Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centre – BOOK A TOUR
How to Develop Communication Skills in Preschoolers
Explore practical tips and activities to learn how to develop communication skills in preschoolers. Tips designed to foster effective communication abilities in young children, setting a strong foundation for their future success
Providing Quality Childcare Since 2012 • Infants, Toddlers & Preschool • Daycare Centre
Communication is the ability and desire to connect with others by exchanging ideas and feelings verbally and nonverbally. Without it, humans could not learn anything from their peers, and human evolution would be much more difficult, if not plain impossible.
In this article, we explore how to develop communication skills in preschoolers.
Why are Communication Skills Vital for the Development of Preschoolers?
There are several reasons why communication skills are important which is why it is important to learn how to develop communication skills in preschoolers.
- They help preschoolers better express their needs and emotions.
- Preschoolers depend on their adult caretakers to help them with things they cannot do independently, and effective communication enables them to express their needs.
- Communication skills are also essential tools that children use to navigate the world around them. Through communication, they can ask questions and receive answers. A child who is understood by those around him will feel confident and have an optimistic view of life.
They contribute to the development of thinking and speaking
Communication can be nonverbal, spoken, interpersonal, or written. These forms allow little ones to participate in conversation and listen to what others say. This practice teaches preschoolers new words and expressions and improves their communication skills.
They help consolidate social skills
Learning to communicate with adults and other children equips preschoolers with the capacity to establish positive relationships and make friends. Moreover, communication skills help them comprehend unwritten social clues like body language, eye contact and tone of voice.
They contribute to their academic and social success
A child who easily understands new information and can convey it clearly and concisely will be able to use it in the proper academic and social settings, contributing to his success as a child and as an adult.
They prevent frustration and promote positive conduct
Children who feel they cannot express their emotions or needs can become frustrated with themselves and the ones around them. As adults, we encounter that same problem when we fail to communicate effectively. Powerful communication skills turn frustrated conduct into a positive one, as they feel encouraged to speak when people they interact with can understand what they express.
How Do Children Develop Their Communication Skills?
Communication starts from the moment children are born. Soon after birth, babies express themselves through sounds (crying), facial expressions, and body movements.
Later, babies advance to babbling and cooing and then to a stage where they express their joy or lack of content by moving their arms or legs. As they grow, little ones learn to point, make grimaces, smile and establish and maintain eye contact with their caretakers. The communication skills that children learn help build patterns in their brains, patterns that contribute to their balanced psychological and biological growth.
Although the development of communication skills doesn’t happen at the same pace for all children, there are certain milestones certified by experts that can tell you if your child is making the proper progress for his age.
Around nine months, most children attempt saying simple words and use gestures to communicate; at 28 months, they begin to put simple sentences together, and when they are three years old, they can talk to their parents or friends about experiences like how their day was in the daycare centre or kindergarten.
How Do You Teach Communication Skills?
You can learn how to develop communication skills in preschoolers with the help of simple and effective methods like:
Playing games
Games like “Telephone games” or “Show and Tell” teach your child the communication skills he needs to express his needs and feelings.
In a Telephone game, you pretend to speak to your child through a receiver, and you can encourage him by smiling as he finds and states the words he wants to say to you.
In Show and Tell, ask your little one to point to an object around him and say a few words about it: the colour, shape or what it serves for.
Another game that stimulates communication skills is Catch. In this version of the game, you toss a ball to your child, and he tosses it back. The person throwing the ball asks a question, and the one catching it offers a reply to that question. You can use this game to ask your preschooler questions about his day in the daycare or learn about what he liked and disliked most about his day. This game mimics the rules of conversation and teaches your child how to carry on a conversation by asking questions or providing answers.
Practicing conversation
By engaging your child in a conversation and listening to what he has to say, you help him communicate and build self-confidence. You can expand the simple words your child states by adding different features. For instance, if your little one says “flower”, you can say, “Yes, that is a beautiful yellow flower”. That teaches him to express the names of things and some of their characteristics for a higher understanding of the world around him, which contributes to building self-confidence.
Ask for his opinion on different matters, like what he thinks about the conduct of a child he met on the playground or about a new cartoon he has seen on TV. This teaches him to reflect on his feelings and formulate and express opinions.
Provide him with choices, like choosing the kind of juice he wants to drink, so he understands what choice means and how to express a preference.
Using Role Play
Role-play is an extraordinary tool that allows your child to observe and learn how others communicate. You can pretend to be a character that your child loves and communicate fondly with him. Or you can pretend you are your child when he is having a difficult day and verbalise feelings you imagine he has: sadness, disappointment, or fear. This teaches the little one that it is alright to feel different types of emotions and how to express them.
How Can I Improve My 3-Year-Olds Communication Skills?
One of the games answering the question “how to develop communication skills in preschoolers” is “I Spy”. The rules are simple:
- Choose an object around you.
- Say, “I spy with my little eye something that starts with the letter V.”
- Ask your little one to guess the object you are thinking of.
Another game that improves your 3-year-old’s communication skills is a word scavenger hunt: Give your child a list of simple words like tree, book, plate, and flower and ask him to find them in or around the house.
Reading and storytelling are invaluable tools for improving the communication skills of your preschooler.
Reading books encourages children to read the words in the story and exposes them to written language in a fun way. By asking them to formulate questions about what you have read, you help the children learn how to express verbally their ideas and opinions.
Storytelling encourages preschoolers to put into words what they are imagining, and that improves their communication skills and creativity.
Although challenging at times, teaching your child how to communicate effectively is one of the most rewarding parenting experiences. Each of his successes is a step towards becoming an efficient communicator as an adult in both his personal and professional life. So, given this, it is important to learn how to develop communication skills in preschoolers.
We've put together some helpful articles about childcare and daycare in New Zealand
Choosing the Right Toys for Toddlers that Are Educational and Fun
Discover how to select toys for toddlers that blend education with playfulness. Our guide helps you find the perfect balance of fun and learning, ensuring your little one enjoys their toys while developing important skills.
Toddler Milestones: What to Expect in the Second Year
Toddler milestones are exciting! Learn what to expect in your child's second year: physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Get tips for parenting a one to two-year-old and when to seek professional advice.
Soothing Separation Anxiety: 6 Tips for Parents
Building a Strong Parent-Toddler Bond: Quality Time and Connection is a explores the significance of nurturing relationships between parents and toddlers through meaningful interactions
Building a Strong Parent-toddler Bond: Quality Time and Connection
Building a Strong Parent-Toddler Bond: Quality Time and Connection is a explores the significance of nurturing relationships between parents and toddlers through meaningful interactions
How do you Juggle Being a Working from Home Mum?
Many people struggle to juggle work and personal life, especially for mums who want to contribute their best at work and raise their children. The good news is that you can do both, and in this article, we explore how you can juggle being a working-from-home mum.
How to Develop Communication Skills in Preschoolers
Explore practical tips and activities designed to foster effective communication abilities in young children, setting a strong foundation for their future success
Our Early Learning Centres
Our early childhood centre environments strongly reflects our inspiration – The Reggio Emilia philosophy, from Reggio Emilia, Italy.
We provide a creative and open ended environment that encourages infinite learning for the children and strong relationships between teachers, children and families.
The day’s routines are flexible. At the same time, care is taken to recognise and respect each child’s needs.
Why Choose a Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centre?
- Encouraging the use of natural materials
- A strong transition into school
- Teaching team inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach supports your child’s creative potential.
- Healthy, tasty hot meals cooked fresh on site
- 20 ECE hours available/free sessions for 3 year olds
- A boutique, homely feel to our centres
- Strong connections between teachers and whanau.
Here's what our parents say about our childcare centres
We are so happy that our son is a part of the Bright Beginnings family. The staff have been so welcoming and caring since the day he joined here. He has the freedom to explore and experiment as he learns about the world around him. With each passing day, he is growing into a confident and independent young boy, while building friendships and learning important life skills. We are also especially happy that he gets nutritious meals everyday, an important concern for us as parents. Most importantly, he loves it so much here that he can't wait to be back at the Centre every morning! As parents, we can go about our day with the assurance that our son is in good hands within a safe environment. Thank you to the entire BBELC team for that, Devika.
Bright Beginnings has and is a second home to both my son and now my daughter. Amber loves coming to the centre everyday and to see the relationship she has with the teachers is very special. We love everything Bright Beginnings embodies and are thankful to have found this centre.
- Best price
- Best service. From Jade Tavita
I was absolutely blown away by the presentation and the effort that went into the parent teacher interviews. I have not seen anything like it before and it made me feel very comfortable and welcome as a parent. From Darren Masters
Super duper loving, caring teachers. Awesome environment where our boy can flourish everyday. Thank you, Brad and Joanna.
Dillon absolutely loves his new big boy class. He even asks us if he can go on a Saturday and Sunday. Thanks all for making going to school so easy for us. Thanks, Anika.
I love and enjoy watching April develop and grow, I am so happy and grateful that she is in an amazing environment filled with people who care and look out for each other.
Beautiful Daycare. Thank you all.- Best price from Zara.
- Best service
Cherry: Our family is very grateful that we found BBELC. So far it is the best daycare we have seen. We are glad to enrol our kids here. Having peace of mind that our kids are safe, well fed, looked after and enjoy activities with the teachers and other kids is PRICELESS!!!
THANK YOU for helping my kids explore new things. You are all amazing. Like what I always say to the teacher, I don't know how you all do it but the teachers here at BBELC are SUPERHEROES! As parents we feel your passion, dedication and love.
Previous
Next
Come and visit one of our childcare centres and see for yourself why your child will love it
Talk to the Centre Manager, meet the team, see the natural outdoor play areas and educational rooms, learn about how we develop our programs and find out more about our unique approach to partnering with our families.
Our latest parent reviews from Google
Related Posts
What are the Different Types of Early Childhood Centres?
Selecting the right Early Childhood Centre for your child is very important. As they will spend a lot of their time in these learning spaces, feeling comfortable here is paramount. Read our article to ensure you choose the right one for you and your child.
What are the Core Values of the Reggio Emilia Approach?
The Reggio Emilia Approach sees children as valuable members of communities where they are encouraged to explore, wonder, question and learn to understand the world around them and reach their full potential in the first five years of life.