Communication is the foundation for all learning and development. The majority of children are able to develop these skills with little additional help, but for an increasing number of children in the UK will go on to need more specific learning support as they progress through school.
This probably comes as no surprise to many, when the amount of time parents spend interacting with their children is observed. Many times I have seen babies and toddlers taken out of the car, plopped in their buggies with not one word spoken to them by their carer. The adult will usually have their mobile phone firmly clamped to the sides of their face, chatting away to whomever is on the other end of the phone, which is obviously more important than communicating with their child. More often than not the child will have a dummy/pacifier in their mouths, preventing them from making any intelligible sounds, even if the adult was paying attention. Sadly an opportunity is missed to talk about what is happening, where they are going, what they will be doing together.
Even families with older children can be seen in restaurants, airport departure lounges all over the world, all playing, parents included, on the latest piece of technology and not talking with each other. Surely they should be talking about what they're eating, or where they're going? Modern technology can be great for teaching and learning but in moderation. Wouldn't it be great if families could jointly make a decision to turn off all electronic gadgets at a set time each day and just spend some time talking and communicating with each other?
http://childdevelopment-shropshire.com/
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