Children are naturally curious and observant, soaking up every word and sound they encounter. However, practical communication skills require more than just exposure; they demand engaging, interactive, and fun activities that motivate them to express themselves freely.
Simple yet creative activities can work wonders for parents looking to nurture these skills at home.
Yellow Kite Nursery, the most popular early years foundation stage nursery in Dubai, teaches children how to foster communication skills as an early development milestone.
Below are some playful yet impactful ways to play and develop with your child to enable confident communication.
1. Storytelling with a Twist
Storytelling is a fantastic method for improving vocabulary and listening comprehension. Choose novels appropriate for your child’s age, or let him create his own.
Ask your child questions such as “How would you have ended the book?” once you have finished reading to them. Alternatively, “What do you think will happen next?” This enables your child to start thinking and talking about it.
Role-playing can make storytelling even more interactive. For example, you could allow your child to dress up in costumes or props and act out parts of the narrative.
Role-playing is an excellent activity for the early years foundation stage nursery curriculum because it encourages creativity, emotional intelligence, and communication.
2. Word Games and Rhymes
To help children expand their vocabulary, play simple rhyme games with them or assign word association tasks. Start by using a word like “cat” and urge your child to think of words that rhyme, such as “bat,” “hat,” or “mat.”
Playing “I Spy” can help kids concentrate on word sounds and patterns. For example, “I spy something that starts with the letter B.”
This type of playful learning makes language enjoyable and enhances phonics, a basic concept of the early year’s foundation stage nursery framework.
3. Daily Conversation Starters
Create opportunities for meaningful conversations during routines such as mealtime or bedtime.
Ask questions like, “What was your favourite part of the day?” or “Can you tell me something new you learned?” Listen carefully and react enthusiastically to demonstrate that their words are important.
Encouraging interactive dialogue helps with sentence formation, presentation of ideas, and building confidence while speaking. This practice is mirrored in the language-oriented interactions experienced within early years foundation stage settings in nurseries.
4. Sing-Along and Action Songs
Children love music immensely because it is a language. Songs that offer actions, such as “Wheels on the Bus” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” are helpful when memorising, rhythm, and word pronunciation are required.
You can create songs or use familiar tunes to teach new words or concepts. This method combines fun and learning, making it ideal for rehearsing communication skills outside the classroom.
5. Pretend Play
Set up a mini pretend-play scenario, like a grocery store, doctor’s clinic, or restaurant, and let your child take the lead in conversations. Pretend play allows them to explore different roles and practice using appropriate phrases or sentences in context.
This activity aligns well with the early years foundation stage nursery goal of fostering social and communication skills through imaginative play.
6. Building Communication Skills with Yellow Kite Nursery
This is a golden opportunity to strengthen your child’s communication skills during the early years foundation stage nursery phase.
Incorporate these activities into your daily routine and have a rich language-learning environment at home.
If you want something more structured, Yellow Kite Nursery has an outstanding early years foundation stage nursery program emphasising holistic communication development. Every word, rhyme, and story shared strengthens your child’s communication journey.