11 Sep Fostering Better Engagement with Your Child: The Key to Nurturing Communication Development
Parents share a desire for strong and meaningful connections with their children. These connections not only shape their emotional well-being but also play a crucial role in their overall development, especially in terms of communication skills.
Positive engagement means the intentional and genuine interactions you have with your child. It’s about being present, attentive, and actively participating in their world. This engagement isn’t just about spending time together; it’s about making that time count by creating an environment where your child feels valued, heard, and understood.
How does positive engagement support communication development?
- Language Development: Just as practising a sport improves performance, practising communication improves language skills. Regular positive interactions provide ample practice opportunities, leading to smoother and more effective communication.
- Vocabulary Enrichment: Engaging in conversations with your child exposes them to a diverse range of words and phrases. The more words they hear, the larger their vocabulary becomes. Positive engagement allows for natural language exposure, which is an important factor to language development.
- Conversation Skills: Children learn by imitating. When you engage positively with your child, you’re modelling effective conversation skills such as active listening, turn-taking, negotiating and expressing thoughts and emotions. They observe and internalise these skills, which they can use in their interactions with others.
- Boosting Confidence: When your child feels that their thoughts and opinions matter, their confidence grows. Positive engagement nurtures their self-esteem, encouraging them to express themselves without fear. This confidence extends to their communication abilities, making them more willing to engage in conversations.
- Developing Emotional Awareness: Effective communication is at the heart of building social connections. Positive engagement teaches your child the importance of empathy, understanding different perspectives, and respecting others’ feelings. These are essential skills for forming healthy relationships.
- Cognitive Stimulation: Engaging conversations challenge your child’s cognitive abilities. Discussing new ideas, solving problems, and sharing experiences stimulate their thinking processes, enhancing their cognitive development and critical thinking skills.
How do we foster positive engagement?
- Active Listening: Set aside some time to pay full attention when your child speaks. Make eye contact, nod, and show that you’re genuinely interested in what they’re saying. This encourages them to share more.
- Follow Their Lead: Let your child guide the conversation based on their interests. This not only keeps them engaged but also helps to sustain their attention for longer.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of questions with yes/no answers, ask questions that require more explanation. This encourages your child to think and express themselves more fully.
- Acknowledge the Message: If you’re noticing errors in your child’s speech you may feel the urge to correct them right away. Instead, acknowledge the overall message they are trying to tell you so that they feel heard. You can then support them to say it more effectively
- Talk As you Do: Narrate your actions, experiences, stories, and thoughts. Even for simple things like washing the dishes or folding the laundry. This not only models language but also invites them to share their experiences.
- Be Patient and Supportive: If your child takes time to express themselves, be patient. Offer support and encouragement, making them feel safe to communicate at their own pace. Children will need this, especially during moments of heightened stress and emotions as their thinking will likely be impacted.
Positive engagement is a cornerstone of effective communication development in children. If you would like to learn more about fostering better engagement with your child you may want to reach out to us for further support on 08 6381 0071.
