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That’s why it’s essential to provide children with the support they need to learn how to speak clearly and write well to succeed in the future.
In this post, we discuss how communication skills are important to your child’s development. We also look at how the experts at our Montessori daycare in Markham help them become more confident and successful.
Let’s get started.
Communication Skills: Their Importance in Child Development
Communication is the ability to convey your ideas and feelings effectively and coherently. There are both verbal and nonverbal ways to communicate with others.
These skills play a vital role in all social settings to nurture healthy relationships with those around us. Children who do not learn to speak and communicate effectively will not learn to get along with others. The inability to talk appropriately can lead to a lifetime of complications in the classroom, on sports teams, and in peer group settings.
On the other hand, learning good communication skills will help your child navigate life’s obstacles, develop confidence, and become an independent thinker.
How Montessori Daycare Can Help Your Child with Communication
It’s never too early to start practising good communication skills. Indeed, learning to communicate is one key to your child’s growth. It can help every aspect of their lives, including their relationships, career, and social circles. Here we discuss how Montessori schools help build communication skills in your child.
1. We Support Different Types of Communication
In a classroom setting, your children will learn both verbal and non-verbal methods of communication. With the help of our teachers, they learn to behave with proper manners and use words like “please” and “thank you.”
Your child will learn non-verbal communication skills like different facial expressions, hand gestures, and eye contact to communicate without words. For example, their teacher may raise a finger to signal silence, or the children will learn to raise their hands when they have a question.
Teachers create several natural opportunities throughout the day to encourage children to talk, read, and write. They will assess the needs of each student in detail and work to improve their communication skills. Technology may also come into consideration as new apps and computer games provide ways for children to interact and communicate.
2. We Provide the Right Classroom Environment
Our Montessori daycare introduces children to a classroom environment where many other students are involved. There, they learn to listen and learn.
Through various forms of play and learning methods, they learn the value of patience instead of creating unnecessary chaos. They learn to wait for their turn, speak up when they need something, and express their emotions without causing a commotion.
For example, instead of crying for the toy that another student is playing with, your child will learn how to properly ask and wait when needed. They will even learn to find alternative activities. The more the child attends daycare, the more these skills will improve.
3. We Teach Effectively Through Repetition
When teaching new vocabulary words, teachers use the same words in fun ways through songs or games throughout the day. Other activities, like describing daily routines and events or labelling feelings and materials, allow students to get a good grasp on specific words. Repetition ensures that children have varied and multiple opportunities to learn new words or new uses of words.
4. We Support Communication with Meaningful Book Reading and Storytelling
Reading books and telling stories are effective ways to support young children’s communication and language skills. They promote a variety of skills in young children, including:
- Learning new vocabulary words.
- Listening to and practicing communication skills.
- Understanding the elements of a story or plot.
- Recognizing the sounds of language and its structure.
- Building relationships as children are encouraged to read in small groups.
At home, when you teach your child communication skills, consider the following:
- Select books that represent a variety of cultures, languages, abilities, family structures, and life experiences.
- Choose books with large pictures or exciting images that attract children.
- Choose books that they can relate to; where they can see themselves and their families through the stories.
- Involve children when selecting books and include their preferences.
- Ask children questions about the story.
- Encourage them to write on their own.
Good communication will not only help children express their feelings clearly but also give them the confidence to build themselves into strong individuals. Your child will be able to build on their basic skills, meet new friends, and feel optimistic and self-assured in any situation. Our daycare in Markham always encourages students on this journey. If you have questions about effective communication skills for children, contact us today.