Communication skills in children and adults. Skill development

Communication skills are a set of human abilities that ensure effective interaction with other people. Effective communication comes down to two main principles: the ability to correctly understand the interlocutor, that is, to correctly explain to oneself what he said, and the ability to correctly convey information, that is, to express exactly the thought that was planned.

Communication with other people, that is, communication, according to many psychologists, for example, Vygotsky, Elkonin, is the basis of human development and, in particular, the foundation of personality formation. In addition, communication is responsible for a number of other functions. These include managing one’s own behavior, fulfilling the need for communication, ensuring psychological well-being, organizing joint activities with other people, etc.

Communication skills are a necessity for a person living in society, since he has to interact with a large number of people, solving problems from different areas of life: from going grocery shopping to complex business negotiations. Communication skills are also responsible for the success of completing the task.

Low communicative competence leads to interpersonal conflicts and the appearance in a child or adult of a feeling of alienation, isolation, and uselessness, therefore the development of communication skills is important from a person’s earliest childhood.

In addition, there are a number of professions in which communication is the main method of work. These include professions from the fields of journalism, psychology, pedagogy, marketing and many others. Employees in these areas are required to have highly developed communication skills. However, it is also important for people not associated with these areas to develop effective communication skills, which will become the basis for social fulfillment, psychological satisfaction and help in the formation of interpersonal connections.

Formation of communication skills

The foundations of communication skills are laid in preschool age, when the child actively communicates with parents, peers and other people. In the process of communicating with adults, the child perceives and assimilates the model of interaction, and in communication he learns norms and rules of behavior. The child is actively exploring the social world, and he needs an adult who will explain the laws of this world and expand the child’s ideas about the space around him. Thus, the child assimilates those images that are inherent in the adult with whom the child interacts. He adopts facial expressions, gestures, vocalizations, the way of speaking and thinking of an adult. In addition, he copies the behavior of an adult in certain situations.

Also, the communication skills of a preschooler are formed in play, role-playing activities, which are leading for this age. During play, the child’s social, personal and mental development occurs. During the game, he reproduces situations in which adults participated and tries out their roles. In this way, the child participates in an imaginary social life and develops his communication skills.

When communicating, the child tries out various verbal and nonverbal behavior, learns models of effective interaction in various situations, learns to start, maintain and end a dialogue, develops the ability to listen to another person, formulate and ask a question, support a group conversation, etc.

Article:

Introduction
Communication is one of the main conditions for the development of a child, the most important factor in the formation of his personality, the leading type of human activity aimed at knowing and evaluating himself through other people. This is evidenced by fundamental research by Russian psychologists of past years and the present (L. S. Vygotsky, A. V. Zaporozhets, A. N. Leontiev, M. I. Lisina, S. L. Rubinshtein, D. B. Elkonin, etc. .). Communication affects the results of all important types of activity: study, work, play, social orientation, etc. But mainly communication has an impact on the development of the personality of children with special educational needs, contributes to their socialization and integration into society. At the same time, it is not an innate activity. Therefore, only through specially organized training and education can significant success be achieved in the development of communication.

One of the main tasks of a boarding school for students with disabilities (hereinafter with disabilities) is the social adaptation of its graduates. The success of preparing for independent life in society depends not only on the acquisition of certain knowledge in general educational subjects and professional work, but also on the level of development of communication skills and the ability to establish relationships with others. Therefore, in our educational institution, teachers and specialists pay special attention to the development of children's communication skills.

Mastering communication techniques, like many other skills, in children with disabilities occurs at a much later time than in normally developing children, and often without special training does not occur at all: children do not show interest in others or limit their contacts with a few people. The insufficient development of communication skills of children with disabilities negatively affects the development of the child’s personality, his interpersonal relationships and makes it difficult to establish contacts with others, negatively affecting socialization, while modern pedagogy and psychology set the goal of creating conditions for the successful socialization of a child with disabilities, which is what this work is relevant.

These findings determine the goal of the work - to select and test a set of games and exercises aimed at developing the communication skills of children with disabilities.

Tasks:

Study and analyze scientific and methodological literature on the development of communication skills of children with disabilities.
To identify features of the development of communication skills of children with disabilities.
Select and test various types of game exercises to develop communication skills in children with disabilities.
Create your own card index of games and exercises to develop communication skills and test its effectiveness in practice.

Features of the development of communication skills in children with disabilities

The concept of “communication skills” unites a wide range of skills, the development of which ensures a child’s full inclusion in society, as a process of establishing and developing contacts with people that arise on the basis of the need for joint activities.

Research has shown that in the communicative activities of schoolchildren with disabilities, persistent violations of all links of the communicative act are found, which manifest themselves in a decrease in the communicative and cognitive need for communication. Most children have insufficiently developed verbal communication and coherent speech, which creates barriers to interpersonal interaction. This is manifested in the following: children generally have little conversation with the teacher and with peers, are inattentive, do not know how to consistently express their thoughts, convey their content, and participate in communication often at the initiative of others, although they understand speech addressed to them. This is often accompanied by increased anxiety, tension in contact, fears, and resentment. Children with disabilities simultaneously seek attention and reject it, turning to aggression or passive alienation; they do not know how and do not want to admit their guilt in a conflict situation (defensive forms of behavior in conflict situations dominate), they do not know how to independently plan and control their actions, i.e. instead of developing voluntary behavior, they develop an orientation towards external control; Instead of being able to cope with a difficult situation themselves, children tend to get offended and shift responsibility to others. They do not feel the desire to enter into verbal and personal contacts, exchange impressions, or agree on the content of upcoming joint activities. Such children do not know how to address another person on their own initiative; sometimes they are even embarrassed to respond appropriately if someone addresses them. They cannot maintain and develop established contact, do not know how to coordinate their actions with communication partners or adequately express their sympathy and empathy to them. At the same time, sociability and the ability to communicate with other people are a necessary component of a person’s self-realization, his success in various types of activities, and the disposition and love of people around him.

To be sociable means to easily contact other people, communicate with them, and enter into communicative relationships.

When working to develop communication skills, it is necessary to rely on the capabilities of children with disabilities and, first of all, develop:

- the ability to navigate social relationships and the ability to engage in them;

- the ability to concentrate attention and respond to the appeals of others;

- speech perception;

- ability to imitate;

- ability to take turns in conversation;

- ability to apply communication skills in everyday life.

For more successful socialization of children with disabilities, the following communication skills are necessary:

- cooperate;

- listen and hear;

— perceive and understand (process) information;

- speak for yourself.

Work on developing communication skills should be daily and organically included in all types of activities: learning, play, work. During self-study, educational classes, walks, various events, during restricted periods, and during the work activities of children, it is necessary to systematically develop communication skills. The formation of communication skills is both an independent task of learning and a means to achieve success in the development of the child, i.e. learning occurs continuously in a wide variety of activities.

Development of communication skills in children with disabilities through play

The ability to communicate is a great art and a vital necessity for all people, including children. Communication gives knowledge and joy from contacts. Every child is a little explorer, discovering the world around them with joy and surprise. Education of children with disabilities is most successfully carried out in everyday life, through the integration of natural activities for children, the main of which is play. Considering that play is a leading activity, it is one of the most effective and accessible ways to develop children’s communication skills and is important for normal psychological development and emotional state.

Through play, the development of all basic mental processes, the child’s abilities, volitional and moral qualities of the individual, and the formation of elements of children’s social activity occur.

During play activities, children develop and interact with the world around them, with peers and adults, their speech develops: the volume of the vocabulary increases, the grammatical structure of speech develops, the ability to listen and think, express their needs and feelings using verbal and non-verbal means of communication, movements, gestures, facial expressions.

Game exercises help in solving correctional and developmental tasks in developing the communication skills of children with disabilities, forming in children the knowledge and skills of friendly communication, fostering a culture of communication (good manners), helping to develop in children communication skills, the ability to recognize the emotions of other people and control their feelings , empathize - rejoice in other people's joys and be upset because of other people's sorrows. Children acquire the skills, abilities and experience necessary for adequate behavior in society, the ability to evaluate others, understand and express themselves through communication, and the ability to regulate their behavior in accordance with norms and rules.

When developing communication skills, it is necessary to take into account the age and individual characteristics of children and provide the most favorable conditions for achieving goals. When selecting didactic materials, games, manuals, and children's literature, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of children at different levels of development and help make the necessary correction for the positive advancement of each child.

To do this, you need to remember a few simple rules:

1. During the game, an adult must believe in the game as the child believes in it, accept children as they are, listen to any child’s answer, proposal, decision, and promote improvisation.

2. For children, the teacher is a model in speech, since children learn verbal communication by imitating, listening, and observing adults.

3. The child constantly studies what he observes and understands much more than he can say.

4. Children's speech develops most successfully in an atmosphere of calm, safety and love, when adults listen to him, communicate with him, talk, and direct his attention.

5. The teacher has an exclusively active role in teaching children the ability to think and speak, but an equally active role in the intellectual, emotional, speech and communicative development is inherent in the child himself.

6. It is necessary to provide children with ample opportunities to use all five senses: see, hear, touch, taste, feel various elements of the world around them.

7. Each child has his own temperament, his own needs, interests, likes and dislikes. It is very important to respect his uniqueness and set realistic goals for the child.

For children with disabilities, it is necessary to create play situations that stimulate their speech, to encourage any speech, even babbling. It is necessary to force the child to repeat individual words, to learn words and phrases that include requests.

The daily inclusion in the pedagogical process of games for the development of communication skills involves the following types: dramatization games, fun games, competition games, didactic, creative, role-playing games, outdoor games, dramatization games, imitation games, round dance games, conversations during which children learn to cooperate, actively listen, process information and speak correctly. In the process of teaching children this or that game, it is necessary to help children conduct dialogues, coming to their aid whenever they find it difficult to express a request, desire, or thought in verbal form.

When conducting educational classes and self-training, I try to create a comfortable climate in the group, such a psychological mood so that children have a desire to express their opinions and not be afraid of making mistakes or being misunderstood.

Among the games and exercises in my work, I give preference to didactic, creative, mobile, finger, role-playing games, which have a significant impact on the development of communication skills. I also use tasks for retelling short stories based on clarity, composing a story based on a picture, and comic riddles.

To establish friendly sympathies, relieve stiffness, and have a positive emotional mood at the beginning of the lesson, I play a greeting game as a warm-up. Children should greet each other in unusual ways: greet each other with the shoulder, the tip of the nose, the back, the back of the hand, etc. After they managed to do all this, they are very satisfied.

Role-playing games are a source of formation of the child’s social consciousness and the opportunity to develop communication skills. In such games, the ability to live and act together, to help each other is developed, a sense of collectivism and responsibility for one’s actions is developed. I use role-playing games in extracurricular activities, when we cover topics such as “In the museum and on excursions”, “In the store”, “I am a passenger”, “Communication in the student body”, “Rules of behavior in public places” , “Learn to be polite.”

Games with rules - didactic, board games - promote cognitive development, as well as the ability to negotiate. In didactic games, the child is attracted, first of all, by the game situation, and while playing, he solves the didactic problem unnoticed. With the help of didactic games, children learn to compare and group objects, both by external signs and by their purpose, to solve problems, they develop cognitive abilities, the ability to restrain themselves and manage their behavior. Children learn to apply existing knowledge in various play conditions, their various mental processes are activated, and they receive emotional joy. I use didactic games when conducting self-study to activate attention, memory, intelligence, perseverance and prepare children for homework.

Didactic game "Finish the sentence."

Target. Raising self-confidence and self-confidence in children with disabilities.

Progress of the game. The child must complete each of the proposed phrases: “I can...”, “I want...”, “I can...”, “I will achieve...”.

Didactic game “Polite words”.

Target. Cultivating respect in communication, the habit of using polite words.

Progress of the game. The game is played with a ball in a circle. Children throw a ball to each other, saying polite words. Use only greeting words (hello, good afternoon, we are glad to see you, we are glad to meet you); gratitude (thank you, thank you, please be kind); apology (sorry, pardon, sorry, sorry); farewells (goodbye, see you later, good night).

Creative game "Mittens".

Target. Developing the ability to interact with each other.

Progress of the game. For the game, mittens cut out of paper are used. The number of pairs must correspond to the number of pairs of children. It is necessary to place mittens with the same (but not painted) patterns in different places in the room. Children must find their pair and use three pencils of different colors to color the same mittens. The teacher observes how pairs organize joint work, how they share pencils, and how they negotiate with each other. The winners are congratulated.

A special group consists of games - fun and outdoor games. They clearly express the element of the unusual, unexpected, and funny; they contain a joke and harmless humor. Their main purpose is to amuse, entertain, and please children. Outdoor games provide an opportunity to develop and improve their movements, practice running, jumping, climbing, throwing, etc. They evoke positive emotions and develop inhibitory processes: during the game, children have to react with movement to some signals and refrain from moving during others. These games develop will, verbal communication, intelligence, courage, and speed of reactions. Joint activities in games bring children closer together, giving them the joy of overcoming difficulties and achieving success.

Outdoor game "Don't get your feet wet."

Target. Teach children to show mutual assistance and mutual assistance.

Progress of the game. The children are on one side of the room. A swamp is separated by a white line on the floor. Children are given two boards (two sheets of paper). Both need to cross these planks - bridges to the other side.

In my work, I also use the following tasks to develop communication skills: children need to first make simple sentences based on the picture (while answering the questions posed), and then combine them into one complex one: - Who is drawn in the picture? What is the girl holding? What is this ball called? Which balloon is the girl holding: big or small?

- Make a sentence based on this picture.

- Repeat the sentence several times and try to remember it.

- Color the drawing with colored pencils.

- Who is drawn in the picture? Where is Pinocchio going? What does Pinocchio bring to school?

- Make a sentence based on this picture.

- Repeat the sentence several times and try to remember it.

- Color the drawing with colored pencils.

Exercises and games can be carried out in pairs, in a circle, at the same time as a whole group, or some perform them while others observe, analyze, and draw conclusions.

When performing exercises, children operate with verbal, visual and practical material. Active interest in the exercise is stimulated through entertaining tasks and small incentive prizes that create an atmosphere of success. The work uses illustrative material depicting situations from life, reference cards with examples of the beginning of phrases, pictograms, a selection of songs, and proverbs.

Creative activities also contribute to the development of communication skills. In the process of this type of activity, the opportunity for self-development is provided for the child, who freely chooses activities that suit his abilities and interests. At the same time, the teacher becomes a partner for the child, ready to respond to any request for support and help. In addition, during the activity, a microclimate is created, which is based on respect for the child’s personality, care for him, and a trusting relationship between adults and children.

The ability to be attentive to the teacher’s messages, the ability to start a conversation, listen and hear a partner, understand what is said, the ability to express intentions, requests are practiced through group discussions, discussion of various situations, conversations, and training exercises.

The ability to jointly plan upcoming activities, focus on a partner, not create or correctly get out of conflict situations, accept compliments and listen to criticism, correctly ask and answer questions, negotiate with friends and strangers, conduct a conversation on the phone develops on excursions, through work with a fairy tale, a literary work, through role-playing games.

The rules of the games are set in such a way that in order to achieve a certain goal, children must convey the essence of the action so that the partner understands exactly what and how to do, where to go, how to perform this or that action.

In order to motivate children to develop such communication skills as the ability to listen and hear, to be attentive to the messages of adults and friends, the following problem was solved: “Why does a person have two ears, two eyes and only one tongue.” Having answered this question, the children came to the conclusion that it is very important to be heard. The following exercises were also used: “Let’s say how...” and “Let’s say this...”

Exercise “Say how...”

Each participant is asked to say one phrase common to all: the first - like a turtle; to the second - like a small child; to the third - like a robot; the fourth - like a machine gun burst, etc.

Discussion: what is the most beneficial conversational pace in communication? How does this relate to a specific situation? What feelings arise when the pace of speech changes?

Exercise “Let’s just say...”

— Each participant is asked to pronounce their name with different intonations. See how intonation affects perception.

- Say the phrase: “Streams are running on the street again” - with different intonations (exclamation, despondency, anger, questioning intonation).

Exercise “Damaged phone”.

Everyone (or several people) leaves the room. The first participant comes in, the presenter tells him a short phrase (you can read any sentence from a book, newspaper, textbook). The second participant comes in, the first participant tells him the same phrase. And so everyone, entering, listens to the phrase that the previous participant tells him, and passes it on to the next one. The last participant tells everyone the phrase he heard. Those in the room should not help or express their emotions about what they heard.

The same procedure, but instead of a phrase, the first person to enter is shown a picture, after looking at it, he verbally describes it to the next participant to enter. And so each person who enters passes on (without seeing the picture) the description he heard to the next person.

Next comes the discussion: why is the meaning distorted? How did this happen?

To develop the ability to conduct a conversation on the phone, the game “Let’s Talk” was played. The children were divided into pairs, one acted as the caller, the other as the receiver. At the same time, various tasks were performed.

Tasks:

- you call the ambulance number and call a doctor for the patient;

- you call a friend and ask for homework;

— you call and have the wrong number.

After the discussion, the teacher and the children draw conclusions: what time is best to call, how to receive a call, start and end a conversation.

Based on observations of children in the process of various games and exercises, it can be stated that children are interested, have a positive emotional mood, and are relaxed in communication. This was facilitated by the friendly atmosphere and passion of the most active participants.

Conclusion

The formation of communication skills in children with disabilities is an extremely pressing problem, since the degree of development of these skills affects not only the effectiveness of children’s education, but also the process of their socialization and personality development as a whole.

The results of the work show that the systematic use of games and exercises to develop communication skills, as well as group discussions, conversations, discussion of various situations contributes to the formation of communication skills. There is a positive trend in children, which is as follows: students with disabilities become more sociable, open, active, and confident, which makes them more adapted in society.

Sources

Andreeva G. M. Social psychology: Textbook for higher educational institutions. M.: Aspect Press, 2007. - 363 p.
Vygotsky L.S. Questions of child psychology. – St. Petersburg: Soyuz, 1999. – 221 p.
Dubina L.A. Communicative competence of preschoolers: Collection of games and exercises. M.: Knigolyub, 2006.
Zakharov A.I. How to prevent deviations in a child’s behavior? M.: 1993.-191 p.
Lisina M.I. Communication, personality and psyche of the child. – M.: Infra – M, 1997. – 384 p.
Ukhanova A.V. Back to school tomorrow! Development of emotions and communication skills in a child. - St. Petersburg: Speech; M.: Sfera, 2011.- 128 p.
Shipitsyna L.M., Zashchirinskaya O.V., Voronova A.P., Nilova T.A. The ABCs of Communication: Development of a child’s personality, communication skills with adults and peers. SPb.: Detstvo-PRESS, 2010.

Application

Games and exercises to develop communication skills

"Finish the sentence"

Target. Raising self-confidence and self-confidence in children with disabilities.

Progress of the game. The child must complete each of the proposed phrases: “I can...”, “I want...”, “I can...”, “I will achieve...”.

Didactic game “Polite words”

Target. Cultivating respect in communication, the habit of using polite words.

Creative game "Mittens"

Target. Developing the ability to interact with each other.

Outdoor game “Don’t get your feet wet”

Target. Teach children to show mutual assistance and mutual assistance.

Exercise “Say how...”

Each participant is asked to say one phrase common to all: the first - like a turtle; to the second - like a small child; to the third - like a robot; the fourth - like a machine gun burst, etc.

Discussion: what is the most beneficial conversational pace in communication? How does this relate to a specific situation? What feelings arise when the pace of speech changes?

Exercise “Let’s just say...”

— Each participant is asked to pronounce their name with different intonations. See how intonation affects perception.

- Say the phrase: “Streams are running on the street again” - with different intonations (exclamation, despondency, anger, questioning intonation).

Exercise “Damaged phone”

Next comes the discussion: why is the meaning distorted? How did this happen?

"Finish the word"

Children sit in a circle. The presenter throws a ball to someone and says the first syllable of a word, for example: “Sa...”. A child to whom a ball is thrown catches it and adds an ending to the syllable that together would form a whole word. For example: the leader says: “Sa...”, the catcher replies: “...sha” (Sasha) - and throws the ball to the leader. The words must be chosen short and familiar to the children; at the beginning of the game, the leader can say that these will be the names of those standing in the circle. Gradually, over and over again, the game can be complicated by introducing words of three syllables. For example: the leader says: “Sa...” and throws the ball to the child, the catcher replies: “Mo” - and throws the ball to the other player. He finishes the word: “let” (Sa-mo-let) - and throws the ball to the leader, etc.

"Say kindly"

The game develops dexterity and speed of reaction. You can play with several children at once, throwing the ball to each of them in turn. The rules are simple: when throwing the ball to a child, you say the main word. The child must catch the ball and then throw it to you, calling the word in a diminutive form. Examples: chair - high chair

"Who's doing what?"

A game to consolidate knowledge about the variety of professions. The adult names the action and throws the ball to the child, and the child, returning the ball, must name the profession corresponding to this action: Examples: cooks - cook (cook, pastry chef); 4 You can change roles: the presenter calls the profession, and the players catch the ball and call the appropriate action.

"Say it the other way around"

One word is called, and children are asked to think about how it can be said differently. For example: smart - stupid, hardworking - lazy, strong - weak, white - black, etc. You can select synonyms for words, that is, words that mean the same thing. For example, hard - hard; sad - sad - unhappy...

"Verbal volleyball"

In this game, participants stand in a circle and throw a ball or balloon to each other. In this case, the player who throws calls any noun, and the one who catches the ball needs to name a verb that has a suitable meaning, for example: the sun is shining, the dog is barking, etc. If the player calls an inappropriate verb, he is eliminated from the game.

"Unravel the Words"

Goal: learn to compose sentences using these words.

Progress of the game. The words in the sentence are mixed up. Try to put them in their place. What will happen? Suggestions for the game: 1. Smoke, coming, pipes, from. 2. Loves, little bear, honey. 14 3. Standing, vase, flowers, in. 4. Nuts, in, squirrel, hollow, hiding.

"Find the error"

Goal: learn to find a semantic error in a sentence.

Progress of the game. “Listen to the sentences and tell me if everything in them is correct. How should the sentence be corrected? 1. In winter, apples bloomed in the garden. 2. Below them lay an icy desert. 3. In response, I nod my hand to him. 4. The plane is here to help people. 5. I soon succeeded by car. 6. The boy broke the ball with glass. 7. After the mushrooms there will be rains. 8. In spring, the meadows flooded the river. 9. The snow was covered with a lush forest.

Adult communication skills

The formation of communication skills begins in preschool age, but the process of their transformation, correction and improvement continues into adulthood.

The communicative competence of an adult is ensured by a set of abilities. These include:

Ability to establish and maintain contacts with others;
The ability to predict a communication situation and its features;
Ability to respond appropriately to critical statements or provoking behavior;
Ability to follow a given communication goal;
Ability to argue your position;
The ability to refuse, to ask;
The ability to manage interactions to obtain the necessary information from the interlocutor;
Ability to provide and receive attention, sympathy, support;
Ability to make contact and respond correctly to attempts to make contact;
The ability to create an atmosphere of trust and cohesion in the work team, among family or friends.

The blind man and the guide

Goal: develop the ability to trust, help and support fellow communicators.

Children are divided into pairs: “blind” and “guide”. One closes his eyes, and the other leads him around the group, gives him the opportunity to touch various objects, helps him avoid various collisions with other pairs, and gives appropriate explanations regarding their movement. Commands should be given while standing behind you, at some distance. Then the participants change roles. Each child thus goes through a certain “school of trust.”

At the end of the game, the teacher asks the children to answer who felt reliable and confident, who had the desire to completely trust their friend. Why?

Disorders of development of communication skills

The development of communication skills is influenced by various factors, including upbringing, lifestyle, and the quality of family relationships. There are disturbances in the formation of communication abilities that may arise due to environmental influences. Independent communication skills disorders include:

No need for communication;
Tendency to monologue instead of dialogue;
Failure to take into account the context in which communication occurs;
The predominance of value judgments instead of providing adequate information, etc.

Impaired communication skills may be part of the pathological symptoms of diseases or developmental deficiencies. In this case, communicative apraxia, communication disorders, and psychotic disorders of communication processes may be noticed.

Diseases characterized by the presence of communication disorders include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autism, mental retardation, mental retardation, Internet addiction, addiction to mobile devices, etc. People with general underdevelopment of speech, vision and hearing also have difficulties in acquiring successful communication skills.

Diagnostics of communication skills

Assessing the ability of adults to communicate effectively is carried out primarily when selecting personnel for a field of activity in which communication is an important tool. Prospective personnel are given a series of psychological tests to determine communication skills, sociability, organizational abilities, and individual components of communicative competence.

In addition, diagnostics of the communication skills of adults can be carried out by a psychologist upon appropriate request in the context of personal consultations to solve various problems, during an examination to identify professional orientation, etc.

Children’s communication skills are diagnosed by a specialist in order to determine whether the child’s development corresponds to normative development and, if necessary, to draw up a psychological correction program. In addition, diagnostics are carried out to determine the most effective method of developing communication skills in a particular child. For example, it has been proven that the communication skills of preschoolers develop better in a role-playing game than in a situation, for example, educational activity or personal communication, since it is the game that is the leading activity of the preschooler, which means that it is in the game that the child’s effective learning and knowledge of the environment takes place peace. But for some children it will be more effective to use art therapy or fairy tale therapy.

Diagnosis of children’s ability to effectively communicate is also carried out if they have developmental disorders in order to identify communication features. Based on this, it is possible to draw up a plan for the child’s adaptation to society, give recommendations to parents, and build a correctional route.

glue stick

Goal: to develop the ability to act together and exercise self- and mutual control over activities; learn to trust and help those with whom you communicate.

Before the game, the teacher talks with the children about friendship and mutual assistance, that together they can overcome any obstacles.

Children stand one after another and hold on to the shoulders of the person in front. In this position they overcome various obstacles.

1. Get up and get off the chair.

2. Crawl under the table.

3. Go around the “wide lake”.

4. Make your way through the “dense forest”.

5. Hide from wild animals.

An indispensable condition for the guys: throughout the entire game they should not become detached from each other.

Ways to develop children's communication skills

The easiest way to develop effective communication skills in preschoolers is through play. For this purpose, didactic and board games are used, as well as joint play activities with older children, adults and teachers. During it, children learn interpersonal communication, cooperation, can express emotions and relieve internal tension (for example, the exercise “Roar, lion, roar - knock, train, knock”). Children overcome shyness, develop team spirit, and their enthusiasm for communication and interaction grows (for example, the “Magic Wand” exercise).

The socio-game method is also popular for developing the communication skills of preschoolers, which involves organizing activities as a life-game between microgroups of children. The teaching methodology is aimed at developing the individual qualities of children and revealing their creative potential.

Work in microgroups consists of several stages:

Grouping according to various principles (by gender, month of birth, color of clothing, counting rhyme, etc.);
Coming up with a name for the team;
Appointment of a messenger who receives an assignment from the teacher;
Group independent work process;
Presentation of results and their joint discussion.

Activities for working in a microgroup can be different. For example, as a task to create a working atmosphere, children can fill out a “Mood Map”, in which children note in what mood they came to class, draw a sun, a leaf or a cloud.

Another example of a game is “Writing by Air.” The leader, whom the children choose themselves, “writes” a number, letter or geometric figure in the air, and other children from the team guess what was written or drawn. At the end of each lesson, children exchange impressions.

In the process of such joint work, cooperation skills, the ability to hear another, the ability to make contact and other important components of a complex of communication skills are effectively developed.

From experience in creating a social project

We developed the “Feed the Winter Birds” project.

Relevance of the project: the formation of a positive attitude towards nature, the development of responsibility towards it for one’s actions.

Goal : to activate communication skills in younger schoolchildren, to awaken in them the need for energetic communication.

Tasks:

Formation of communication skills and creative abilities;
To help younger schoolchildren realize the importance of their behavior for their lives and the life of the world around them;
Carrying out joint creative activities with active communication in the process of creating feeders.

Project focus: students in grades 3 and 4, as well as children of middle preschool age, should take part in the project.

Partners in the project: teacher and educators.

Using the project:

Students in grades 3-4 were able to act as mentors, helping younger children complete a project.
Carrying out joint work on the manufacture of feeders.
Formation of communication skills in children during joint project activities.

The results of the study led to the conclusion that the students taking part in the experiment significantly increased their level of communication skills. Therefore, we can assume that social projects are effective in this area of pedagogical work.