Today, kids are having a lot of their interactions online, whether that’s through Zoom for school or Facetime with friends. To make sure they are using good conversation skills – both online and in person – now is a good time to review those skills with your kids. Here are some practical, easy-to-use skills you can teach your child and practice together as a family:
To contribute to a conversation:
- Look at the person who is talking.
- Wait for a time when no one else is talking.
- Make a short, appropriate comment that is related to the topic that is being discussed.
- Choose words that will not offend or confuse others.
- After you’ve spoken, give other people a chance to talk.
To keep a conversation going:
- Maintain a relaxed but attentive posture.
- Nod your head to show you understand and to give ongoing encouragement to the person who is speaking.
- Ask follow-up questions that are related to what another person just said.
- Avoid fidgeting, looking away or yawning.
- Don’t interrupt when another person is speaking.
- Take turns speaking during the conversation.
- Check to see if others understand what you have said.
To close a conversation:
- Change topics only when everyone appears to be finished talking about a particular issue.
- Change to a topic that somehow relates to the previous one.
- Give everyone a chance to talk about the new topic.
- Wait for a comfortable break in the conversation to end it.
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