such as find a word, oral games of communication, e.g. what will be the next word after that…? Ask them to fill their favourite game in the blank space. Make stories with ice-breaking words. Discuss world issues and get your child’s point of view on different topics.
There are a great many ways to enhance your child’s communication skills a lot of which should be explored, but whichever one you decide to do, be sure that it is done in a fun, engaging and interactive way, so your child can master this skill in the most natural way possible.
