Communication FUNdamentals
The best way to teach children anything is to make it fun and involve as many of their five senses as possible. Here are a list of 10 games/activities that will foster effective communication skills in your children.
1. Play Telephone.
The more the merrier. This old elementary school game is a delightfully
fun way to develop your child's listening skills. This game is perfect
for any age. Begin with a simpler message for the younger children and
gradually increase the size and complexity as they get older.
2. Directions to Fun.
Have your older child write out directions from your house to somewhere
fun; for example, the ice cream shop. Preferably give the directions to
a third party who is unfamiliar with the area, and have him follow the
directions precisely. Did you get there? If so, have an ice cream cone!
If not, talk about what went wrong in the communication. What could be
changed that would help get you there the next time. This is a
wonderful exercise to help children from 4th through 12th grade learn
to give better directions. But it also is a lesson in itself about
communication. In order to effectively communicate what you want, you
must learn to say what you mean so that others can fully understand.
3. Dress for Success.
Go to the store or any other public place dressed in your Sunday best.
Notice how you are treated. Next go to the same store or a similar
location dressed shabbily or inappropriately for the occasion. (Ex: to
a Mercedes dealership in old jeans and a worn out T-shirt) Notice how
differently you are treated. This illustrates that their nonverbal
communication has consequences. You will want to point out that strange
person walking on the street and do a little of what I call "brain
washing". Paint them a picture of the consequences of the communication
that is sent when people wear skimpy clothes or dress like hoodlums.
Tell them what their choice of clothes is saying to the average
person...to a prospective employer. Give them the facts on how this
will impact their lives a year...two years...ten years down the line.
Tell them what could happen tomorrow if someone draws a conclusion
based on those clothes that puts them in harms way.
4. Talk n Listen.
Have your child sing Yankee Doodle while another person recites the
Pledge of Allegiance. See how long they can go without flubbing it up.
If your child can do this too easily, have each one read from a
different book. Tell them to each take turns relating what the other
had read. This helps illustrate that old saying that God gave us two
ears and one mouth in order that we listen twice as much as we talk.
5. Um Contest.
Have your child talk about a familiar topic. Any topic. For example,
his/her favorite activity or book. See how long he/she can keep from
uttering "um", "er", "uh", "like", or "ya' know". This develops the
child's confidence as well as eloquence. Eliminating these "words" in
your child's vocabulary will cause the him to focus on becoming more
articulate and increasing his vocabulary.
6. Feed Me Applesauce.
Blindfold someone and have that person feed applesauce to another
blindfolded person. Have a third person who is not blindfolded giving
the directions to both parties. This teaches students to give
directions more effectively.
*NOTE* This is messy! Fun, but messy! You will want to make sure that your children are not wearing their good clothes and that this activity takes place on a bare floor and not carpet.
7. Presentation.
Have your child give a presentation of sorts to a local retirement
home. This can include giving a craft demonstration, playing piano for
them as in a short recital, singing or reciting a poem. This teaches
your child how to present him/herself. This can be done with children
of all ages. The sooner you get your child comfortable talking in
public, the better. It will become like second nature to them and they
may be able to avoid the biggest fear that most people have: PUBLIC
SPEAKING. Studies show that people who enjoy speaking in public are
more successful than those who do not. So get them out there showing
off the talents God gave them!
8. What's Going on in the Picture.
This one is great for the little ones. Have your child tell you what he
sees in a picture. Encourage him to describe the scenery, the people,
the colors...anything he sees. For older children, have them talk about
what they think might have just happened before this scene and what
they think will happen after. This gives them practice in formulating
ideas in a logical manner that others can easily understand.
9. Finish a Story.
This one is also very good for different age groups. Kids love stories!
You start off a story and have your child finish it. For very young
children, you can tell them a nursery rhyme and have them make up an
alternate ending or add on to the story. This exercise is great for
teaching beginning verbal communication skills.
10. Impromptu Speech.
This exercise is wonderful for children of all ages. Pick a topic that
your child is familiar with or just loves and ask him/her to speak for
about 2 minutes on that topic. After a while, have your student
graduate to speaking on more difficult topics and/or for longer periods
of time. You can start them off by talking about their favorite movie
and eventually graduate them to controversial topics like prayer in
school.
"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, they
won't get you anywhere." Lee Iacocca The more your children practice
communication skills, the more effective they will be in communicating
their needs and ideas. The more fun you can make it, the more they will
want to practice these essential skills.
About the Author
About the Author: JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication and has over 20 years of experience in the field. She is the author of the Say What You Mean series of studies on effective communication skills. For more information, please visit her website, Art of Eloquence at http://www.ArtOfEloquence.com
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