From an early age, a child can respond to and find ways to communicate, without language. Even animals and plants have ways to communicate. As an Educator or as a parent, an
interesting question to consider is how important is communication to the overall development of children?
As children grow, they rely on communication to build relationships, express their wants and needs and to help them understand the world around them. There are 4 ways in which communication is important to the developing child:
Language
Cognitive
Emotional
Social
Language Development
The development of language is increased when children are immersed in environments that involve a lot of talking and discussion. This type of communication helps build vocabulary, grammar and syntax, as they listen and pick up on the words and how they are used within conversation.
Cognitive Development
Communication helps children to develop their thinking ability. By developing their cognitive skills children are able to face challenging tasks that involve critical thinking and problem solving. Encouraging children to think things through logically, through discussion and even friendly debate, will enhance their cognition and creativity.
Emotional Development
Life is difficult for us all and unfortunately our children are not immune. The challenges they face today are not the same as those we faced, so it is all the more important to keep the lines of communication open, so that they know who they can turn to when problems arise. Openly expressing one's emotions can help children identify emotions and be able to express their own and learn to regulate them. It also develops empathy and the ability to understand and respond to the feelings of others.
To summarise, communication is critical to the well-being and overall development of children. Educators and parents can support children's communication development by engaging in conversations, reading to them and provide opportunities for them to interact with others.
Look out for 'Communication and the Developing Child - Part Two, focusing on the importance of effective parental communication.
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