Oftentimes, when you look at your child not interacting much in a children’s birthday party, you end up assuming that it is alright.
He or she is just a kid. You may not be wrong entirely, but there is always a different side to the picture.
It is quite possible that the child might be facing interpersonal or social communication issues without your realizing it.
This issue at a young age can snowball into a bigger personality development concern eventually during his later years.
This is why the importance of communication skills for students is considered paramount at any secondary school or even at a Montessori school.
The first step of this is mostly through activities to improve communication skills for students that are primarily interactive in nature.
What Is The Difference Between Social And Communication Skills?
In essence, the difference lies in the versatility of how students express themselves.
Social expressions or social skills in the classroom may relate more to gestural abilities while communication skills for students would relate more to direct communication in terms of both written and verbal which may be both formal or informal in essence.
Gestural aspects like how a student might focus in class or the way he or she greets the teacher. Alongside this, promoting active listening in the classroom is also a part of social skills in the classroom.
Effective communication skills for students may focus on aspects that throw light on the vocabulary a student employs in regular speech, whether or not the student speaks effectively, or whether there is ample awareness in any kind of two-way communication the student engages in.
How Can Students Develop Social And Communication Skills?
Teaching communication skills to elementary students or to high school students is a long term process and is subject to numerous factors that may or may not be in the control of the teachers or the school entirely.
This is due to the fact that such skills can be learnt anywhere, be it school, out in the world or at home.
The way social and communication skills are imparted at home would have a major impact on what the student carries along with his career.
Developing these skills would involve regular monitoring of the little unique mannerisms of each student and correcting him to get better eventually.
Teachers can also make it a point to regularly present written or audio material that would be carefully curated just to improve the student’s communication skills.
Social skills in the classroom, too, are such that can only be improved in a monitored setting both in the classroom and outside.
However, the major responsibility here lies in the hands of the teachers and the parents because many times, the student himself does not realize what could be considered as an incorrect social or communication skill.
Why Are Social And Communication Skills Important For Students?
A great example to throw light on this question would be to talk about an elementary school in Japan.
In Japan, a lot of the learning happens through osmosis, meaning that the students are given a lot of attention when it comes to behavioral education through peer learning instead of intense academic learning.
This leads to an increased level of confidence in their personality along with a strong sense of internal motivation to take up opportunities.
The same is then improved upon when the student reaches high school at a Tokyo international school.
Once the student enters his or her teens, he becomes more equipped in dealing with any kind of challenge that may prove complex for a student who is not equipped with essential social and communication skills.
Most importantly, good social and communication skills will lead to healthier and long-lasting relationships which can prove essential for any student’s academic and professional career.
What Are The Five Ways To Improve Your Child’s Communication Skills?
1. Practise With Your Child Or Student
Make it a point to pinpoint whenever a mistake is made. This helps the student notice where there is a gap in his communication skill.
Over time, this shapes the student’s communication skills in a smooth manner.
2. Motivate The Student To Ask Questions
The more questions the student will ask, the more he will learn and clear out his doubts. This will lead to a better comprehension of the communication that takes place.
However, the teacher must also keep in mind that the questions put out have ample relevance.
3. Brevity In Speech
Quite often, while some children hardly speak, some children have a habit of speaking a lot in an uncontrollable manner. This leads to uncertainty in the quality of communication that takes place.
Thus, if some students are taught to speak more, some also need to be taught how to speak just enough.
Also Read: How Children Build their Learning Skills in Tokyo Montessori Schools?
4. Teaching Them The Art Of Listening Before Speaking
This method of improving your child’s communication skills can be quite important. This way is what paves the way for all other kinds of improvements in communication to take place.
Otherwise, if the student does not understand what is being spoken, he would not be able to comprehend and reply appropriately.
5. Body Language
As simple as this may sound, body language can be crucial in terms of giving respect to the speaker and gaining their direct attention.
It also involves eye-contact and essential bodily movements that might otherwise never get polished as the student grows into an adult.
How Can Social Skills Lead To Academic Success?
At the end of the day, if one thinks about it, all of it boils down to both behavioral or career-based success.
In this case, the benefits of good communication skills for students can be profound even in their academic success.
Students will always be more interactive in classrooms if they have strong communication skills.
This interaction will lead to better clarity in understanding the subjects being taught. This would, in turn, lead to much better grades and eventual success in academics.
