Building Communication Skills Language-rich environments at home and at school are beneficial because they encourage children to become competent communicators. In fact, language-rich environments are directly linked to a child’s language and literacy development. Likewise, strong language and literacy skills are correlated with a child’s ability to communicate with others. Following are some ways that you can help build your child’s communication skills at home: Set aside some time to talk with your child each day – some parents find it convenient to chat with their child while alone with them in the car. Tell your child stories about when s/he was a baby, his/her first words, favorite foods and activities. Tell your child stories about when you were little – perhaps share photographs of yourself when you were his/her age. Read your child’s emotions and react to them. If your child has a smile on his/her face when leaving school, you might say, “I see you have a happy smile on your face. Why?” Or, “I see you look sad. What happened to make you feel this way?” Give your child verbal labels for his/her emotions. For example, you might say, “You look very angry” or “Your happiness shows on your face” or “You look frustrated. Would you like my help?” Let your child know that what s/he says is important by expanding on his/her comments. If a child said, ”That dog barked and barked,” you might respond, “Yes, the dog barked, but he didn’t bite.” Play language games such as “I SPY” or other word games with your child to increase his/her vocabulary. Provide a literacy-rich environment by making a variety of books available to your child. Likewise, read to your child every day.

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