Discussion skills – Communicating and Listening – Memory

To make the most of new learning experiences, children need to be able to ask questions, listen to answers and ask follow-up questions, which can lead to a productive discussion. The more they are exposed to situations which make them think, the easier they will find this. To encourage listening skills and to help your child to understand and remember, it is very important to give simple, clear explanations. Try to link new experiences to existing knowledge wherever possible, for example, describing a ship’s anchor in terms of a dog lead which prevents a dog from running away from its owner. It is also important for children to speak for themselves at every opportunity if they are to be able to develop good discussion skills.