‘Both environmental and developmental factors contribute to a child’s ability to communicate.’

A child’s social capabilities develop heavily in relation to their personal growth and the environment in which they’re exposed to. Communication can be defined as the conveying or exchanging of information by speaking, writing or using another medium. This essay explores the highly influential factors and the ways in which they affect a child’s ability to communicate effectively. Communication involves the capability to listen to what others are going through. In other words, a significant part of communication is not just speaking, but hearing what others have to say. The most common way to communicate is through the spoken language. In saying this language refers to various of communication, this includes auditory language, such as speaking and listening, as well as written language, which involves writing and reading. Communication also includes body language like facial expressions and other non-verbal movements that express meaning. During early stages children are forming their own understanding of language, there are numerous factors that have the capacity to influence development. These circumstances are different for every individual. Children among the ages of two and five are particularly susceptible to these influences, so it’s important for parents and caregivers to be aware of them. The development of language and social skills heavily influence a child’s ability to communicate. These abilities develop at a different rate for every person, it is heavily depended upon by the environment they are exposed to, the people that they’re surrounded by and level of interaction that a child is exposed to.

The development of language and literacy skills in early childhood is vital to ensure children have the appropriate social skills needed in order to communicate. Language is a strong communication tool (Moyles, 1989) which fosters children’s abilities. Children don’t exhibit the appropriate linguistic skills required to communicate within their families may be lacking in the social skills that are needed to develop strong and positive relationships may result in the inability to express oneself properly. An instinctive trait in people is the want to bond with others, to be communal and have their own distinct requirements met by others in the form of communication (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014, p. 18). The biggest impact on language acquisition in the early years of a child’s life is one’s family. The everyday discussions that are had within the household that are observed by young children have an influence on their language acquisition. Family communication refers to the way verbal and non-verbal information is exchanged between family members (Epstein, Bishop, Ryan, Miller, & Keitner, (1993)). Family members are the first people that we interact with after being born into the world. Loving, nurturing homes that provide opportunities for growth and bonding are where a child’s development thrives. (Virtual Medical Centre, 2010, para 1). A child’s vocabulary prospers with the influence of the