Only a teacher can enjoy the joy of talking to a bunch of students, listening to them, smiling at them, and never interrupting them when talking. It is because these skills don’t always come to kids naturally. They have to be incorporated and habituated in their lives to make it happen.

But how can you incorporate speaking, listening, and teaching skills in kids while not missing out on other daily activities?

What are Communication Skills?

Communication skills can also be defined as the ability to give or receive information. These skills are necessary everywhere including, work area when managing people, looking at projects, and cooperating with colleagues. We use these skills to communicate our feelings, ideas, and tasks.

Here are a few tips on how you can teach your kids the importance of communication skills.

Teach Empathy

Yes, you read it right. When teaching kids to communicate, it is necessary to develop empathy which allows them to know what the other person is thinking or feeling. Teach them that their viewpoint is not the only one. 

Join conversation classes

Join classes where they teach the kids how to have a conversation with appropriate non-verbal behaviour. This will remain the most important behaviour in the future, to make a very good first impression.

Teach appropriate vocabulary

Teach your kids respectful alternatives to harsh words. Using harsh words will always pave the way to a heated argument. For example: Instead of saying ” Your idea is bad” you can teach them ” I disagree with you” which is more polite and calming.

Teach how to pause

Teach them how to pause, think, analyze and ask questions. This helps them see the speaker’s point of view clearly and listen more effectively. Teach them a few questions like ” Why? ” or “So, do you mean “.

Other than the above points you can also teach them in a fun and understanding way by playing various games that include 

• Role-play

Using role-plays they can learn how to communicate based on their body language with other people.

• Group games

Playing group games with their friends will improve their interactive vocabulary and help them build relationships with understanding skills.

• Record and reflect

This can be one of the most effective ways of learning. Ask them to record and watch themselves which will help them learn eventually from their mistakes.

So finally as kids watch you as a role model and grow up, parenting can be a more effective way of learning and teaching. Make sure you set them the right example by talking politely and respectfully with other people. Which will be eventually followed by your kids sooner or later.

They not only follow the way you talk or communicate but also follow your tone which makes any conversation more lively if used properly.

Teach them that they will be treated the way they teach others. This urges them to use proper vocabulary and behavior when talking to others.