How to Teach Verbal Communication

Learning to communicate verbally is an important aspect of development.

Effective verbal communication is a skill that a person uses throughout her life, and the development of it begins in early childhood. This is the ideal time for parents to begin modeling and actively teaching verbal communication skills. Good verbal communication should go both ways and allow people to speak as well as listen. When children reach school age, they will begin learning more from their teachers and peers, but good verbal communication begins in the home.

Instructions

1. Practice active listening when your child speaks to you. Do this by not interrupting and allowing your child finish what he is saying without passing judgment or responding until he is done speaking. When he finishes, internalize what he said and repeat it back to him. For example, if he says that he threw a toy because no one was listening, an appropriate response could be "You felt like everyone was ignoring you, so you acted out to get attention."

2. Name emotions when discussing your own or the child's. For example, if she seems upset, saying something like "Right now, you're feeling sad" can help her learn to use words to label and therefore articulate her feelings.

3. Engage your child to participate in two-way conversations by asking open-ended questions frequently when he speaks with you.

4. Be positive when correcting your child on word pronunciation. Simply respond by using the word and saying it correctly. Do not directly criticize her or force to her repeat a word she has difficulty saying.

5. Play word and language games often. Games that involve naming objects, feelings and descriptions can help increase the child's vocabulary.

6. Read to your child often. This will instill a love for language and help increase his vocabulary as well as expose him to various sentence structures and the general concept of storytelling.

7. Acknowledge everything your child tells you that seems important to her. This can be especially difficult if she tells you something that you did not expect or want to hear. However, it is important that you do not simply ignore what she says or change the subject. Listening to everything and ensuring that she is comfortable talking with you helps keep the lines of communication open.

8. Model the behavior you want them to learn. Children learn by what they see, and if you practice effective communication with them and others around you, they will learn it more easily.

References

• Education: Guiding Young Children in Verbal Communication
• University of Missouri Extension: Communicating Effectively With Children
• Education: Communicating With Children
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Communication Dos and Don'ts