We asked a group of experienced teachers about the skills they feel are vital for a child’s success as they start primary school. One of their most common answers was ‘Communication Skills’. By focusing on building your child’s speech, language, listening and comprehension skills now, you can help your child feel confident and ready to embrace the classroom and playground.
Here are the key communication skills that our teachers suggested your child needs, plus practical strategies to help you encourage their development.
1. Listening Skills
Listening skills involve the ability to hear, understand, and respond to spoken language. You might worry that your child struggles to follow instructions or stay focused during conversations. In the classroom, your child will need to need to follow instructions, understand lessons, and respond to questions. On the playground, listening skills will help your son or daughter to connect with other kids, engage in games and follow rules.
At Home Practice Ideas:
- Simon Says: Play this classic game to help your child practise listening and following instructions. Use variations like, “Simon says, touch your toes,” or “Simon says, jump up and down,” to make it fun and engaging.
- Storytelling Sessions: Read books like “Possum Magic” by Mem Fox and discuss the story, asking your child questions to ensure they are actively listening. Ask questions like, “What happened to the possum?” or “Why did they go on an adventure?”
- Interactive Audiobooks: Use Australian audiobooks that prompt your child to follow along and respond, enhancing their listening skills. Your local library will have many that you can borrow, and digital platforms such as Audible and Spotify also feature children’s audio books. Encourage your child to listen and then ask questions like, “What did you learn from the story?” or “What was your favourite part?”
2. Expressive Language Skills
If your child finds it hard to express their thoughts and feelings, it may affect their participation in classroom discussions and social interactions. Expressive language skills involve the ability to use words and sentences to convey thoughts, feelings, and ideas. These skills will be essential for your child as they will be expected to participate in classroom discussions, ask for help, and share their experiences with peers when school begins.
At Home Practice Ideas:
- Daily Conversations: Regularly talk with your child about their day, encouraging them to express their thoughts and feelings. Use prompts like, “Tell me about the best part of your day,” or “How did that make you feel?” to encourage detailed responses.
- Describe and Tell: Have your child describe objects, events, or their surroundings, practising their vocabulary and sentence structure. Ask them to use descriptive language with prompts like, “Can you describe what you see in the picture?” or “Tell me what happened at the park today.”
- Role-Playing: Create scenarios such as a pretend supermarket or doctor’s visit to help your child practise using language in different contexts. Encourage them to use specific phrases like, “Can I have some apples, please?” or “I am here for a check-up,” to simulate real-life interactions.
3. Receptive Language Skills
Receptive language skills involve the ability to understand and process spoken language. At home, you may notice that your child sometimes struggles to understand instructions or follow along with stories. At preschool, your child’s teachers might be concerned that your child forgets the sequence of directions or has trouble engaging in conversation with peers. At school, all children need to comprehend instructions, questions, and stories to participate effectively in classroom activities and, of course, they need to be able to play and talk during social interactions with their classmates.
At Home Practice Ideas:
- Question Games: Play games like “20 Questions” to help your child understand and respond to various questions. Encourage them to ask questions like, “Is it an animal?” or “Can it fly?” to improve their comprehension skills.
- Listening Walks: Take walks and ask your child to identify different sounds, enhancing their ability to process auditory information. Use prompts like, “Can you hear the bird singing?” or “What sound do you think that is?”
- Interactive Stories: Use books with interactive elements, such as “There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake” by Hazel Edwards, to engage your child’s comprehension skills. Ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the hippopotamus is on the roof?”
4. Social Communication Skills
Social communication skills involve the ability to interact effectively with others through verbal and non-verbal communication. These skills are crucial for building relationships, understanding social cues, and engaging in meaningful conversations. Your child might find it challenging to interact with others or make friends, which can impact their confidence and participation in school activities. In school, children need to interact with teachers and peers, participate in group activities, collaborate on projects, and navigate social dynamics. Developing these skills now will help your child feel more connected and confident in their new school environment.
At Home Practice Ideas:
- Board Games: High quality educational games like Orchard Toys’ “Spotty Dogs” and “The Game of Ladybirds” encourage turn-taking and social interaction. During gameplay, encourage your child to use phrases like, “It’s your turn now,” or “Can I go next?”
- Playdates: Arrange playdates to provide opportunities for your child to practise initiating and maintaining conversations. Teach them to start conversations with phrases like, “Do you want to play with me?” or “What game should we play next?”
- Group Activities: Join local playgroups or classes to help your child interact with peers in a structured environment. Encourage your child to participate by saying things like, “Let’s join in this activity together,” or “Why don’t you ask if you can play too?”
5. Problem-Solving Communication
Problem-solving communication involves using language to resolve conflicts and negotiate solutions. You might be concerned that your child struggles to resolve conflicts or negotiate with peers. Perhaps your child gets too physical or withdraws from an activity when things don’t go their way. At school, all children need to resolve disagreements, share resources, and work together on projects in the classroom and playground with words rather than actions, so now is the time to start developing this skill with your child.
At Home Practice Ideas:
- Conflict Resolution Role-Play: Create scenarios where your child needs to resolve a conflict, such as sharing toys or deciding on a game. Use phrases like, “I feel upset when…” and “Can we find a way to share?” to help them express their feelings and suggest solutions.
- Cooperative Tasks: Engage in tasks that require cooperation, like building a puzzle together or cooking a simple recipe. Encourage phrases like, “Let’s work together on this,” or “How can we do this as a team?”
- Negotiation Practice: Use everyday situations to practise negotiation, such as deciding which movie to watch or where to go for an outing. Teach your child to say things like, “How about we do this first and then that?” or “Can we take turns choosing?”
- Be a Role Model for Your Child: Demonstrate effective problem-solving and negotiation in your own interactions. Show how to calmly discuss disagreements and reach compromises. For example, you can say, “I understand you want to do this, but I need to do that. Let’s find a way that works for both of us.” This provides a positive example for your child to follow.
6. Assertiveness
Assertiveness involves confidently expressing needs, wants, and feelings without being aggressive. In school, children need to ask for help, express their needs, and stand up for themselves in a respectful manner in both the classroom and the playground.
At Home Practice Ideas:
- Asking for Help: Encourage your child to ask for help in everyday tasks, such as finding a toy or setting the table. Teach them to use phrases like, “Can you help me with this?” or “I need help finding my toy.”
- Expressing Feelings: Use emotion cards or books like “The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr to help your child articulate their emotions. Encourage them to use phrases like, “I feel happy because…” or “I am upset because…” to express their feelings clearly.
- Confidence-Building Activities: Engage in activities that build self-confidence, such as trying a new sport or learning a new skill. Reinforce their efforts by saying, “You did a great job trying something new!” or “I’m proud of you for practising and improving.”
School Readiness Starts Now
According to teachers, parents who are proactive in helping their child to develop communication skills in the months before school begins can make a significant difference in son or daughter’s confidence and well-being.
In addition, they say that addressing these skills early can prevent small issues from becoming larger challenges once school starts.
While the months before school begins are busy ones for families as parents balance their child’s needs with personal and professional responsibilities, teachers suggest that incorporating these practical strategies into your daily routine can make a big difference to your child’s smooth and confident transition to ‘big school’.
If you feel your child needs extra support to build the speech, language, listening and comprehension skills needs to start school well, consider reaching out to our team at Kids First. Our speech pathologists in Sydney are here to help your child develop the communication skills necessary for a successful start to school. Contact us today on 9938 5419 to learn more about our services and how we can assist your family.
