Elementary School Skills

Communication is a key part of growing up. Training begins at home when a child is just learning to speak. It continues as they grow, and in time learn to listen, negotiate, explain, and sometimes argue. It is one of the most essential aspects of a child's personal growth and socialization. Children get to know themselves as well as others, through communication. Only through proper training in this area will they grow to become healthy, happy adults with independent voices of their own. In order to properly develop effective, evolved communication skills, training must extend beyond the home and into the classroom.

Gone are the days when education was limited to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. The expectations regarding the ability to share, listen, absorb, respond to, and critically analyze information are much higher now than they were in the past. Of all of the key elementary school skills, perhaps the most easily overlooked, yet most important, is communication.

It is often wrongfully assumed that children will learn about communication skills naturally, without the help or intervention of school. While it is true that communication training begins at home as early as infancy, it is extremely beneficial to the child that their communication skills, styles, and rules of conduct are honed, perfected and polished with the help of both classmates and teachers. Communication is one of the most important aspects of life. The manner in which society judges a person depends in very large part on their communication skills. This is especially true in today's fast-paced, communication-oriented society.

When it comes to communication training in school, experts recommend dividing important lessons by grade, starting with more basic aspects of communication and building on them to include more complex matters as they grow. They recommend parents heed this particular course of action at home as well, in order to reinforce the lessons and optimize the learning and socialization experience. This, of course, becomes a more elaborate and tricky process when skipping a grade is introduced into the equation.

Learning to listen, pay attention, control anger, resolve conflict, seek help, and discuss confusing subjects such as bullying are ideal for younger children, such as those in kindergarten through third grade. At this stage, children are just becoming accustomed to spending time outside the home for long periods of time. Personal responsibility and self-control should be emphasized. It is recommended that parents take special care to demonstrate these skills through guided reading in kindergarten, tutoring, and constructive, education-oriented activities for older students.

Experts recommend dealing with the more complicated issues of properly and intelligently communicating respect, disappointment, appreciation, and caring in older children. In grades four through eight, children are inquisitive. They are beginning to develop their independence and critical thinking skills. Therefore, skills regarding interpersonal relations should be emphasized. Education in this particular area help the child in their approach to a more advanced outlook on life as they are often preoccupied with questioning themselves and the world around them.

Sources:

http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=884

http://www.goodcharacter.com/EStopics.html