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Communication is the expression of thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Language serves as a key medium for Communication including oral language skills, signed language, reading and writing skills, gestures, and listening skills. Communication also involves communicating with numbers, drawings, technology, etc., and being able to use multiple modes of Communication to express ideas. These multimodal forms of Communication, for instance gestures or drawing, can extend a child's thinking, encourage self-expression, perspective taking, and awareness, and can better allow others to engage in shared ideas and expressions.
Communication consists of both expression of ideas and reception of ideas- or listening and understanding. To be an effective communicator, it is important to understand that other people have different experiences, knowledge, and perspectives. It is helpful to be aware that many young learners, including many multilingual learners may have stronger listening/receptive skills as they develop their expressive vocabulary and may demonstrate their understanding through non-verbal means, such as gestures, drawings, etc.
Language, including verbal and non-verbal forms of communication, can be used to support thinking and reasoning for speaking and non-speaking learners. For instance, labels can help us think abstractly which supports higher order thinking, reasoning about numbers, and encoding. In addition, research suggests that the act of explaining your thinking supports learning. Language also plays a critical role in enabling us to express our thoughts and emotions, as well as allowing us to engage with others' feelings. We learn how to do so from those around us: for example, increased exposure to mental-state vocabulary enables children to better understand and communicate about thoughts and emotions. In addition, exposure to stories develops children's narrative abilities, helping them better understand others in turn.
In early childhood, Communication occurs frequently through play and supports children's interaction in imaginary play. Children often are communicating and interpreting continually with their peers when guiding play, pretending, and role playing. Children engaged in social pretend play often narrate the content of their role by talking about what to do and in what way it should be done. This metacommunication supports emerging Metacognition and Self-Regulation skills.
Communication is how we share our culture, connecting the present with the past through traditions such as writing, oral traditions, music, and dance. Understanding and respecting diverse cultures and languages, and learning how to communicate across this diversity, is a central aspect of Communication skills. Use of different languages over time may lead learners to direct their attention to different aspects of the world based on how their language system works. Therefore supporting multilingual language use can support learners in drawing upon different domains of knowledge. Valuing students' linguistic differences, including supporting their use of their Primary Language (including, e.g., African American English), or recognizing and normalizing the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), such as assistive technology, translation technology, or no-tech and low-tech options, such as picture exchange communication, can allow them to confidently express themselves and maintain and share a core aspect of their culture and Identity.
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