Communication Development In Children: What's Involved?

Key points about communication

• communication is the way we connect and interact with people
• speech, language, social interaction and early literacy skills are all parts of a child's communication

Why communication is so important for children

Communication is the way we connect and interact with people. It's part of our identity and culture. It helps us to learn, interact with others and make friends.

Communication involves a range of different skills. Tamariki (children) need to be able to:

• understand what people say to them
• use words and sentences to get their message across
• speak clearly
• understand and use gestures, signs and body language
• look, listen and take turns in a conversation

Speech, language, social interaction and early literacy skills are all parts of a child's communication. These parts develop together and support each other.

How children develop their communication skills

Communication is the foundation for learning and development and is possibly the most important skill a child will ever develop. Communication develops over time and tamariki go through stages in their communication.  Some tamariki go through these stages quickly and some will take longer.

Communication development by age and stage

You can check some information about typical communication development in young tamariki, by age group. There are ideas for supporting your child's communication development, using their skills and interests. 

You'll also find suggestions about what to do if you are worried about your child's communication development.

Communication development varies across languages and cultures

Many tamariki live in homes where more than one language is spoken. This provides an opportunity for them to be multilingual and should be encouraged and valued. It's important for the adults around a child to use the language that they are most comfortable and familiar with as this will provide the best models for the child.

Supporting your child's communication development

Tamariki need the adults around them to actively support and encourage their communication development. The more we know about how to support and encourage, the more we can help tamariki develop their communication skills through play and social conversations in real-life situations.