5 GREAT WAYS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN TODDLERS DURING THE LOCKDOWN
Parents are usually shocked at the mention of communication for toddlers; they assume the gestures and cooing sound isn’t part of communication.
Research has shown that appropriate communication between adult and toddlers help the toddler develop great communication skills.
Communication skills are important in child development for the following reasons:
• Teaching effective communication skills to children may help them to express themselves clearly and convey their feelings in a better manner.
• Communication skills can facilitate learning and meaningful exchange of information with others.
We encourage parents at Newfield Schools to carry out certain activities to help foster a broader communication skills in their toddlers.
1. Play Telephone
This fun game can help enhance good listening skills in toddlers and can be played by kids of all age groups. We use this to get our toddlers talking. This is a beloved activity parents can use on their toddler. However, be aware of the radiation real phones carry and the dangers of it.

2. Show and Tell
At Newfield Show and tell activity can be a delightful verbal communication game for toddlers. We give a toddler a topic like his favourite fruit, a favourite book of animals. Have him exhibit an item related to the topic and ask him to speak five lines on it. This activity can assist to further your toddler’s confidence, vocabulary and eloquence.
Parents can replicate this at home. Remember to start small, ask for one reason why a certain toy is a favourite, then increase the number gradually.

3. Picture Storytelling
Picture storytelling can be a very interesting activity as kids love to tell stories. We provide our toddlers with a set of picture books that enhance interaction. Sometimes, as a parent, print out images of relation of yours, talk about these relations with your children. They would have a great time communicating back.

4. Presentation
This exciting activity may not only promote your toddler’s oral language skills but also aid him to get comfortable with public speaking. We encourage toddlers to always participate in every activity especially during role play. As a mum/dad, ask your toddler to play a role they are familiar with, a doctor, get role playing objects and see your child in action.

5. Identify the Object

We make them explore things in the environment by presenting different objects and making them identify. Every child takes turns describing one feature of the chosen object. E.g. picking of balls into a basket, identifying the number of cars, colors, trees, grasses, trucks and all.
Have a good time developing your toddler’s communication and share with friends, we would love to get your feedbacks in the comment section on how these activities went and the tweaks you made to them.