Think about the most talkative child in your class. Are they necessarily the best communicator? While they might be the most vocal, effective communication is about more than just speaking frequently. It involves listening, expressing thoughts and feelings with clarity, and having the courage to speak up, even when it’s challenging.
The positive aspect is that communication is not a static trait but a skill that can be developed and taught. Research shows that difficulties in communication can have long-term effects on a child’s academic performance, relationships, and emotional health. This highlights the importance of prioritizing communication instruction in education.
Let’s explore what effective communication looks like in children, why it is crucial, and how it can be cultivated in the classroom. Resources from the Van Andel Institute for Education are included to support these efforts.
What Does Communication Actually Look Like in Kids?
It might be tempting to assume that the most talkative students are the best communicators, but true communication skills in children involve much more.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Janice Galizia highlights a key aspect of communication skills: “Effective communication in children doesn’t always look like the fastest hand raised or the most talkative student. In fact, one of the most important and often overlooked parts of communication happens before a child even speaks. It’s the pause.”
This pause, where a child considers, “What am I trying to say and why?” is crucial for genuine communication. Dr. Galizia notes that when children are encouraged to take this moment of reflection, they can better articulate their thoughts, communicate more clearly, and gain confidence in expressing themselves. In classrooms, this might be a child recalibrating their words mid-sentence or saying, “Wait, let me try that again.” This is not hesitation; it is skill-building.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association states that effective communication in children includes more than just speaking clearly. It involves active listening, interpreting nonverbal signals like facial expressions and body language, managing emotions, and understanding and responding to others. These skills develop and reinforce each other over time.
Why Communication Skills Matter Beyond the Classroom
Communication skills influence more than just interactions; they also affect how children perceive themselves. Dr. Galizia observes, “There’s a strong relationship between communication and confidence. When children feel more confident, they’re more willing to express themselves. And when they’re able to communicate effectively and feel understood, that confidence grows.”
The opposite is also true: children who struggle to express themselves or are anxious about communication may stop trying. Teachers have a unique opportunity to break this cycle by teaching communication intentionally. Here are some strategies to do so.
6 Ways To Teach Communication in Your Classroom
1. Normalize the pause and write it down
Communication extends beyond spoken words, and letter writing is a deliberate form of expression. VAI Education’s Letter Template from the March Into Reading Timely Topic provides students with a structured way to organize and share their thoughts with someone not present.
Writing encourages children to take their time and make deliberate choices, highlighting that effective communication is about precision as well as expression. This is a valuable lesson for teachers to model. Dr. Galizia suggests, “Shifting from ‘Who knows the answer?’ to ‘Let’s all take a few seconds to think’ reinforces that clarity matters more than speed.” By saying things like “Let me think about how I want to say this,” teachers demonstrate that communication is a thoughtful process, not a performance. Letter writing is an excellent way to instill this practice.
2. Say it with images
Effective communicators sometimes know when to forgo words. VAI Education’s Craft a Collage activity, part of the Crafting Our Classroom Timely Topic, encourages students to visually represent classroom norms. This is a low-pressure opportunity for students who find it difficult to verbalize their ideas. Selecting images to represent concepts is a form of communication that reveals the students’ understanding.
3. Debate respectfully with a game
Using academic vocabulary becomes more engaging when students have to debate with it. VAI Education’s Apples to Apples Science Edition, available in their Games & Activities section, offers students the chance to discuss, debate, and argue their case while revisiting key content terms. This game provides low-stakes, high-engagement practice that builds genuine communication confidence.
4. Out-communicate a robot
Here’s an intriguing challenge for students: communicate better than AI. Beat the Bot, featured in VAI’s Games & Activities section, provides writing or speaking prompts that students must respond to with warmth, nuance, and specificity, qualities that AI cannot replicate. This reframes communication as a uniquely human ability, essential to develop in an AI-driven world.
5. Hold your ground (and listen anyway)
Expressing an opinion is one aspect of communication; maintaining it respectfully amid disagreement is another. In VAI Education’s Man of Steel from the Daily SEL Activities, students are encouraged to express their viewpoints and engage genuinely with differing opinions. This combination of advocacy and active listening is fundamental to effective real-world communication. Dr. Galizia states, “When we give children permission to slow down and reflect, we’re not just improving how they communicate. We’re helping them trust that what they say has value, and that they have choices in how they say it.”
6. Guide someone through the unknown
In VAI Education’s A-Maze-ing Maze from the Daily SEL Activities, a student guides a blindfolded peer through a maze using only verbal instructions. This provides an immediate, hands-on lesson in effective communication, emphasizing word choice, sequencing, precision, and patience. Students experience firsthand what happens when communication is unclear and the significance of getting it right.
The Bottom Line
Communication is more than a soft skill; it is the backbone of learning, enabling collaboration, critical thinking, and self-expression. When teachers intentionally develop communication skills through their activities, questions, and classroom culture, the benefits are widespread. Students engage more effectively, connect better with peers, and develop a stronger self-image.
The children who learn to pause, reflect, and articulate their thoughts carry these vital skills beyond the classroom.
