Communication has played an integral part in our life since time memorial. It is a tool that aids our existence and survival. While the ability to communicate is something we all are born with, it is important to hone this life skill in kids early on as it is fundamental for their growth and development.

A child who can communicate well can:

• Express thoughts well

• Build ever lasting relationships

• Easily learn new things

• Engage in conversations

• Efficiently exchange information

•  Embrace emotions

The ability to communicate well also helps cultivate other skills like listening, writing, interpersonal & social skills. Now that we know that communication is a key to live a happy and confident life, let us understand the 5  essential communication skills for kids:

Speak clearly

The foundation of any proper conversation is the ability to speak clearly. To help children express their thoughts clearly without being misunderstood:

• Teach them to pronounce each word properly. If you are looking for an external source to help your child then enroll them for  language courses.

• Ensure they don’t make grammatical errors while speaking

• Ask them to speak in an audible voice i.e. neither loud nor soft. 

It is important to note that if you find your child making any mistake while trying to express his or her thoughts then do correct them privately. Scolding them publicly or correcting them in front of others will only make them fearful of speaking freely.

Refrain from interrupting others
Another crucial communication skill to teach kids is to not interrupt others when they are talking. You should let them know that even though they feel tempted to tell what is on their minds immediately, it is rude to jump in conversations. The best thing to do is to wait for their turn to speak. And if at all they have to say something important then they should always say ‘Excuse me’ and ask the other person if it is okay to speak in between.

Make an eye contact
As parents and teachers, we should make our kids understand that they should make eye contact with the person they are interacting with. This gesture shows that you are interested in talking with the person. On the other hand, not making eye contact is considered to be a sign of disrespect and often not liked by many people.

If your child or student is shy or has a habit of looking elsewhere while talking then make them practise eye contact without any distractions.

Listen carefully
Listening is the key to communication. Children must be trained to pay attention to what others are speaking so that they can appropriately respond to the person they are speaking with.

To teach students to listen carefully, guardians can model listening skills by repeating the key phrases of the conversations with their children and asking questions.

Be inquisitive
The ability to ask questions is another essential communication skill. It helps clear doubts in classrooms and understand the other person better. Questioning without being nosy is an important art that should be taught at a young age. This can be done by doing a role play and regularly asking questions to the kids.

Each child has his/her own strengths and weaknesses. It is the primary role of parents to help the child play on the strengths and work on the weaknesses by engaging in active conversations and seeking help from online classes for kids on communication skills.

What do you do to develop communication skills in your kids? Let us know in the comments below.