In the foundational years of a child's life, effective communication is crucial for future success.
"By integrating some of these creative strategies into your daily interactions, you actively foster the growth of a child’s communication skills during the formative years."
Nnene Nsan | Lead Co-learner, Bees (18 months - 3 years old) at KEY academy
Despite shared developmental patterns among humans, each child unfolds with unique characteristics. My hands-on experience as a teacher or co-learner, as we prefer to call them at KEY academy, has revealed nuances in every aspect of their development, emphasising the need to understand each child's distinctiveness.
Over the years, I've received numerous questions from parents about nurturing effective communication skills in their little ones. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. I firmly believe that the key lies in tailoring communication methods to each child's unique needs and creating an environment where we can continually adapt and refine their interactions to enrich their individual journeys.
In this post, I’ll be sharing some of the innovative approaches I have explored for fostering communication and language development. My hope is that it serves as a helpful resource not only for parents but also for teachers and caregivers. For the sake of simplicity, I'll refer to us all as educators because, in essence, that's what we are, aren't we?
Building a language-rich environment
Foster a language-rich environment for your child by setting the stage for learning through words. Label objects, create visually engaging displays filled with vocabulary, and provide access to books while encouraging the joy of reading aloud, immersing children in the world of storytelling and literature.
One activity we've integrated into our learning program at KEY academy, especially with our KEY@home sessions during the pandemic, is the 'Sound of the Week' activity. This is a fun play-based literacy activity that encourages children to explore the sounds of individual letters and groups of letters. Your little one simply has to create a sound table (an area or mat also works) and find something everyday around the house that contains this sound at any point in the word. Support your little one with labelling the item once it has been placed on the sound table by underlining the sound in the word.
Active listening and conversational modelling
Promote early communication skills by demonstrating attentive listening and encouraging thoughtful responses. Growing up in a household that cherished meaningful conversations profoundly influenced my grasp of dialogue dynamics from an early age. I love engaging in conversations with children, regardless of their age, as I firmly believe that every child deserves meaningful interactions.
At KEY academy, we actively participate in conversations with our young learners, even before they can articulate words clearly. This practice helps us gain insight into their thought processes. I encourage you to devote quality time to having meaningful conversations with your little ones; over time, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much you learn and understand.
Storytelling
Engage children in the magic of storytelling through various means, whether it's reading books aloud, sharing folktales, recounting personal childhood stories, or immersing in interactive narratives. Storytelling not only enhances language skills but also ignites imagination.
I lead the Bees learning group at KEY academy (ages 18 months - 3 years old), and last year we explored a storytelling theme titled "Once Upon a Time". Our aim was to foster the love of reading among our children with a 5 day reading challenge where each day we read a classic children’s story ranging from “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. This journey culminated in a memorable role-play session, where children had hands-on opportunities for self-expression. Witnessing some of our initially reserved children confidently express themselves during the role-play was truly awesome.
Another effective storytelling technique involves introducing characters through puppets or simple role-playing, which nurtures verbal expression. Regardless of the method used, storytelling in all its forms sharpens language skills and sparks creativity, thus contributing significantly to a holistic learning experience.
Music and rhyme sessions
Exploring rhythm and music is essential for nurturing a playful environment that encourages language development. Singing songs and reciting rhymes play a pivotal role in enhancing a child's sense of rhythm, expanding their vocabulary, and memory. At KEY academy, I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how integrating music into our learning programme has positively impacted our children’s verbal skills and communication abilities. Their enthusiasm is palpable, especially when they have the opportunity to interact with voice-command technology like Alexa.
The introduction of 'Alexa' into our learning environment last year was met with excitement and curiosity. Children quickly grasped the concept of taking turns to request songs, albeit initially with basic commands and babbling tunes. Within a week, we observed significant language development as our young learners confidently engaged with Alexa, articulating their song requests fluently.
In conclusion
In my experience as an educator, especially with very young children, I've come to realise that children are innate communicators. Parents are frequently amazed by the rapid development of their child's language skills once they simply begin engaging in meaningful conversations. By integrating some of these creative strategies into your daily interactions, you actively foster the growth of a child’s communication skills during the formative years.
Learning should unfold naturally, be enjoyable, and not feel coercive. I encourage you to experiment with and implement these approaches in your interactions. I'm confident that they will establish a solid foundation for a lifetime of effective communication and meaningful connections. I look forward to hearing about your experiences with these methods!
Written by Nnene Nsan, Lead Co-learner, Bees (18 months - 3 years old) at KEY academy.