communication assignments for high school students

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Communication Lesson Plans for High School, Middle School and Upper Elementary: The BIG list of Communication Activities for your Students!

Communication Lesson Plans and Activities for High School students, Middle School and Upper Elementary – Mar 1, 2024 : Effective communication is more than just a presentation mark.

• Here’s a free Text Message Puzzle : Why would you post it online? Can your students figure out who is texting and what is going on?
• Chat GPT has completely changed how we can communicate. Read more .

Communication is about getting your message across in a clear, effective way – especially when you’re tired, stressed out, or talking about hot-topic, controversial topics .

Here are some lessons to help students communicate clearly and effectively by understanding how communication breaks down. Students also reflect on their communication style. Are you assertive? Aggressive? Passive? Passive-Aggressive? Take the student survey to start the conversation!

Are you talking about ChatGPT and Education in your Communication Lesson Plans

ChatGPT is going to completely change Education. (Whether you want it to or not.)

A lot of teachers have mixed feelings about using ChatGPT in the classroom.

• Here’s a free YouTube video exploring if ChatGPT should be allowed in School
• Check out the Chat GPT Critical Thinking Debate lesson , which includes the slideshow and handouts used in that video.

Here are three ways we can use ChatGPT to help improve communication

• Ask ChatGPT for feedback on how to say something more assertively.
• Ask ChatGPT to predict how someone might respond to your message.
• Ask ChatGPT to rephrase your ideas to communicate more clearly or concisely.

Anyone can use this artificial intelligence tool to give us a second opinion on how we can get our message across more effectively.

Now imagine what it can do for a student who is an English Language Learner (ELL, ESL) or a student with a learning disability.

If you have the ideas in your head, but you have trouble writing them down, or communicating them clearly, you can simply ask Chat GPT for help: “Here are some ideas I have. Can you help me put them together into a paragraph?”

PS, Chat GPT speaks multiple languages.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Our robot friends can learn to become biased or sexist (just like the Google search algorithm did. Here’s an example of how Google search provides sexist misinformation video lesson at 36:44 )

Sometimes, you can do everything right and still not be heard.

It’s not fair now what.

Check out these 12 communication lessons .

Help your students with these engaging lessons to develop the soft skills they need to deal with 21st-century problems.

How do you get your point across during those important conversations about things that really matter:

• Do you agree with Woke culture?
• Is this Fake News ?
• Do students deserve trigger warnings about teaching content in the same way as nut-free snacks? (Is mental health as important as physical health?)
• Is ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence going to take all of our jobs?
• Are we allowed to feel Ukraine war fatigue in the “West” when Ukrainian soldiers fight mental fatigue?
• Do you deserve a raise? a job?
• Why are you casting shade on my best friend?

Communication Activities for Students Quick Links:

• communication skills activities (for high school students)
• communication lessons (for middle school / upper elementary)
• effective communication (lesson plan)
• Check out this article about Rosa Parks. What if we focused on her conversation with the bus driver? The resource includes discussion questions and sample answers.

Communication and Social-Emotional Learning

Want an example of assertive communication.

Help students understand the communication process. Explore how different communication styles can help with Social-Emotional Learning.

• Self-Management (managing emotions and behaviours to achieve goals)
• Self-Awareness (recognizing one’s strengths and challenges when it comes to communicating)
• Responsible decision-making (deciding when to hold your ground and be assertive and when to be flexible on an issue is part of how we make ethical and constructive choices about our personal and social behaviour.)
• Relationship skills (forming positive relationships, working in groups, dealing with conflict… the success or failure depends on how well we get our message across!)
• Social Awareness (showing understanding and empathy for others and their communication style can help us think about how to adjust our choices to get our message across)…

Remind students HOW to communicate in a classroom setting.

I’m not talking about setting classroom rules like raise your hand, or look at the person speaking.

I’m talking about helping students get their message across more effectively – at school and in life.

Help students recognize they can choose how to communicate: whether it’s being assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or just plain passive.

We live in a changing world. How we communicate makes all the difference.

Communication isn’t always easy – whether we’re trying to communicate:

• online through a pandemic,
• during hot emotional topics and racial divides,
• or in every day life with our classmates or family members !

Students often don’t realize that communication is a learnable skill.

Communicating with others is “a two-way street.”

• Effective communication skills can be more than just oral presentations and group work marks.
• A communication skills lesson plan can help empower students with strategies to get their message across at school and outside of school.

Just because we think we’re communicating clearly doesn’t mean our message is being heard.

Here are some fun communication activities for students to see how easily our message can break down.

Let’s help everyone communicate a little more effectively during these challenging times.

What about when you’re trying to communicate with someone you completely disagree with on a topic that’s important to both of you.

Like systemic racism , institutionalized injustice, voting and election fraud, or climate change.

Black Lives Matter.

Those three words can trigger strong emotional feelings on all sides.

Jacob Blake.

George Floyd.

Breonna Taylor.

Daunte Wright.

The Washington Post has logged every person shot and killed by an on-duty police officer in the United States. They have logged over 8,381 fatal police shootings in the US since 2015.

Although half of the people shot and killed by police are White, Black Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate. They account for roughly 14 percent of the U.S. population and are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans. Hispanic Americans are also killed by police at a disproportionate rate. Source: Washington Post Police Shootings Database

So, how well do you communicate in an argument, a fight, or a conversation where the stakes matter?

Events in the US and around the world have put a spotlight on systemic problems.

Conversations around race can trigger some powerful and deep-rooted feelings in many people..

Sometimes, watching the news can bring up tough conversations, angry voices, and frustrated people.

So, what happens when the next news cycle begins, and the media moves on to the next hot-button topic?

The strong feelings are still just as strong.

Maybe there are communication activities for high school students and middle school classrooms that can help provide strategies.

Just because we communicate (or communicate loudly) doesn’t mean our message gets across.

(Or that we get what we want.)

Everyone can communicate.

• But how do we teach our students to communicate clearly, effectively, and assertively in tough situations when emotions are running high?
• More importantly, how can we teach our students that just because you communicate clearly, effectively, and assertively, it doesn’t mean things change?

The real world isn’t always fair. Neither is the schoolyard.

Teacher-student communication in the classroom isn’t a one-way street.

• When students yell at their teachers, it usually doesn’t end well.
• Likewise, when teachers monologue in their lessons without looking for verbal or non-verbal cues for feedback from the students, it can mean that students are not engaged or learning.

Effective communication skills are more than just school learning skills. They’re life skills.

And, sometimes, we need to recognize that we also send a message through how we portray or stereotype groups of people.

(Check out this FREE Who is Invisible resource to start a conversation about which groups of people aren’t seen at all!)

Communication Lesson Plans for a World That Can Be Unfair (i.e. Systemic Racism, Bias, and Discrimination)

6 ways to teach students to communicate more clearly when things matter.

Here do we help students get their message across when emotions run high? Here are 6 ideas:

• Teach students that communication is a process.
• Give students a toolbox of communication strategies.
• Help students understand the difference between assertive communication, aggressive communication, passive communication, and passive-aggressive communication.
• Remind students that sometimes you can do “everything right” and communicate assertively… and things still don’t work out.
• Encourage a growth mindset. Reflect back on our communication blunders and successes and learn from our experience.
• Role model communication strategies ourselves. Talk-aloud our choices.

Communication in the real world is more than just an oral communication mark in English Language Arts

Communicating is more than just doing an oral presentation in class or giving a mark for class participation.

Those can be good places to start, but let’s keep the conversation going (pun intended!)

• Let’s acknowledge that communicating face-to-face at school can be tough.
• But, communicating online during a pandemic can be even tougher.
• And, communicating with someone who disagrees with us during racial tensions? Wow!

Help your students understand how to communicate better whether they’re at home, at school, in relationships, and eventually in the workplace.

Help your students understand how to use their voice and be heard.

And also understand that they can do everything right in terms of communication strategies and still not be heard.

Being assertive doesn’t mean we get what we want.

It means we communicate clearly what our boundaries are and try to work towards solutions where we all win… without compromising our values.

(Or, it’s a deal-breaker, and sometimes, you need to walk away.)

6 Cs Communication Lesson Plans because Education is Constantly Changing – Did we sign up for this?

Everyone can communicate. not everyone can communicate well..

What did your communication lesson plans look like during the pandemic?

• Of course, acknowledge the difficult circumstances we are all in.
• Discuss the idea about #alonetogether – we are alone… but we are also together in our aloneness.

Then, turn the conversation to the silver lining which is this:

This is an opportunity for us to explore how we communicate – especially now that we have the added challenge of learning together… when we’re not together!

Learning in the classroom can be tough.

Distance learning and online learning can be even tougher because you don’t have nonverbal language to to help you understand the message.

Communication lesson plans need to focus on more than just presentation skills.

Let’s explore communication activities for high school students where students analyze where their face-to-face conversations and online chats might be going wrong.

How about we look at communication skills lesson plans. Middle school students can understand the difference between assertive conversations and coming across as aggressive, passive-aggressive, or just passive.

What about communication skills lesson plans for elementary where we use “games” to break down different parts of the communication process.

Communication lesson plans give teachers effective communication process strategies to teach elementary, middle school, and high school students.

We need to provide our children and students with 21st-century competencies / transferable learning skills to enable them to cope with challenges in their personal and professional relationships.

And, even if you have communication lessons to help your students “communicate more effectively”, the real question is how do your students do when they’re angry, triggered, stressed out, or in some other tough conversation?

A lesson plan for communication skills needs to go over several things:

• How the communication process works
• Where communication breaks down (in the communication process)
• Communication strategies to help get the message across and to double/check the message gets across
• Different communication styles in tough conversations: Assertive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, and Passive

(Oh, and by the way – communication is different from collaboration. And while we’re at it, collaboration and teamwork do not always mean the same thing ! Read this page about collaboration skills to find out the difference!)

Communication Activities for Students during unusual times

The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting learning in different ways around the world. Social distance requires us to find creative ways to teach students were not physically in the same classroom as us. We call this distance-learning or distance education.

Bottom line? It means adapting and modifying our lesson plans to be effective using online learning tools.

Communication clearly is tough.

Communicating clearly when you can’t read nonverbal signals can be even tougher.

We need to explicitly teach our students about the communication process so they can be aware of how their message might be perceived by the other person – especially in an online environment.

Over the next few days, these communication lesson plans can be adapted and include suggestions on how you could teach or modify these communication activities so they work in the classroom or through an online learning tool.

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6Cs Communication Lesson Plans – Table of Contents

• Adapting the communication lessons for middle school / older elementary students
• Modifying these communication skills activities for high school students / adult learners
• Understanding how to communicate effectively requires an understanding of the communication process

Strategies on how to communicate effectively

Strategies on how to be assertive during tough conversations.

• There are 4 basic parts to communication
• There are 4 communication styles in tough conversations
• We can use communication strategies to be more clear and assertive.
• We can change the way we communicate
• Effective Communication CHAPTER BIG IDEA:
• You get 455 slides / pages in 12 lessons
• Software Requirements
• Homeroom teachers
• Literacy teachers / English Teachers / ESL Teachers
• School leaders / admin
• Teacher Pro Tips
• The big list of Effective Communication Activities
• PART 1. EXPERIENCE
• PART 2. WATCH
• PART 3. UNDERSTAND
• Here’s what you get in the Communication Lesson Plans ZIPPED FILE

Who can benefit from effective communication skills?

Learning how to communicate effectively is a skill that anyone (and everyone) can work on.

This is actually a pretty big deal. School is kind of an artificial institution. We talk about oral communication and being effective communicators … and then focus on things like presentation skills:

• Do you have eye contact
• How is your body language?
• Do you have any distracting visual or verbal noises… um… ah… er…
• Can we hear you clearly?
• Are you speaking too quickly?

But, communication lessons need to focus on more than just presentation skills or active listening skills.

We communicate with people all the time. From our conversations with family, to our emails with our co-workers and other team members, to social media exchanges.

The real question is how do you communicate effectively in tough conversations when you both want different things, or you’re both mad…

Although these communication lesson plans were developed initially with middle school students in mind, they can be modified or adapted for:

• Elementary students
• High school students
• Home-schooled students
• Small business human resources training
• Large corporation human resources training

Adapting these communication lessons for middle school and older elementary students

Younger students in the primary grades are more ego-centric, so of course, teachers will need to modify and simplify the language or examples. But the concepts around clear communication are still the same.

Communication skills for elementary students often look at presentation skills:

• Do you make eye contact?
• How is your body language? Any distractions?
• Are you speaking loud enough for people to hear at the back of the room
• Can you be easily understood? Do you speak clearly or do you speak too fast or mumble?
• Are you listening to the person presenting? Are you looking at the person and nodding at appropriate times?

When in fact, communication skills for elementary students should also look at every day conversations.

There’s more to oral communication than just marking a presentation – although that’s often the easiest way to get a mark for report cards.

Suggestions:

• Explore different ways that we communicate – not just during presentations, but in every day life, with friends, at home, and in the classroom.
• Are they the sender of the message?
• Are they the receiver of the message?
• What was the message?
• How do we know the message was received?
• There are words in the message.
• But, there’s also a message that gets told by our tone of voice, our body language, and our facial expression.
• It’s not just what you say, but how you say it. These all impact how we are heard.

Modifying these Communication Lesson Plans / Skills / Activities for High School students / Adult learners

These concepts about assertive and clear communication are equally valid for high school and adult learners as they are for elementary students.

When you use these communication scenarios for high school students, remember that no one wants to be told they don’t communicate well.

After all, if there’s a breakdown in communication, it’s the other person’s fault.

That may be true. But, if our goal is to get our message across, what can we do to give our message the best chance of being heard?

Here are some specific communication strategies to consider:

• Are we able to be more assertive (and protect our boundaries)?
• Do we need to accept that this issue isn’t worth fighting over?
• Should we walk away because this issue is a dealbreaker for us?

Sure, we may already be great at communication. But let’s remind our students that effective communication skills can always be honed and improved!

Teaching communication skills activities to high school students is important. It helps build healthy relationships – whether we’re looking at personal relationships or workplace relationships.

Communication Scenarios for High School Students

Here are some prompts you can use with your communication activities for high school students.

These might make for some great acting scenes in drama class.

But, let’s take a moment and do more than just an over-the-top melodramatic performance for our friends.

STEP 1. Have high school students review the communication process and 4 styles of communication .

STEP 2. Give the junior or senior high school students one of the communication scenarios below.

STEP 3. Ask students to reflect on what sort of communication style they would use by default? Would they be:

• aggressive?
• passive-aggressive?

STEP 4. Use the handout from the “What’s your Style?” communication activity (Lesson 6) and the “Communication Strategies to be Assertive” activity (Lesson 7)

Ask students to brainstorm what a different communication style might look like in this scenario.

Make sure to refer back to the communication style handouts to double-check that their performance matches what that communication style actually is.

• What makes aggressive behavior, aggressive?
• What are the criteria for passive-aggressive behavior?
• What makes something assertive?
• What would an assertive response look like in this communication scenario?

Make sure to remind students, that being assertive doesn’t mean you “win” the conversation: It means you set personal boundaries and stick to them.

Sometimes, being assertive means you don’t get what you want. Or, the relationship breaks down.

But this is an important part of developing self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills.

Being able to set healthy boundaries for ourselves is tough stuff – for high school students, for elementary students, for adults.

12 High School Communication Scenarios to explore healthy communication skills:

• You get blamed for something when you did nothing wrong.
• You want to ask someone out, but you’re too nervous.
• Someone asks you out, but you’re not interested.
• Your best friend / boy friend / girl friend / partner wants to do something that you really don’t want to do.
• There’s a rumour, photo or screenshot going around about you (or your friend).
• A friend needs help, but you don’t want them to get them in trouble.
• Your friend is mad at you and ignores / excludes you.
• A friend tells you a secret and confides in you, but you know you have to break the secret.
• Your friend gets a better mark (makes the sports team / gets the part in the school play / does better) even though you really wanted to win.
• People are jerks, sometimes.
• Your parents are spliting up.
• Your parents (guardians / people who buy you cereal) don’t like your friends

Teaching communication lesson plans / skills / activities to high school students:

• Place the context first : The end goal is to learn how to communicate more effectively during tough conversations. (A tough conversation is where both parties are emotionally triggered and the outcome of the conversation is important to both sides.)
• Have fun with the communication activities in the first part – acknowledge that communication activities can be simplistic when done in isolation. But, they prove a point by isolating specific components of communication in an extreme way. (Yes, we’ll never have to describe a drawing to someone else in a different room, but what can we learn about communicating clearly, anyway? How could we communicate better in a way that gets the message across?)
• Focus on the workplace video examples. You can be assertive and do everything right sometimes… and still not get your point across. Then, what?
• Spend more time looking at communication styles – being assertive is tough. But, learning how to get your point across without sacrificing what’s important to you… that’s a game-changer that can help us in relationships, in jobs, and when life goes wrong.

Ask them to come up with a better list of communication scenarios for high school students.

Sometimes, we need to throw the lesson plan away if things aren’t working and the students aren’t engaged.

If students scoff at the communication scene because it’s not realistic, then challenge them to come up with a better scene from their lived experience.

Mental Health Note: You may need to set boundaries to keep things appropriate for the classroom.

• The real world can be a tough place.
• As teachers, we’re never really fully aware of what our students may have gone through.
• Some of our students may have undisclosed (or undiscovered) PTSD, anxiety or mental health struggles from serious or traumatic experiences.
• While we want to give high school students an opportunity to explore communication scenarios that are relevant to them, we also don’t want to trigger or single out students who are going through personal challenges themselves.

Here are some communication skills activities for high school students that are in the unit:

• Taboo: Get classmates to guess a word without using certain words to describe the object. This focuses on expressing meaning in different ways.
• Describe the Drawing: Students have to describe a drawing to their partner who has to draw it on a piece of paper. What’s the catch? The partner never gets to see the original image. This communication skills game focuses on active listening and asking questions. Students learn that clarifying understanding is a vital part of getting your point across. Both the sender and the receiver can play a role in clarifying information.
• Counting Numbers: The class has to count numbers starting from one but they can only speak one at a time, they can’t use any gestures or pre-plan the order in which they go. This communication game focuses on communicating through non-verbal facial expressions – who goes next?

For other communication lesson plans / skills / games for high school students, check the big list of communication activities .

Understanding HOW to communicate effectively requires an understanding of the communication process

There are many communication models out there.

In this 6Cs Communication Lesson Plan, students explore communication as a two-way process (and not a one-way monologue.)

There are 4 basic parts to the communication process:

• the message , and

Communication Breakdown lesson video

Understanding where communication can break down means recognizing that communication is a cyclical process

Watch this short YouTube video to get a better understanding of How Communication Works: https://youtu.be/3AYdHzUVmZY

These communication lesson plans provides a framework for students to analyze how to communicate more effectively by thinking about where things go wrong.

• Did I send the message unclearly?
• Did I send the message well, but was there noise that messed the message up?
• Was the message sent well, but the receiver didn’t understand the message – maybe because of a hidden bias or stereotype?
• Did I send the message clearly and it was received correctly, but maybe there simply wasn’t any feedback to let me know one way or another?

As a middle school teacher, I used to mark oral communication based on things like how much a student participated in the conversation, or shared ideas with the group.

But, actually, an effective communication process is more than just talking or presenting.

You can talk or write and still be ineffective if the other person doesn’t understand your message clearly.

Just because you send the message doesn’t mean the other person received the message or understood what you meant.

Being effective at communication is a cornerstone of so much in life. Our students need to know:

• How to communicate more clearly in their personal relationships (with friends, authority figures, parents, classmates, and random strangers)
• How to communicate effectively regardless of the medium – whether it’s oral communication, written communication, non-verbal communication or digital communication
• Communicating effectively is a learned skill. Some of us might pick up these skills more than others, and not even realize what we’re doing.
• Healthy communication is key to building lasting relationships.
• If we have a growth mindset, then we can realize that we can try certain techniques to communicate more clearly. (Read this article about why we need a growth mindset .)

We can use communication activities for students to help them realize that they’re saying one thing… but the way they’re saying it is sending an entirely different message!

A tough conversation is one where both sides feel strongly about the issue. The stakes matter and this is where communication can break down.

Being assertive means recognizing the core things that are important to you that you can’t budge on. These are deal-breakers in a relationship. For example, if one person wants kids and the other person doesn’t, that issue is probably a deal-breaker.

If we teach students about different communication styles, we can help them reflect on what their default personal communication style is. Knowing about communication styles might help students choose one to help them protect their boundaries and get what they want.

• We can teach these life skills by using various communication activities for students.
• Lesson plans on communication can include strategies on how to be more assertive during tough conversations . Students don’t have to be aggressive, passive-aggressive, or just plain passive.
• If we give students criteria about the differences in communication styles, this might help them reflect and shift strategies, depending on the situation.

Communication Lesson Plan PRO TIP: Being assertive doesn’t mean you have to stand your ground on every single issue.

Sometimes, we might choose not to argue or negotiate over every little issue with our team members. We can choose to let things go as long as those issues don’t cross our personal limits and boundaries.

Sometimes students will communicate in a group and participate, but that doesn’t mean they have effective communication strategies.

• Are they aggressively taking control of the conversation, making sure their points are heard and their ideas are implemented?
• Do they simply agree with everything and go with the flow even though they know it’s not a good idea – but they’re afraid of conflict?
• How often do they disagree with an idea on the inside but because they don’t want to directly confront the other person, they just find a passive-aggressive way to move slowly on the issue (in silent protest) Or, maybe they’re grumbling behind people’s backs?

Just because a team gets something done, doesn’t mean there was true collaboration .

Just because a group of students talk with each other, doesn’t mean there is effective communication happening, either…

Group work doesn’t always mean people are communicating clearly or effectively, and if we can show our students the difference between effective and ineffective communication, we can help them to become better communicators.

So, here are a few communication activities for students to help them understand where their message might be lost.

Effective communication lesson plans for Elementary, Middle, and High School students: KEY CONCEPTS:

In this package, we provide over 2 weeks of effective communication lessons to do with your class.

Communication is about imparting or exchanging information. It’s not just oral communication lessons that we have to think about.

We also need to teach students that communicating clearly and communicating assertively in tough conversations is NOT always easy , but we can improve by using strategies!

It’s one thing to tell someone something. But, when you’re arguing, are they really listening to you?

Here are four key concepts to include in Effective Communication Lesson Plans:

1. there are four basic parts to communication.

• A sender (who encodes a message),
• A receiver (who decodes the message)
• The message itself (which can be verbal, non-verbal, visual, digital, etc.)
• And feedback from the receiver (which gives the sender information about how well the message was received, if at all.)

2. There are four communication styles in tough conversations

A tough conversation is where both people want different things, and the issue is important to both parties.

Communication is easy if both players want the same thing. Things get tough when we want different things.

Then the question becomes how effectively can we communicate our needs and our boundaries so that we get what we want, but also protect our personal boundaries.

There are 4 communication styles in difficult conversations:

• Passive-Aggressive

3. We can use communication strategies to be more clear and assertive. 

Communication can break down at different parts or because we have different perspectives that affect the way we interpret messages. Strategies can help us overcome miscommunication. They are building blocks that we use to get our message across or to achieve our goals when we communicate with others.

In this package, we:

• Explore communication through 11 different activities and discuss where communication breaks down, and what strategies might help to communicate more clearly.
• Explore the difference between assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and passive behaviour, and apply our understanding to multiple scenarios.
• Introduce students to the 4 basic parts of communication through a short video.
• Explore assertive / passive scenarios through video clips.
• Allow for deeper exploration of the concept of “Communication” by playing with the term using a graphic organizer (the Frayer Model of understanding.)

4. We can change the way we communicate

This is the idea behind a growth mindset – that through effort and strategies, we can improve. Effective communication is not something are born knowing how to do. It’s a skill that we can nurture and develop over time.

Effective Communication Activities for Students – CHAPTER BIG IDEA:

After this chapter, students will be able to explain that Communication is about:

• A  sender  encoding a  message  to a  receiver  who decodes the message and then provides some  feedback .
• Assertive behaviour  is when you protect your boundaries, but also respectfully consider the other person’s point of view and try to come up with a solution that works for everyone (but doesn’t compromise your personal limits.)
• People with different lived experiences / cultural background will interpret the same message differently.  We need to consider local and global perspectives when communicating.

Students will have the opportunity to:

• EXPERIENCE  classroom activities to explore how communication breaks down
• WATCH  examples of communication where people are assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or passive and analyze the situations to come up with alternatives.
• UNDERSTAND  what “collaboration” is by using a vocabulary building graphic organizer (Frayer model) to brainstorm features of collaboration, examples and non-examples of collaborating with others, and finally narrow down essential characteristics of the word.

Get TWO weeks of EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION LESSON PLANS:

We communicate all the time, but students don’t always understand HOW to communicate more clearly or HOW to be ASSERTIVE and protect their personal boundaries.

So, we’ve put together OVER 2 WEEKS of lesson plans to do with your class to help your students understand how communication works (sender, receiver, message, feedback), how communication breaks down, and how to communicate more ASSERTIVELY by using strategies during tough conversations.

YOU GET 455 SLIDES / PAGES in 12 COMMUNICATION LESSON PLANS. 

• 256 slides  in POWERPOINT and GOOGLE SLIDE format
• 97 page lesson plan PDF  with  12 DIFFERENT lessons  (45-55 min each.)
• 2 page graphic organizer to analyze debate questions (HANDOUT + sample answer key)
• 2 page Vocabulary Building Graphic Organizer and Venn diagram (HANDOUT + sample answer key)
• 1 page Communication Learning Skills SELF-EVALUATION handout
• 2 page Communication Review Assessment – What did you learn? (6 short answer questions + sample answer key.)

We just saved you an incredible amount of prep work!

And the slides and handouts look legit good. Just sayin’.

Who are these Effective Communication Lesson Plans for?

Teachers  could use these communication lesson plans to introduce the concept that  communication is a skill . And, we can choose to use strategies to communicate more clearly.

Communication Lesson Plans for Homeroom teachers / Advisory Class

• Do this package in the first month of class, to set the gold standard ideal for what good communication looks like.
• Throughout the year, when students are having tough moments, you could explore whether they were being assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or passive and this becomes a framework to help them communicate more clearly, especially when they’re in conflict or upset.

Communication Lesson Plans for English Language Arts teachers (English teachers / ESL / ELL teachers)

• Reading Lesson  – Reading notes about 4 communicate styles and using criteria to come up with assertive responses. (Activity 11)
• Writing Lesson – Creating memes (Activity 9) and assertive responses (Activity 11)
• Express meaning in multiple ways
• Ask questions or listen actively
• Verbal communication
• Non-Verbal communication
• Visual communication
• Clearly express yourself
• Respect different perspectives – local / global
• Media Literacy Lesson – inferring meaning from emojis and memes (Activity 9) and inferring communication styles and meaning from videos (Videos 2-8)
• List communication strategies and communication styles. (REMEMBER)
• Explain communication styles (UNDERSTAND)
• Watch new videos / scenarios and justify which communication style is predominant (APPLY)
• Compare / contrast different communication styles (ANALYZE)
• Justify an opinion by appraising the evidence supporting and against a specific communication style for a given video (EVALUATE)
• Some students will create a deep understanding (ah-ha moment) about the subtle differences between the 4 communication styles (CREATE)

Guidance Teachers / Life Skills / Social-Emotional Learning

Healthy Communication is a key component of building Relationship Skills and Social-Emotional Learning.

Use this communication curriculum to help students

• communicate their needs, wants and hard limits more effectively.
• develop positive relationships with themselves, their friends and family, their teachers and classmates, etc.
• resist peer pressure and societal pressure by communicating assertively.
• stand up for others and communicate as an active bystander.

School leaders / Admin

Principals, Admin, Division Leaders) could use these communication lessons in their schools to create a common language and exploration of growth mindset.

• This unit provides a systematic way for a grade, division, or school to explore learning skills / character development as a framework for delivering curriculum.
• Communication is often taken for granted. If all students are exposed to this framework, it makes it easier for teachers and students to try to be more assertive and to communicate more clearly.
• Doing the same (Frayer model) vocabulary building graphic organizer provides a common tool / framework that students and teachers can build around in other areas (i.e. math concepts, grammar concepts, science concepts, etc).

Ultimately, these communication lessons are meant to kick off a year / lifetime of discussion, as opposed to being a one-off activity.

• If all classes start off with the same approach, then throughout the year, as teachers do different activities, you could still connect it back to concepts of communication.
• During group work, students could be asked if they are being assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, or passive. Which strategy might help them to better communicate and get the learning done?

SAMPLE TWO WEEK LESSONS about Communication: (12 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION LESSON PLANS)

We base this schedule on a 50 minute period and provide around 40-45 minutes of content per lesson. Depending on your teaching style, how often you see your class, and class dynamics, you may find that you can get through all 12 lessons in 10 days… or it stretches out to a month.

Communication activities for students – PRO TIPS:

• If you’re short on time:  pick and choose which communication games to do with your class, and which videos to watch. (You don’t have to use everything in these communication lesson plans – although you can!)
• Watch the video yourself about the Four Basic Parts of Communication  to get an idea of where the unit is going in terms of Sender, Receiver, Message, and Feedback. This way you can paraphrase student answers from this perspective to help them make connections later on:   https://youtu.be/3AYdHzUVmZY
• In Part 1, we have 11 different ice breakers / activities  that highlight different aspects of communication.

OPTION 1: Do all of the ice breakers / communication games in a row

• Thereby developing classroom spirit and finding patterns in communication.

OPTION 2: Do one or two icebreakers / communication games each day

• Each class could start with a different icebreaker each day before getting into some of the more complex and deep conversations around communication styles (assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, passive)
• By spreading it out, it’s not like they’re learning a bunch of games in one day.

THE BIG LIST of EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION LESSON PLANS / ACTIVITIES

Here are 11 different communication activities and communication games for students to explore how communication works and why it breaks down.

If we understand the communication process, and problems with communication, we can reflect on how we can improve communication so it doesn’t break down (and the message gets across clearly.)

• Who Am I  (Express meaning in multiple ways, ask questions, listen actively, verbal communication) – oral communication lesson
• Charades  (Express meaning in multiple ways, non-verbal communication)
• Pictionary  (Express meaning in multiple ways, visual communication)
• Taboo  (Express meaning in multiple ways, verbal communication) – oral communication lesson
• Follow the Leader  (Express meaning in multiple ways, non-verbal communication)
• Counting Numbers  (“Listen” actively to understand what is communicated, non-verbal communication)
• Twenty Questions  (Express meaning in multiple ways, ask questions / listen actively; verbal communication)
• Describe the Drawing  (Express meaning in multiple ways, ask questions / listen actively; clearly express yourself; verbal communication)
• Metaphors and Symbols. Memes and Emojis.  (Express meaning in multiple ways, express yourself; written communication, virtual spaces)
• What’s your style?  (Express meaning in multiple ways, ask questions / listen actively; clearly express yourself; respect different perspectives; verbal communication)
• Strategies to be Assertive / Practice being assertive  (Express meaning in multiple ways, ask questions / listen actively; clearly express yourself; respect different perspectives; verbal communication)

Communication Lesson Plans – PART 1. EXPERIENCE

Day / lesson 1 (50 min) communication games for students/activities part 1 (slides 1-20).

• Introduction to Communication (slides 1-5) – 5 min
• #1 Who am I Communication Game (slides 6-10) – 15 min
• #2 Charades Communication Game (slides 11-15) – 15 min
• #3 Pictionary Communication Game (slides 16-20) – 15 min

DAY / LESSON 2 (45 min) Communication Games for Students/Activities Part 2 (slides 21 – 34)

• #4 Taboo Communication Game (slides 21-25) – 15 min
• #5 Follow the leader Communication Game (slides 26-29) – 15 min
• #6 Counting numbers Communication Game (slides 30-34) – 15 min

DAY / LESSON 3 (45 min) Communication Games for Students/Activities Part 3 (slides 35 – 52)

• #7 Twenty Questions Communication Game (slides 35-39) – 15 min
• Round 1 (slide 40-45)
• Round 2 (slide 46-48)
• Round 3 (slide 49-50)
• Round 4 (slide 51-52)

DAY / LESSON 4 (50 min) Communication Games for Students/Activities Part 4 (slides 53 – 85)

• Introduction (slides 53-54)
• What is a metaphor (slides 55-60)
• What is a symbol? (slides 61-63)
• Emojis (slides 64-71) – 10 min
• What is a meme? (slide 72-76)
• Success Kid (slide 77)
• Jack Sparrow Being Chased (slide 78-81)
• Grumpy Cat (slide 82-85)

DAY / LESSON 5 (45 min) Communication Games for Students/Activities Part 5 (slides 86 – 89)

• #9 Communication Activity Part 2: Create your own meme (slide 86-89) – 45 min

DAY / LESSON 6 (50 min) Communication Games for Students/Activities Part 6 (slide 90 – 152)

• #10 What’s your style? Communication Activity (slide 90-115) – 20 min
• #11 Styles of Communication Communication Activity (slide 116 – 152) – 30 min

DAY / LESSON 7 (50 min) Communication Games for Students/Activities Part 7 (slides 153 – 170)

• Review assertive communication style (slide 153-159)
• Strategies (slides 160-169)
• Practice handout (slide 170)

Communication Lesson Plans – PART 2. WATCH

Day / lesson 8 (50 min)  videos part 1  (slides 171 – 187).

• Minds on – What are the different parts of communications (slide 171-173) – 5 min
• Watch video – identify 4 parts of communication (slide 174-176) – 10 min
• How could communication break down (slide 177 – 178) – 5 min
• What could you do to prevent communication break down (slide 179) – 5 min
• Review (slides 180-181) – 5 min
• Back to the Future Video #2 (slide 182-187) – 20 min

DAY / LESSON 9 (55 min)  Videos Part 2 (slides 188 – 216)

• Passive Aggression Video #3 (slide 188-189) 15 min
• Watch the video / discussion – 5 min
• Scenario A – 5 min
• Scenario B – 5 min
• Scenario C – 5 min
• Communication Strategies for when life is hard (slide 207 – 216) 15 min

DAY / LESSON 10 (60 min) Videos Part 3 (slides 217 – 233)

• Wrong Flower Video #5 (slides 219 – 222) 15 min
• Golf Video #6 (slide 223 – 226) 15 min
• Eels Video #7 (slide 227 – 230)  15 min
• Live Theatre Point of View Video #8 (slide 231 – 233) 15 min

Communication Lesson Plans – PART 3. UNDERSTAND

Day / lesson 11 (40 min) vocabulary builder (slides 234 – 250).

• Introduce Part 3 / Minds on (slides 234 – 236)
• Understand (Vocabulary Builder) (slide 237 – 238)
• Filling out the graphic organizer (slides 239 – 242)
• Revising graphic organizer (slides 243-247)
• Summary (slides 248-250)

DAY / LESSON 12 – Self Evaluation / Review 40 minutes total Self Evaluation / Review – (slides 251-256)

• Student Self Evaluation (slide 251-255) – 10 min
• Chapter Review Test (slide 256) – 30 min

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET  when you download the zipped file:

THE READ ME file in the PREVIEW file section tells you exactly what you get when you buy these communication lesson plans.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below!

We provide handouts:

• 5 handout packages of different activity cards: Who am I, Charades, Pictionary, Taboo, Copy this Drawing
• Create-your-own meme activity handout
• “What’s your Communication style?” student survey
• 3  DIFFERENTIATED  versions of a communication styles handout  + answer key
• “Practice being Assertive” handout  + answer key
• Vocabulary Builder graphic organizer (to develop a deeper understanding of what  Communication  means.)
• Student Self Evaluation of their “ Communication ” Learning Skill
• Chapter Review assessment and answer key of possible answers

We provide 3 different versions of the lesson slideshow (256 slides):

• A link to the Google Slideshow so you can show it right away. ( Get started in seconds!)
• A link to a version of the Google Slideshow that you can make a copy of the presentation. ( Edit the content to fit your exact classroom needs. )
• A powerpoint file that you can download (PPTX) and modify. (Edit the presentation to fit your needs, and  use the presentation when the internet is down! )

SAVE HOURS OF PREP WORK

What communication lessons do you use to teach effective communication strategies to your students?

What kind of communication lesson plans do you like to use in your classroom.

8 Engaging Listening Activities For High School Students

The biggest problem in communication is that we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply.  – Stephen Covey

Slowly spiraling towards an end, the fast-paced world’s impatience has led “listening” to a slower death. Research suggests that humans consume over 20,000 words a day. Yet, how much do they recall? While high schoolers are the foundation of an entire upcoming generation of adulthood, they are also already adults in more ways than one. It is essential we allow them mature ways to start focusing on listening – for the sake of nurturing more stability in their tomorrow .  

Importance of Listening for High Schoolers

Listening is an experience as much as a skill, which is appropriately justified by the audio data consumed by users around the world. However, when you stand by listening to somebody communicate, it could be challenging to remain on track for a long duration and not let your psyche float. 

High schoolers understand better when they hear words that they comprehend. Peruse or play fitting material that is appropriate for their ability level. Students ought to have the option to comprehend a large number of words and the overall idea of the material that they are paying attention to.

A few extraordinary activities and exercises to assist your curriculum with obtaining better listening abilities never hurt. Make sure you work on articulation, elocution, and normal progression of words.

The Art of Listening

Talking and listening are both basic to the outcome of mastering a language. For a high school student to have talking achievement, the individual must initially pay attention to the language being spoken.

Listening practice is basic since it supports understanding study material, adds more mettle to general learnings, and works on the expertise of normal elocution.

The Biological Aspect of Listening

Subsequent to going through jargon words and perusing perception, it’s vital to do an English listening movement to support what data the cerebrum is attempting to process.

The more times your cerebrum will experience the material, the better it will process it and remember it.

Effective Listening Activities for High Schoolers

Keep reading for a simple yet effective series of listening activities for high schoolers:

• Music – The Classic Listening Tool 

Individuals of any age and social foundations connect to music. High schoolers are already engaged in following music trends, so what better than a musical activity to get them to listen? 

Paying attention to music helps with jargon and word articulation. It likewise assists students with getting a more profound grip over word implications and is an incredible method for making sense of rhyming words.

A cool method for consolidating music in the homeroom is to have students parted into groups and compose basic tunes using words that they discovered that week. 

Using an old song and simply composing new words for the melody is really smart for the less-inventive people. Have them play out the tunes and ask everybody to chime in!

Give understudies tune verse sheets with a portion of the verses missing. Pay attention to the melody multiple times, and teach the students to fill in the spaces.

To check for the right responses, circumvent the room and have every individual sing out a line. 

They need to sing it, or it doesn’t count!

• “Drawing” to Attention

One method for getting high school students to listen is to ensure they know nothing about the fact that it’s a listening game. 

In “Draw This” your students will just think they are drawing. So how does it function? Give every one of your students a clear piece of paper. 

Then, give one drawing assignment, for example, “Draw a square”. Then, at that point, request that your students pass the paper to the following student so everybody has another paper. 

Then, give one more drawing assignment, for example, “Under the square, draw a triangle.” Keep giving guidelines in various directions, such as “to the right”, “to the left corner” etc. until the papers have made over 10 rounds around the room. 

Presently see which papers have ended up being correct. 

• Quizzing their Ears

To get your high schoolers to focus all through illustration, it’s smart to give them a listening test. You can make the inquiries engaging. For instance, in case you enlightened your students a quiz concerning your doggo, one of the inquiries could be “What was the dog’s name?” The test ought to just be 2-5 inquiries in length. The student(s) who find the most appropriate solutions get a gold star or any form of reward. 

Toward the end of every month, the students with the most gold stars or the most rewards get an award like picking a game to play, driving an action, or imparting to the class 15 minutes of his/her number one film. The prize framework removes the substantialness from the “test” yet keeps them motivated.

• Videos for Ears?

Everybody cherishes a decent film and a little TV, and both can be utilized for a wide range of exercises for high schoolers. You can constantly work out some questions for your high schoolers to reply to during a full-length film.

An extraordinary method for integrating this sort of media into the class is to pick short clips of motion pictures that fit with the example you are instructing that day.

Watching these clips toward the beginning of class isn’t just perfect for supporting the educational program, it additionally assists them with figuring out the culture and regular conversational language. It’s truly engaging as well!

In case you don’t know which shows to begin with, start with sitcoms that function admirably for English students.

Show a rundown of the names of the primary characters that are in the clips you will watch. Have every one of the high schoolers pick one person to pay an exceptional measure of regard for. Toward the end of the film or video cut, have understudies finish up a poll or give little details regarding the character they have picked.

Questions can include: What is his/her name? What is his/her work?    

• Hello. It’s “Phone” Time

This is quite possibly one of the most established games in the book, yet entirely it’s as yet a great one! Have your high schoolers get all around. 

One individual will begin the “call” by murmuring a mystery message in the ear of the individual close to him/her. 

That individual then murmurs it to the following, etc. The audience just receives a single opportunity to hear the message accurately; he/she needs to pass on whatever was heard. 

When the message goes as far as possible around the circle, the last individual rehashes the message without holding back. For the most part, it will be a mixed-up variant of the first message. Not only is it fun, but also engaging. 

• Heard the News?

Read out loud an exceptionally short report – 1-2 passages. Ask students to create their own set of questions about the story, utilizing the WH-question words. Compose the inquiries on the board. 

Put students two by two (or leave all in all gathering). Read out the story resoundingly once more. 

Request that students ask and answer the queries orally from the board. To give students work on understanding non-face-to-face discourse, record the article on tape and play the tape instead of reading the article out loud.

• Dictation for Memorization

Find a level-suitable text that is relevant to the topic being contemplated. You can compose the text yourself, track down a passage from a course reading, or track down a concise article in the paper. 

Using similar text, mark specific words, by the same token arbitrarily (every eighth or tenth word) or purposefully picked (key substance words or words frequently misheard), to make “holes”. (To assist students with recognizing action word tense endings, “hole” some or all the action words.) 

Make one hole for each line or each and every other line. Prior to distributing the gapped worksheet, read out loud the total text while students pay attention to get the substance. Then, hand out duplicates of the gapped text. Peruse the text resoundingly a second time while students fill in the “gapped” words as they hear them. 

Read the text clearly a third time so students can check their work. Use a characteristic speed each time you read clearly. Talk about the responses. The correspondence text might be recorded on tape to give students practice in understanding nonface-to-face discourse. 

• Hear it? Hit it. With a Flyswatter 

It is an indispensable method as it helps foster speed in aural word acknowledgment for high schoolers.

Set up a rundown of 12-15 jargon words students have been considering. Using many shades of board markers, and with the help of enormous content, arbitrarily disperse the words across the board. Make note of students into two groups. Line the groups up, every individual remaining behind, with the principal individual in the line confronting the board, some distance away from each other. 

Give the first individual of each group a plastic flyswatter. Read a definition or depiction of each word. The first individual to smack the right word on the load up with their flyswatter procures a point for his/her group. 

Students can smack the word when they sort out which word it is. Later each word, the students with flyswatters hand their flyswatters to the individual behind them and turn to the rear of the line.

Listening activities for adults are equally fun and engaging for the personal development and growth of adults.

Final Words

An average human being spends 45 percent of the time listening and 30 percent speaking, while reading and writing contribute to about 16 and 9 percent respectively. 

It is, thus, essential we make listening worthwhile for high schoolers. One would be surprised to know the amount of knowledge one can impart by providing essential aids to listening activities.

Accredited as one of the top content writers in the country, Harshita Dagha is Harvard certified in Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking.

Holding a Bachelors Degree in Engineering(Telecommunication) from the Mumbai University, she is a firm believer in the power of tech & digital and how it helps the world grow exponentially.

With over 2 million views on her author profiles digitally, the subject matter expert and empath believes that digital is the blackhole of infinite knowledge for the youth where they can both find the finest nectar and suck it in.

She feels it’s time for high schoolers to leverage on the open source, enriching, digitally available methods of learning and take on the world #LikeABoss.

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39 Communication Games and Activities for Kids and Students

Kids spend astounding amounts of time on their electronic devices and with this shift, they are losing their skills in how to communicate their needs—with their own voices.

Picture the kids you know having no access to wi-fi. There might be a revolt when you start to ask them to communicate with you without a phone or device.

With the availability of alternative sources of social support (Leung, 2007), reaching kids in a one-to-one setting is difficult. The skill of self-expression in real life and face-to-face interaction has far-reaching implications.

Improving communication skills in children of all ages today could benefit generations to come, salvaging the power of verbal communication in a world buzzing with technological alternatives.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

What are communication activities, exercises, and games, the importance of teaching kids communication skills, 5 tips on how to teach communication skills to children, how to spot communication difficulties in all ages, 6 games and exercises for toddlers and preschoolers in kindergarten, a look at communication in the classroom, 4 ways students can improve communication skills, 6 communication games and activities for elementary students, 7 games and activities for middle and high school students, 5 communication games and activities for college students, 5 nonverbal communication activities and games, 5 active listening games and exercises, 5 assertive communication activities for teens, a take-home message.

Certain activities, exercises, and games can teach children to communicate better. In most settings, adults decide the communication style and social norms. The rules of etiquette are also decided by adults.

These days, it is revolutionary to teach communication skills in “kid terms” with room to advance the skills as children develop. Imagine a world where every adult practiced their face-to-face communication.

The following are effective communication fundamentals (Stanfield, 2017):

• Conversation skills;
• Established listening and speaking procedures;
• Respectful vocabulary;
• The power of the pause;
• Practice speaking and listening in natural settings;
• Introspection;
• Turn-taking.

Any activities, exercises, and games that include these fundamentals can improve skills in communication. Interactive games encourage kids to express their needs. Plus, when kids see these activities as fun and engaging, the more likely they are to participate.

There are profound psychological implications for underdeveloped communication skills. Conversely, more effective communication skills result in a higher quality of life.

Communicating well enables people to know and ask for what they need, and can result in higher self-efficacy  (Nørgaard, Ammentorp, Ohm Kyvik, & Kofoed, 2012). With higher self-efficacy, there are lower instances of violence (Khoury-Kassabri, 2012), bullying (Clark & Bussey, 2020), and self-destructive behaviors (Forman & Kalafat, 1998).

Research with people who are hearing impaired revealed the impact on feelings of loneliness and depression (Knutson & Lansing, 1990). Now, the same effect is showing for children who are not severely hearing impaired.

When there is difficulty in basic communication, there is a barrier to a fundamental human need, thus resulting in emotional and psychological problems. We are hard-wired to connect and belong with other humans (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

For example, when a toddler cannot communicate their needs, a tantrum might follow. When a pre-teen child cannot effectively communicate, frustration might ensue. When a teenager cannot effectively communicate, a perfect storm might occur. And when adults cannot understand and state their needs, lives can fall apart.

Everyone benefits from practicing good communication. Right now, children are in desperate need of effectively communicating with their peers and with adults.

Good communication is a habit, and it needs to start young.

Effective communication skills equip children with the ability to have their needs met. As children age, their skills need to increase as difficult situations occur. In school and social settings, a child’s peers play a significant role in how these skills develop.

Communication Skills in Children. Image by Bessi from Pixabay.

Any parent of a teen is aware of how these skills are a part of a teenager-parent relationship. Modeling appropriate communication skills is a great way to show children (and teenagers) how people use kind communication to get “what they want.”

Basic communication skills are needed for basic survival. Something as basic as eye contact can be difficult to maintain for many children, even though it is the most critical part of nonverbal communication (Zeki, 2009). Looking people in the eye is a skill. It takes practice to understand the importance of eye contact for the development of good manners and social connection.

So how do we begin teaching kids communication skills? Every setting offers learning opportunities. When children know how to listen and respond, they also develop deeper understandings of empathy and compassion .

When kids communicate well, they are more likely to recognize and pursue opportunities with confidence and self-efficacy (Nørgaard et al., 2012).

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These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to improve communication skills and enjoy more positive social interactions with others.

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Every day, if you work with kids or have them yourself, you model how to ask for what you need. Even simple moments where you ask a coworker for a pencil can be goldmines of modeling.

Here are five specific tips.

1. Be a Model

The old adage, “ Do as I say, not as I do ” rears its head once again. Kids are more likely to do “as you do” regardless of what you say. Parents who model good communication have children who are—shocker—better at communicating with others.

It is important to note that sometimes, difficulty in communication may have underlying factors such as the presence of autism, attention disorders, or auditory disability.

2. Create a Framework for Communication Procedures

Teaching children how and when to communicate is a foundational skill. Chronic interrupting and volume control are disruptions to communication everywhere, not just for children. Set boundaries for kids to know when it is appropriate to interject with their opinion. Positively reinforce kids or students who follow the known expectations.

Regardless of the framework specifics, teach kids how to get your attention—without inappropriate disruption.

3. Don’t Embarrass Children by Correcting Them in Public

Shame is powerful, and can negatively influence a desire to learn for anyone. Kids will make mistakes in their communication, as do adults. That two-year-old who called a stranger “fat” needs to understand why that is inappropriate, but they do not need to be corrected in front of everyone.

Gently correcting errors in private is a basic principle of positive discipline, and it helps promote a growth mindset where children feel safe. If a child is embarrassed in public, they will make fewer communication attempts in the future, or worse, continue the act for attention.

4. Teach Empathy

5. Show the Power of the Pause

The power of  mindful  communication is very important. Kids are especially unskilled with controlling their impulsive behavior, as are many adults. Simply teaching kids to think about the impact of their words and any other decision-making overall, can help kids reflect before they act.

It is equally important to value the pauses between statements and encourage a culture of pausing to also create space for others to speak who may need more processing time.

Apprehension in oral communication also can lead to difficulties in psychological well-being (McCrosky, 1977). There is an increasing rate of anxiety with regard to communication skills in children. A child suffering from Communication Apprehension will even avoid situations where oral communication is needed, just to avoid the pain and anxiety associated with that communication.

A great deal of research has been done in the development of emotional intelligence and its relationship to effective communication skills (Irvin & Richardson, 2002). Higher test scores exist in individuals with higher reported rates of emotional intelligence, this adds value to the need for improving skills as early as possible. Development of social and communication skills is important for kids, especially those entering Middle School.

While these present as difficulties, they are not in most cases complete barriers to effective communication. Altering skills to fit the obstacle in effective communication is paramount to a child’s success.

Infants and Communication Skills. Image by Lisa Runnels from Pixaby.

This is not to downplay the importance that a spectrum disorder, an attention disorder, or an auditory difficulty may play in communication in children. Children with these obstacles may find more difficulty with social communication than their peers due to their struggle with effective communication.

Current research is trying to link other obstacles children may have with these developmental differences.

Here are some concrete ways to spot difficulties in communication:

• Immature language;
• Speech that is difficult to understand;
• Struggling to talk and or listen in conversation;
• Avoidance of verbal communication.

Most of these games do not take long, and the skills they teach are foundational to future lessons.

1. Guess the Object

This is a fun game for kids to practice the power of description. Cut a hole in a box that is large enough for their hands. Make sure that they understand that they’re not allowed to peak into the hole. Place an object in the box. Have the child describe what the object feels like. Have the class take turns guessing what it might be.

2. Show and Tell

Many kids love to share at this age. Devoting time for children to share things is an encouraging way for them to hone their communication skills. Encourage classmates to think of questions about what their classmate has shared, as a way to develop active listening skills.

3. Feelings Corner

Many times, children at this age have trouble communicating how they are feeling. Emotions can be so abstract; they may not yet have the skills to recognize them at first. Have a designated area for kids to express these feelings, where a printout of an emotions wheel is on display. Have matching emojis that the child can silently hand to their teacher.

Create space during the day for the teacher to address these feelings with any participants. This creates a place for trust and understanding in an age group prone to outbursts when feeling misunderstood or wronged.

4. Turn-Taking

Taking turns in speaking is much like sharing a favored toy, and children need to learn the skill. An engaging exercise for this age group is color circle time. Each child gets a turn in the center of the circle speaking about a chosen subject.

For instance, the color yellow. The child would get 15 seconds to list all of the yellows he or she sees in the room. Then that child names another color for the next child in the center. Before the next turn, each new participant says two things that they heard from the previous sharer.

5. Picture-Telling

Have a variety of pictures for each child. Give each a time limit and let them describe what they see in story form. During this exercise, they are processing visual cues and utilizing their ability to speak them to the classroom. The other children practice their listening skills.

6. Finish-the-Nursery-Rhyme Story

Children need to be familiar with the particular nursery rhymes for this activity to be fun. Help kids imagine and express alternative endings to nursery rhymes in a fun and creative way. Have each kid add to the shared ending and as a class, develop alternative endings to various nursery rhyme stories.

Storytelling is a rich way to practice listening and communication.

Improve communication skills in children with highly effective games – Kreative Leadership

Classrooms are not for the faint of heart. Teachers deserve the credit for establishing the parameters for their students to learn basic communication. What a teacher tolerates and encourages from their students is one way that children absorb communication habits.

Kids are clever. They know what they can “get away with,” and they look to adult figures for examples of how to speak and act. Thus, classroom parameters are paramount, especially when students get to “make the rules” too. Adults always make the rules,  but when students help with the process, they are likely to exhibit more buy-in.

Criticism and judgment from classmates should be avoided in classroom culture as much as possible. These issues must be addressed, while also recognizing students practicing clear and kind communication.

The language and tone used in classrooms are important. Teachers who berate and shame kids may speak of frustration with unhappy and critical students.

Kids are smart—they respond to respect.

As the leader in the classroom, teachers are in a position to influence positive language and tone. Congruent communication is one way for teachers to demonstrate skills in the classroom (Brown, 2005). The role of active listening and body language among adolescents can help create an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding between teacher and students.

Empathetic listening by the teacher creates a connection with the students that allows them to feel “heard.”

Social interaction among peers is also important in the growth of communication skills. The more inclusive the focus of a classroom, the more growth each student will experience.

We are hard-wired to cooperate with others. Fostering positive interactions will benefit the entire culture of the classroom, as well as teach children skills that will serve them throughout life.

Practice makes improvement—not perfection. Once kids are aware of these skills, the practice is available in every interaction.

• Active listening skills through reinforcement
• Group projects with collaboration
• Know the benefit of open-ended questions
• Developing empathy

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The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

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Telephone is a common “playground game,” and also a powerful metaphor for teaching miscommunications and the practice of sharing information. The rest of the games, like Telephone, are also quite fun.

1. Telephone

Have students gather together in a circle. The instructor will whisper one short topic, sentence, or phrase into the ear of the student next to them. This phrase will be whispered into the ear of each student around the circle until arriving back at the instructor, who will then compare the original sentence to the one that it became.

2. Emotional Charades

Write-out scenarios that might provoke emotion in participants. The scenarios should be generally light emotions like forgetting your lunch, losing your phone, hearing a rumor about you, waiting for a bus, or forgetting your homework.

Each student then gets a scenario and acts it out with no speaking. After the scenario is guessed, discuss the emotional response. The more easily students can verbally express their emotions, the more easily a teacher can communicate with them and reference confusing feelings.

3. Audio Book Interaction

Scholastic has many interactive books available to students for free. The benefit of this interactive experience is for the student to align reading with speaking the words of the book.

4. Internet Resources

www.creatubbles.com is one website that unites students around the world and offers a platform to learn about creative and effective communication skills.

5. Role-Playing

This is a great way to expand empathy and perspective-taking. Setting goals for the roles is helpful, to guide the students toward vocabulary that will better facilitate cooperation.

For instance, assigning students as parents or teachers allows the kids to be creative in thinking of words that adults would use, and how it might feel to be in a situation from a view other than their own.

6. The Follow All Instructions Activity

Create a list of detailed instructions. The first instruction should be READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS FIRST. The last listed should be IGNORE ALL OTHER INSTRUCTIONS AND WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE TOP OF THIS PAPER.

The purpose of the activity is for students to communicate the importance of reading all instructions first before beginning any project. It offers a great conversation as well, for students of all ages.

So far we have covered a lot of games geared towards younger audiences, although they can be applied to older students too. Now we offer resources specifically for older students.

1. Famous Pairs

Create a list of well-known famous pairs. For instance, peanut butter and jelly, Romeo and Juliet, Superman and Lois Lane, etc. Each participant should receive a post-it-note with one half of a famous pair on their back.

Moving throughout the room, with only three questions per person, the participants try to figure out who the person is on their back.

Once the person has discovered who they are, they need to find their partner. If the other partner has not figured out his/her identity, they must not reveal themselves until they know.

2. The Best Parts of Our School

Many students are negative when it comes to their interpretation of school. In an effort to recognize what is good about your school, this activity is connective and a communication skills builder. This activity should be conducted over three days.

The first day is spent with each student listing 10 things that they consider the best parts of their school. The second day is spent in groups. The groups will create a coordinated list of agreed-upon best parts of their school. The third day is spent creating a class collective list after each group presents their best parts of their school ideas to the class.

3. The Enigmatic Self

We are often mysterious to others. This game promotes self-awareness about what you find mysterious about yourself. In this activity, students write down three things about themselves that no one else knows. In groups of 3 or 4 students, each read the mysterious aspects to each other.

Each group collects the mysteries. At a later time, each group reads the fact list and the remainder of the class tries to guess who the facts are from on the list. Encourage deep respect for these mysteries. Encourage students to celebrate the uniqueness of each other.

Classrooms with solid trust are often built on awareness and appreciation of each other.

4. Stand Up for Fillers

How many people use “like” or “um,” or “uh” or “so,” or “right” to fill a silent space? It is a nervous habit that is often rooted in the perceived discomfort of silence. This activity helps eliminate these fillers in conversation or in public speaking.

Each student is given a topic that they will speak about for 1-3 minutes (topic is not important; it should be simple). During their speaking time, the remainder of the class will stand when they hear any of these fillers occur in the speech.

The class is listening and the speaker is hyper-aware of the words that they use. It is a deliberate shock to the speaker to see the entire class stand when they hear these fillers and helps to be mindful about using precise vocabulary.

5. Blindfold Game

Create an obstacle course with everyday items in the classroom. Sort students into two groups. One person is blindfolded while the rest of the group decides how to communicate (from their seats) instructions on how to navigate through the course wearing a blindfold. Time each group and discuss which communication style was the most effective.

This activity builds trust and requires accurate communication to successfully navigate through the course. *Be sure to have at least one person to stand near the blindfolded student to help them stay safe during the course.

6. Drawn Understanding

Have two students sit back-to-back. One student has an object and the other has colored pencils and paper. The student with the object must describe it in as much detail as possible, without directly saying what it is.

The second student must draw the object as best they can, based on the communication of the student with the object.

7. Find It Together

Another blindfold is needed for this activity. Divide the group into pairs. One of the students is blindfolded. It is their job to retrieve specific objects from a designated circle. The other student guides their blindfolded partner to retrieve the correct object.

This game can get chaotic because of other blindfolded participants. It requires discussions after the activity, as well as voice recognition and teamwork. A closing discussion question could be something like, “How did people ignore the distractions of other sounds?” It can lead to great conversations on listening and volume control.

Students at the college level have likely developed some effective communication skills. At this level of education, there are still deep needs to practice communication—it is a skill that needs work.

1. The Guessing Game

This activity is a fun way to introduce and show the difference between closed and open questions. Split your class into two equal groups/teams. One person from each team will leave the room for a minute and think of a business object (any common business object that can be found in any office like a stapler, printer, etc.).

When each person returns, it’s the team’s task to ask him/her closed-ended questions only to try and guess the object. If needed, explain that closed-ended questions are those that can be answered only by a yes or no. Once any team finds the object, this means that they won this round. And they can go for another round.

After two or three rounds, end the game and lead a classroom discussion. Tell the group that it took a long time and effort to find out the object in each round, but what if they had no time and only one question to ask to find out the object: what would that question be?

The question would be “What is the object?” which is an open-ended question. Open-ended questions are an excellent way to save time and energy and help you get to the information you need fast.

However, closed questions can also be useful to confirm your understanding or to help you control the conversation with an overly talkative person/customer.

2. One Word Letters

The instructor will start a clock (2-minute time limit). During the two minutes, the pair will write a single letter between them. Each of them will add only one word at a time.

The pair is to write as quickly as possible, not going back to re-read anything, but the last word added.

Letters and Communication Practice. Image Retrieved as Free Photo by Pixaby.

Grammar and spelling are unimportant. Punctuation is only added for sense in the letter. The letter may be written to anyone that the pair decides. It does not need to be a finished letter.

Once the time is up, the letter is read aloud to each other, or the group if classroom trust is solid.

Something interesting occurs when this activity is repeated. The original letters are nonsensical and amusing.

As the process is repeated, the pair’s language begins to become more cohesive. It makes for a rich discussion.

3. Study Groups

Creating space for college students to manage a group culture is practice for future employment and collaborations. Study groups are one way to create the space for effective communication skills to be fostered.

Setting up the study groups for the class can form new bonds between students, and challenge them with handling situations that students might not naturally enter. The benefits of effective learning and the development of cooperative communication skills are far-reaching (Colbeck, Campbell, & Bjorklund, 2000).

4. Team Debate Projects

Collaboration is an important skill for students to have in the world of employment, opinions, and creating solutions. To understand any selected course material, have students argue a point against another within a mediated session.

There are many resources on how to facilitate team debates. Discuss the complications that may arise with debates, and how they can practice listening and being willing to change their mind if the argument is convincing.

5. Peer Mentoring

Leadership development requires advanced communication skills. A productive way to develop these skills is through the active engagement of peer mentorship programs. The give and take that exists within this relationship will fully develop skills in both parties.

Mentors benefit from the self-confidence boost that their guidance is needed, while mentees benefit from advice and a role model.

These games can all start or end with a discussion on what is more valuable in communication: nonverbal or verbal cues?

1. You Don’t Say

Divide the group into smaller groups of 5-7 people. Write out a list of non-verbal behaviors.

Have the groups act out and interpret the meanings of these behaviors. This activity helps participants recognize nonverbal communication cues from others. Within their groups, have students display one of the nonverbal behaviors, while everyone else in the group shares or writes down what nonverbal message they are receiving.

Non-verbal behaviors can include:

• Leaning back in a chair with arms crossed;
• Leaning forward in a chair;
• Resting chin in both hands;
• Resting chin on knuckles;
• Rubbing your temples;
• Tapping fingers on the table;
• Looking at your watch;
• Staring around the room;

Ask the participants afterward to share their small-group findings. Ask the class if anyone has ever experienced a nonverbal cue that signaled to them much stronger than any words? Chances are that they have, and this provides context from their direct experience.

2. Picture Telling with Writing

To promote creative communication, this activity engages descriptive language and storytelling. Hold up a picture with people in it. Have the group write about what the people are doing and feeling in the picture.

With smaller children, the instructor can ask them to draw what happens next. This is a great form of imagination and emotional expression.

Have a list of topic questions prepared. Divide groups into partners. Have one partner act out the answer to the topic question. The second partner guesses by writing what they believe the answer is on a piece of paper.

4. Movement Sticks

Hold two poles between the fingers of pairs. Together the pair will adjust to the movement of the poles. This is a fun and interactive way to attune body language.

Divide the group into pairs. Have one partner be chosen as a leader. The other will follow the facial expressions and body language of the leader. This works on eye contact and emotional awareness, along with improvement in awareness of body language cues.

Switch the leader with the follower for the second round. Ask the class if they preferred to follow or lead, and why?

These games have been around for decades and are still fantastic for teaching active listening skills. Everyone knows the directions, and most people enjoy playing.

• Red Light, Green Light
• Musical Chairs

4. Popcorn Storytelling

This game is fun for all ages. Have the group sit in a circle. Give the group a starting sentence. For instance, “Once upon a time, a tiny gray elephant….” Have each participant add to the story based on what the previous participant has added to the story. It is a great demonstration of utilizing active listening.

5. What’s My Favorite Movie?

Have each participant describe their favorite movie to a partner. Then, in pairs ask them to repeat their partner’s favorite movie. Only those who have actively listened will be able to accurately repeat the favorites. It’s tough when the game has many participants.

Saying ‘yes’ to every request or opportunity can be harmful, especially when it stands in the way of us living in line with our values.

In Greg McKeown’s book ‘ Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less ,’ the idea of saying ‘no’ to increase valued living is put forward. McKeown suggested that we can learn to say ‘no’ gracefully to prioritize doing things that serve us. However, saying ‘no’ is often easier said than done.

So, here are guideposts to help you learn to say ‘no’ gracefully.

• Saying no to someone can be made easier by tapping into our values. Research shows that living our lives according to our values benefits our health and wellbeing. Thus, saying yes to someone or something that commits you to something that feels ‘wrong’ is doing yourself a disservice. When we feel the tension between what we feel is right and what someone asks us to do, we experience value-incongruence. Navigating these moments by tuning in to our values will allow us to say ‘no’ more easily.
• Saying no to someone’s request can often feel like we are saying no to the person. Learning to recognize that declining the request is not the same as declining the person enables us to do what’s right for us without fearing that we are hurting someone’s feelings.
• Rather than focusing on what we will lose by saying no, consider what we will gain. We can reorient our attention to what we will gain by ‘missing out’ to make it easier to say no.
• When someone asks us for something, they ask us to give them something. This is a cost. Recognizing what we are giving away by saying yes can help us say no.
• Finally, communicate clearly. Vague attempts to ‘soften the blow’ with non-committal language only lead to confusion and make our eventual ‘no’ that much harder.

Assertive communication is a healthy way to express one’s needs. Being respectful and honest may still cause discomfort, and negotiating that discomfort is a critical skill. The following are activities that can help teens to develop these vital communication skills.

1. Emotion Awareness

Being attuned to our own emotional needs is the foundation of understanding why we are happy or frustrated with others. Many teens have trouble putting words to how they are feeling, and that is often a matter of knowing how to identify complex emotions.

In this activity, provide each participant with a sheet of various emojis. Take the group through various emotion-invoking scenarios. Have them keep track and label the emotions that popped up for them. Being able to name emotions as they are cued is a first step in improving emotional intelligence, and also relaxes the amygdala from over-firing.

Divide the group into pairs. The pair will get two different sets of instructions.

Person 1 instructions will read: Person 2 will make a fist. You MUST get that fist open. Person 2 instructions will read: Person 1 is going to attempt to get you to open your fist. You must NOT open your fist unless he/she asks you politely and assertively.

Most people will try to pry the fist open. It is an opportunity to efficiently explain assertive communication. Knowing the power of good communication skills is important in building them properly.

Discuss with the students how the directions influenced their actions. Did they consider a peaceful way of asking? Why or why not? What communication role-models do movies and media offer?

3. Situation Samples

Have a list of scenarios where assertive communication would be the most effective. Offer the teens an opportunity to practice responses to the situations. Have them demonstrate aggressive, passive, and then assertive styles.

When they know the difference, the better they may practice it in real life scenarios.

Some sample scenarios could be:

• You are standing in line at the check-out and two salespeople are engrossed in a deep conversation ignoring you.
• Your teacher graded a paper that you feel should have received a higher mark.
• Someone calls you a name that is hurtful.

Go through various options for responses and get the teens brainstorming.

4. Eye Contact Circle

This nonverbal skill is essential in assertive communication. A creative way to build this skill is with this circle. Create a circle with group participants. Each participant will answer the same question (ie: what is your favorite ice cream flavor) and after answering must find mutual eye contact with someone across the circle.

Once this eye contact is made, the participant must call out their partner’s name and slowly switch places with them, while maintaining that eye contact. Eye contact is one of the basic principles of communication and trusting others.

5. Role-playing

Put the group into pairs and have them play different roles. Have the teens brainstorm scenarios from the past where they wish they had been more assertive. This also can be used in the workplace with employees, where people brainstorm in pairs.

This gives people the chance to learn from mistakes, and the empowerment to express their needs during the next uncomfortable situation. Have a list of possible scenarios ready, just in case the brainstorming doesn’t produce enough opportunities to explore.

17 Exercises To Develop Positive Communication

17 Positive Communication Exercises [PDFs] to help others develop communication skills for successful social interactions and positive, fulfilling relationships.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Good communication is a skill that serves people in every area of life. Even the best communicators make mistakes, let alone those of us still learning how to improve. Imagine a world where everyone knew the emotion behind their message and tried to communicate with assertive kindness.

Equipping children with effective communication skills results in higher levels of emotional intelligence, higher test scores, lowering incidents of bullying, and improvements in overall mental well-being. There is so much to gain from practicing these skills.

With the omnipresence of technological advances, kids need to practice these face-to-face skills more than ever.

Building these skills in all age groups builds a society for empathy and emotional resilience. The more practice kids get in school and at home, the better these skills will become. Adults and kids alike have endless opportunities to change how they speak and address their shared needs.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free .

• Brown, D. F. (2005). The significance of congruent communication in effective classroom management. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas , 79 (1), 12-15. https://doi.org/10.3200/TCHS.79.1.12-15
• Clark, M., & Bussey, K. (2020). The role of self-efficacy in defending cyberbullying victims. Computers in Human Behavior , 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106340
• Colbeck, C. L., Campbell, S. E., & Bjorklund, S. A. (2000). Grouping in the dark: What college students learn from group projects. The Journal of Higher Education , 71 (1), 60-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2000.11780816
• Forman, S. G., & Kalafat, J. (1998). Substance abuse and suicide: Promoting resilience against self-destructive behavior in youth. School Psychology Review , 27 (3), 398-406. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.1998.12085924
• Goode, D. A. (1986). Kids, culture and innocents. Human Studies, 9 (1), 83–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00142911
• Irvin, J. L., & Richardson, T. L. (2002). The importance of emotional intelligence during transition into middle school. Middle School Journal, 33 (3), 55–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2002.11494675
• Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2012). The relationship between teacher self-efficacy and violence toward students as mediated by teacher’s attitude. Social Work Research , 36 (2), 127-139. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svs004
• Knutson, J. F., & Lansing, C. R. (1990). The relationship between communication problems and psychological difficulties in persons with profound acquired hearing loss. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders , 55 (4), 656-664. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.5504.656
• Leung, L. (2007). Stressful life events, motives for internet use, and social support among digital kids. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10 (2), 204–214. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2006.9967
• McCroskey, J. C. (1977). Oral communication apprehension: A summary of recent theory and research. Human Communication Research , 4 (1), 78-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1977.tb00599.x
• Nørgaard, B., Ammentorp, J., Ohm Kyvik, K., & Kofoed, P. E. (2012). Communication skills training increases self‐efficacy of health care professionals. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions , 32 (2), 90-97. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.21131
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). The darker and brighter sides of human existence: Basic psychological needs as a unifying concept. Psychological Inquiry , 11 (4), 319-338. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_03
• Stanfield, J. (2017). 8 Tips to teach effective communication skills. Retrieved from https://stanfield.com/8-tips-teach-effective-communication-skills/
• Zeki, C. P. (2009). The importance of non-verbal communication in classroom management. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences , 1 (1), 1443-1449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.254

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Communication is the key. People need other people to survive. Great communication can lead to great achievements. That’s why we need to teach our kids to converse their thoughts and emotions with each other. I have some info on communication skills as well. Check out here https://aliciaortego.com/communication-skills-for-kids/

Hey Kelly Your article gave me lot of information and encouragement as I am taking up a communication course for some teachers. Thanks a lot dear

I teach Communication skills in a Nursing School. I find your activities very engaging and allows the student to realise the importance of good communication.

I am a teacher in a High School Medical academy. We are working on Communications skills and I cant wait to use some of these games with my students. They are so technology oriented that They will need to learn these skills for the medical field. I wanted to share too that a game I used for team work and communication was the one where yo have items on a table covered and you have them peek for a few seconds then cover back up and they have to make a list. They will need to work together and communicate in order to make the list correct. Tank you for your suggestions.

Ms Miller, You’re article was so helpful for me, as a mother of a a child whose anxiety is increasing related to a language based LD recently diagnosed. Oral expression is a challenge esp as she is entering middle school. I am in Toronto Canada and in search of a good Speech Pathologist who can help. Given that Covid has created a remote reality, could you suggest a a good SP taking patients remotely?

Thank you for sharing these articles. They are very interesting and useful

The article was very beneficial with different activities one could do with the students in class or they could do with parents at home. I particularly like the fact that those activities build students’ self-efficacy since this is an important aspect for the primary years program.Thank you very much.

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Public Speaking Activities for Secondary Students

Read on for six public speaking activities. Then, sign up for a free download of the activities that you can hopefully use in diverse ways, even as public speaking games. 

I earned an endorsement in “speech” for my teaching license. (I’m in Illinois.) In college, I took extra communication courses and observed high school speech classes. Plenty of my extracurricular activities (plus my classes) required me to prepare and deliver speeches. When I started teaching, I had experienced public speaking activities as a student and a teacher observer.

Still, I felt underprepared to teach public speaking. I had zero speech activities for high school students. My first year of teaching, I thought materials were lacking on the Internet, from textbooks, from anywhere (and I searched). This was pre-TpT and I was sinking or swimming. My textbook for the class was about sixty years old, and I had no teacher edition.

That first year I did lots of paddling, but over the years I grew confident in teaching a speech class. I developed fun impromptu speech activities and other speech activities for high school students.

That isn’t to say that I didn’t make mistakes ; I made plenty. Through messy lessons, too-short of lessons, and confused students, I learned to provide structure for students without squashing them. I realized how much preparation was needed. I changed basic rubrics to rubrics that encouraged students to set goals and take ownership of their improvement. Scaffolding and modeling became part of my class.

So! I improved and reflected. After years of teaching public speaking, I crafted ideas for what would help young speakers. Hopefully, these activities help your speech classes too.

What are some ice-breaker exercises that can be used in a public speaking activity?

Some ice-breaker exercises that can be used in public speaking activities include “Two Truths and a Lie,” where participants share two true statements and one false statement about themselves, and “Would You Rather,” where participants are asked to choose between two options and explain their choice.

What about public speaking games?

Sometimes, structure helps young speakers, so I created these public speaking activities to address common areas of concern with high schoolers. Most students fear the nature of a speech class, use too many fillers when speaking, and focus on one area, such as volume and forget about the rest: non-verbal communication, tone, eye contact, etc.

Through coaching speech, spending many weekends at speech tournaments, and teaching public speaking, I created these public speaking activities. I’ve seen variations of these or adapted these from activities geared toward younger students. These speech activities should work well with high school students, but you can modify them for middle school or college speech classes.

These are included in my public speaking unit as well because they can be used numerous times.

Fillers can distract an audience from hearing a really well-developed speech. First, not all fillers are bad. We naturally pause and add fillers. The abundance of fillers, however, can be distracting.

Sometimes speech students are unaware that they use fillers. Other times, students become nervous, pause, and fill the empty time with a filler. Talk with students about the reasons why fillers occur and if they have a time they rely on one. Showing compassion and understanding about a common problem during speeches will relax students, and they will be more likely to work on eliminating an abundance of fillers.

After showing compassion, play public speaking games to address filler words.

Before starting, choose your topic and write a list of common fillers that don’t positively add to spoken communication: um, yeah, like, uh. Ask students to contribute to the list. I normally write the list so that students can consult it.

Instruct students to speak for 30 seconds (vary the time if necessary) and not use any fillers. Students should realize how easily fillers creep into their speech. NOW! Everyone uses some fillers, and fillers can make public speaking natural. However, too many fillers can distract audiences.

Each student will give a short speech for 30 seconds. The topic isn’t too important. You can choose one for the entire class or allow students to choose.

Students must restart their speech if they use a filler. Some students will try to pause and draw out the speech by not speaking, but most students speak at a normal pace. Overall, the audience is compassionate toward the speaker because everyone realizes the difficulty of not relying on these words.

This activity is perfect after the first formal speech. Students need to decompress, but they also need to eliminate fillers. When I ask students to write goals for their future speeches, eliminating fillers is a common goal.

2. Nonverbal practice

Nonverbal communication matters. To help students experience that, ask them to perform an activity where the focus is nonverbal communication.

Students will line up in alphabetical order only using nonverbal communication. I have students line up by order of their middle names since they typically know everyone’s last names. They experiment with different forms of nonverbal communication and have fun. Most often they make a capital letter with their fingers. If some students know middle names, they will switch classmates around.

The real practice is when students realize many of them have a middle name that starts with the same letter. “A” is a common one. Then students must figure out how to communicate the second letters of Aarron, Ann, Alice, and Abraham. I will say I’ve never had a class line up correctly.

This activity is the perfect introduction to nonverbal communication. As students continue through the semester, they’ll be able to focus on purposeful movements that emphasize their points. This nonverbal activity breaks the ice as you start to work on nonverbal communication. I never plan on this nonverbal practice becoming a public speaking game, but it often does.

3. One goal

Speeches can overwhelm students. Help students focus on one goal. The best part about the “one goal” activity is that students choose their focus which creates less work for you and buy-in for students.

As students continue with class, ask them what area they see as the greatest potential for improvement. Brainstorm areas as a class. There is no right or wrong! Students normally list eye contact, proper volume level, appropriate nonverbal communication, and natural movement. Then let students decide what they desire to improve.

Students will individually decide what they want to improve in their speaking—they will each have a goal. Some students want to work on eye contact, others want to balance their volume, others want to stop fidgeting. Then I divide students into small groups. Students will practice the current speech they are creating, receiving constructive feedback when they need to correct an action to meet their goal. Their group will also tell them when they did well and moved toward meeting their goal.

(This is a bit like #1 but fillers are such a huge issue with high school orators that it gets its own activity.) I normally do this activity later in the year after students are comfortable with each other. I also don’t do this activity if I feel a class may not give meaningful feedback. Finally, I share with students that improving in an area is part of most jobs. In teaching, for example, teachers often record themselves and reflect on the video later. They then develop goals for improvement in their profession. (Sometimes it is a public speaking goal!)

This activity works well to meet individual goals and to build classroom community. My speech rubrics contain a spot for consideration on improvement of a goal. Plus, the art of reflection will serve students in any field or career, so I stress that message to them. This focused practice works well because it encourages students to work on a goal in which the teacher had very little involvement.

4. M&M/ Skittles

Who doesn’t like candy? With this fun exercise, students share information about a topic. You’ll get students talking in a low-stress, engaging way.

This candy activity is fun and quick. Bring a large bag of small candies like M&M or Skittles to class. Ask students to take as many pieces of candy as they like, but stress not to eat the candies yet. Pass the bag around. Then, students must tell a fact about themselves for each piece of candy. 15 pieces of candy? 15 facts.

This also works with review. 5 pieces of candy? Review 5 facts with the class concerning public speaking terms. After speaking, students may eat their candy. I’ve used a similar process in other classes to review material.

This activity works well as a review or as a first day of school activity. Students are publicly speaking in their speech class on the first day of school without any feedback or real regulations. Since the process is fun, their first experience in class is a positive one. Plus, the candy aspect lends itself to making a public speaking game.

5. Impromptu

Most speeches in real life are actually impromptu speeches. Interviews, business meetings, and proposal presentations require people to think quickly and to speak eloquently, all while proving their point. Body language matters too!

Activate prior knowledge with a bit of an anticipatory set. Ask students about a time they gave an impromptu speech (even though they did not probably label it “impromptu” at the time!). Most people can relate to the frustration of having ideas but not conveying them well. Many times, people think of what they should have said days later! Students probably face this frustration. Acknowledge that feeling, share they you’ve experienced it too, and supply a solution.

Thinking and speaking on your feet might come naturally to some people. With practice, even those who struggle to articulate their ideas under pressure can improve.

Have students organize a speech quickly by delivering an impromptu speech. Often I would ask a class to write a topic on a piece of paper. (Sometimes I would say that the topic needed to be persuasive or informative—but it always needed to be clean.) Students would write their topic, add it to a box, and draw from a box. The topics were great because I didn’t make them and because students knew they had the potential to draw their own.

After drawing, provide 30 seconds to outline their speech. Then, students will talk about the topic for one minute. As the school year continued, I would increase the speaking time.

Older students who have been in class for a bit will probably organize their speech with a general introductory statement, two concepts, and a concluding statement. (That varies, of course.) If students struggle with the format, create a quick outline they can apply to their topics.

Students enjoy creating their own topics and learn to speak on the spot in a mature, organized manner. At first, students groan about impromptu speaking. This area is actually where I see the most growth. Students gain confidence that they can think and speak quickly, and they start to enjoy the process.

Tone matters! Many adults don’t realize the tone that they convey shapes their communication. We should certainly work with our students concerning tone so that they are aware of its power. Not only can the wrong tone hurt speakers, but the right tone can also emphasize their message.

Define “tone” for students. Brainstorm times that students know their tone has affected them. (Normally students share stories about times they were in trouble with their parents for having the wrong tone.) Then think of times that the right tone conveyed the correct message. Students might struggle to come up with examples for best use of tone. Oftentimes, a tone that matches a speaker’s message doesn’t stand out, and that is probably because the tone was woven into the message so well.

Experiment with tone with students. Put students into groups, and assign a speaker. (Everyone will have the chance to be a speaker.) Give the speaker a list of emotions and a list of generic statements. Then ask the speaker to choose a question and an emotion that conveys tone.

Finally, the rest of the group must decide the speaker’s tone. This opportunity allows for discussion about intentional tone and miscommunication. You’ll want to circulate as students practice this.

Public speaking activities can be engaging and memorable. First, students might be nervous about giving speeches, so provide a variety of opportunities for them to practice. As you build a classroom community, these activities easily can become public speaking games.

To help nerves, work on material slowly and purposefully. By helping students see success with public speaking, they will gain more confidence in your speech class and in life. Soon, your speech activities for high school students will be personalized and fit your community.

As you incorporate these public speaking games and activities into your speech units, you’ll discover that they are easily adaptable. Plus, you’ll find the perfect timing for each exercise. Teaching public speaking requires experimentation and reflection. I hope these help!

Would you like these public speaking activities at your fingertips? Download these six lesson plans (plus many more!) when you sign up for library access.

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• BookWidgets Teacher Blog

15+ Exciting Conversation Activities that will Boost Student Participation

One of the most valuable skills a student can acquire is communicating effectively. Fostering classroom conversations is an essential step in nurturing this skill in education. In this blog post, I present over fifteen exciting conversation lesson ideas to boost students’ participation and promote this skill. Whether you’re an elementary school teacher looking to grow your students’ confidence or a high school educator aiming to stimulate critical thinking, various conversation activities can help you achieve these goals. I’ve divided them into different levels, but you can adapt them to your teaching level.

Conversation activities for elementary school

Conversation activities for middle school, conversation activities for high school, conversation activities for language courses.

💡 Digital Tips Explained ! As you will see, I’m sharing some BookWidgets tips for our widgeteers or some ready-to-use digital alternatives to the conversation lesson ideas below. These are interactive lesson ideas (= widgets ) you can duplicate for free ( open the activity and make a copy in your account ) and use in your classroom. After duplicating, you can even make changes to the activity. If you’re new to BookWidgets, let me shortly explain: BookWidgets is a content creation and evaluation tool for teachers .

In elementary school, students are at a stage where they are developing their basic communication skills. Here are a couple of activities designed to encourage them to speak in front of their peers and express themselves:

1. Show and Tell

This classic activity invites students to bring an object from home and share it with the class. It’s an opportunity for young learners to describe the thing, its significance, and why they chose to share it. “ Show and Tell ” helps young learners practice speaking in front of their peers and develop the confidence to express themselves.

💡 Digital tip : Instead of bringing an object from home, students can draw the object they want to show. They can do this on paper or digitally using this whiteboard widget in BookWidgets you created for them. You can also ask them to upload a picture of the object and write a few keywords that will help them with telling about their object, the next day in class. This activity is also a fun classroom icebreaker for the first day of school!

2. Storytelling Circle

Sitting in a circle, students embark on a collaborative storytelling adventure. Each student adds a sentence or two to continue the narrative. This dynamics fosters creativity, listening skills, and the art of taking turns as students collaboratively weave a story together. This activity can be challenging, especially for shy students, who might need some input.

💡 Digital tip : Consider having some visuals ready to be included in their story. You can bring realia or use a digital random picture album . The teacher click the “ random ” icon in the upper right corner, and a new picture appears! The fun is guaranteed when unexpected elements need to be added to the story.

3. Picture Cards Discussions

Utilizing picture cards depicting various scenes, objects, or emotions, students choose a card and describe what they see or feel. This activity helps improve vocabulary and encourages young learners to express themselves.

💡 Digital tip : Using a Padlet board with several pictures for students to pick from saves time and paper in the preparation of this activity.

4. 20-question game

One student thinks of a person, place, or animal. The rest of the class asks yes/no questions to try to determine what the person is thinking of. The idea is to help students build their critical thinking skills by asking questions in a logical order that will help them guess the item.

💡 Digital tip : Here’s a fun alternative to the activity, called: Mystery Video-Conference. A vetted speaker or other class is invited to meet (digitally) with your classroom. Students ask questions to try to guess the location of the speaker/class or the secret animal/number the class is thinking of. After both classes have taken a turn, follow up with a classroom discussion.

As students progress into middle school, their communication skills should also mature. They should gain more confidence and practice considering different points of view before giving their opinion. Here are some activities suitable for this level:

5. Agree/Disagree/Discuss

Draw a line on the board to divide the classroom into two. Write “agree” on the left side of the board and “disagree” on the right one. Have all students lined up in the center. Pose a prompt with which students should move left or right in order to show if they agree or disagree with the statement. Have students pair up after each statement in order to give their arguments in favor or against it.

💡 Digital tip : You can read the prompts out of a list or make it more interactive by having students take turns spinning the wheel of this randomness widget . Depending on the subject you teach you can have questions related to the topic to make it more interesting. Go check out this blog post with more ideas with BookWidgets’ randomness widget . Here’s another digital tip! Ask ChatGPT to “ create 20 prompts (about topic xxx) students have to agree or disagree with to spark a classroom discussion ”.

6. Would you rather

This popular party game can also be played by your middle school students to bring some fun and give input to interesting group conversations. Gather students in a circle or a group and take turns posing thought-provoking dilemmas, beginning each with “Would you rather…” Participants must then choose one of the two options presented, and it often leads to classroom discussions and debates.

Encourage students to explain their choices, creating an engaging and fun environment for sharing opinions and getting to know each other better. The game fosters critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills while also providing a light-hearted and enjoyable way for students to connect and bond. Here are some ready-to-use examples:

Would you rather have the ability to time travel to the past or to the future?

Would you rather be an expert musician but unable to read or write or a brilliant writer but unable to play any musical instrument?

Would you rather always tell the truth but hurt someone’s feelings or tell a white lie to spare their feelings?

Would you rather have the power of invisibility or the ability to fly?

Would you rather be a famous celebrity with no privacy or an ordinary person with complete anonymity?

Would you rather live in a world with no television or no mobile phones?

Would you rather have unlimited access to your favorite food but never be able to travel or travel the world but only eat broccoli?

Would you rather be the best student in a mediocre school or an average student in a prestigious school?

Would you rather have the ability to speak and understand all languages or be a master of every musical instrument?

Would you rather have the power to change the past or the ability to predict the future?

7. Back-to-back game

This converation starter activity for high school students encourages not only speaking but also creativity and active listening. Have students sit in pairs and ask them to sit with their backs to each other so that they cannot see what the other person is doing. One student describes something like a drawing or picture that is not easily replicated. The other student attempts to recreate the drawing based on this description. It encourages the first students to give clear instructions and the other must listen carefully and replicate the instructions. It’s a good lesson to learn what can go wrong in communication when your students failed to replicate the picture.

💡 Digital tip : Give the student that has to draw and replicate the picture a smartphone or tablet to draw on. Provide them with a quiz widget with a whiteboard question so they can draw by listening to the instructions. When the drawing is done, ask your students in a follow up questions to analyse the drawing and write down where they went wrong or what happend when they couldn’t replicate the drawing. The same goes for when your students finish the assignment pretty good. They can reflect on what went well in their communication.

On this level, it’s essential to encourage critical thinking and foster argumentative skills. For students in high school, I like bringing thought-provoking questions and providing activities that will allow them to speak their minds.

8. Critical thinking circles

Assign different articles around the same topic to small groups of students who read and discuss the assigned material. They can then share their insights, interpretations, and reactions with the entire class. This kind of activity promotes in-depth analysis and critical thinking. Some ideas for critical thinking circles include:

Media Literacy and Fake News : Explore how to discern between credible and unreliable sources of information, discussing the impact of fake news on society and how to fact-check.

Ethical Dilemmas in Technology : Discuss ethical concerns related to technology, such as privacy, surveillance, and the responsible use of social media.

Climate Change and Sustainability : Analyze the implications of climate change, debate potential solutions, and consider individual and collective responsibilities for a sustainable future.

Social Justice and Equality : Examine issues of social justice, such as racism, gender equality, and economic disparities, and discuss strategies for promoting a more just society.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation : Consider the impact of AI and automation on the job market, ethics, and society as a whole. Discuss potential challenges and opportunities.

💡 Digital tip : Provide them with a digital mind map to take notes during their small group discussion. They can add boxes with keywords, insights, interpretations on the topic. It will help them sturcture their thoughts when they are sharing their findings with the whole class.

9. Philosophical Chairs

Set up a debate-style discussion where students take positions on a controversial topic, and they can switch sides based on the arguments presented. This activity encourages students to explore different perspectives and engage in meaningful dialogues. You can give each group a list of controversial topics to choose from, and they can defend their actual positions.

💡 Digital tip : To make this activity more challenging you can use a randomness game . When students click on the “spin” button, they will be assigned a topic and either the word “agree” or “disagree.” They will have to defend their assigned point of view even if their actual opinion is the opposite of that. This is good for practicing argumentation and switching viewpoints.

10. Video-Based Discussions

Bring videos related to topics of interest or social issues. Encourage your high school students to express their opinions, debate, and analyze the events from multiple angles.

Using video in class is a nice change of pace and promotes student engagement. Here’s a video quiz with a provoking video for discussion and some comments that are good input for discussion.

You can change the dynamics to make this activity even more engaging. Divide students into groups and have each group, at home, choose a video from YouTube that they find touching, provoking, or interesting. They should prepare questions for discussions based on the video but not answer them. Then, in class, each group assigns their chosen video with the questions to another group.

Each group watches a different video and discusses the questions. After this initial activity, a discussion in plenum can take place so all the topics can be discussed by everyone.

11. Structured debate

Organize debates on relevant topics, allowing students to research, form arguments, and present their views in a structured discussion format. Debates encourage critical thinking, persuasive communication, and active listening.

This activity is the perfect opportunity to introduce or review useful phrases used for debates. Prior to the debate itself, give students an activity to have them categorize the different types of useful phrases, which they will then need in their discussion. If you have time to spare, you can create flashcards with each useful phrase, draw a table on the board, and hand in a card to each student, which they can then categorize in class.

💡 Digital tip : If you prefer to use a ready-to-use digital activity, click here . You can duplicate the activity and edit it if you want to include more phrases or delete some.

12. Make a Commercial

Encourage students to practice the art of persuasion to convince their classmates or others to purchase a product. Students (individually or in groups) select an item and create a one-minute commercial about it. Use the recording platform of your choice, such as Flip , Adobe Express , mmhmm , or your phone/computer. Students should make sure to include the following in their recording:

• What makes their product special? = Unique selling proposition
• How can it enhance the consumers’ life?
• Why does the consumer need this product?

Classmates can vote for the best commercial.

No access to recording? No worries, this can also be accomplished live in class. This is a great activity to focus on listening, speaking, and writing skills.

Whether you teach English, Spanish, French, or German, or are a teacher of any other foreign language, having effective and fun classroom conversations is essential for students of all ages. Of course, you can use any of the ideas above with your language groups as well, but the ideas below are taught specifically for language learners.

13. Role-Playing Scenarios

Create real-life scenarios or dialogues that students might encounter in the target language. Students role-play these situations, fostering practical language use and communication skills. Here are some common scenarios for adults:

Airport Scenario : Practice travel-related vocabulary and communication by role-playing airport scenarios, including check-in, security checks, and asking for directions.

Hotel Check-In : Simulate the check-in process at a hotel, with students playing the roles of guests and hotel staff, focusing on reservations, room preferences, and services.

Doctor’s Office : Practice medical vocabulary and communication by having students play the roles of patients and medical professionals, discussing symptoms, prescriptions, and health concerns.

Job Interview : Simulate job interviews to help students practice professional language, discussing qualifications, strengths, and job-related questions. This is also a good topic for high school students.

Real Estate Agent : Explore the language of property transactions by role-playing scenarios where students act as real estate agents and clients, discussing housing options and preferences.

Grocery Shopping : Role-play a trip to the grocery store where students act as shoppers and store clerks, discussing items and prices, and making purchases.

Restaurant Review : After dining out, have students write and present restaurant reviews in the target language, discussing the meal, service, and overall experience.

Travel Agency : Role-play travel agency interactions, with students as travel agents helping clients plan vacations and discussing destinations, accommodations, and itineraries.

💡 Digital tip : Provide this assignments as homework so students keep practicing their language skills. Ask them to record a dialoge using the audio recording question in BookWidgets. Here’s a video quiz lesson example to practice dialogues and newly learned vocabulary.

14. News Analysis

Bring in news articles or reports in the target language. Students read and discuss these articles, summarizing the key points, sharing their thoughts, and debating various aspects of the news.

This activity enhances language proficiency and cultural awareness. When using authentic material, it’s important to make sure that the language of the source is suitable for the level you’re teaching.

💡 Digital tip : What I do when preparing this kind of material for my groups is using ChatGPT to adapt the text. So, for instance, I copy an article I find interesting into ChatGPT and ask the AI tool to: “ simplify the text for a group of 4th grade students ”. I then create a split worksheet with the text on one side and questions on the other side. These serve as input for analysis and will get the students talking. Click here to see an example.

15. Language Exchange Partners

16. Celebrity Interviews

This activity is a fun way to have students practice question words and use simple present, simple past, and present perfect. Students are divided into pairs, in which one is the interviewer and the other one a celebrity. You can have students choose who they want to pretend to be freely, or you can give them a list for them to choose from, in case you want to avoid inconvenient choices.

💡 Digital tip : Alternatively, you can have two celebrities interview each other. For this, it’s fun to have students leave it to faith which celebrity they will pretend to be.

17. Untranslatable?

If you have students in your classroom who speak different native languages, chances are they’ve encountered words that don’t have direct translations in English. You can leverage their knowledge of their own languages to foster discussions within the classroom.

Form small groups of students, ideally including members from two or more native language backgrounds. Even if the group shares a common native language, there are often distinct dialects, regional expressions, and unique experiences that can lead to discussions about these “untranslatable” words and their potential English interpretations. Each student compiles a list of five to ten words that they find challenging to translate directly into English (or any other target language). In turn, students explain the meaning of the words on their list using the target language. Then, following the word presentation, the other students can ask questions and seek clarification regarding the word’s meaning and usage.

💡 Digital tip : Provide students with a digital mind map to indicate their 5 words and their potential English interpretations. Students can submit their mind map to the teacher. This way, the teacher can gather all the native words and meanings and present them in a list to all the students. You can even make a wall poster out of it using Canva as a design tool!

In conclusion, effective communication is a skill that holds immense value in the realm of education. The ability to articulate thoughts and engage in meaningful conversations is not only essential for academic success but also for personal and professional growth. In this blog post, we have explored a wide range of conversation activities, discussion starters, and debate topics tailored to different educational levels, from elementary school to high school and language courses. These activities are designed to nurture students’ communication skills, boost their confidence, and stimulate critical thinking.

You can find all ready-to-use activities used in the examples here and duplicate them to your own account in order to edit them and share them with your students.

I’d like to know which of these activities is your favorite and what other ideas you have, so do share with us. Let us know on Twitter - X - and join our Facebook community to share your first history BookWidgets activity with other teachers.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn . I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

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Speechy Musings

Speech therapy materials for pediatric SLPs

Communication Skills Text Activities for High School Students

Speechy Musings January 30, 2016 Leave a Comment

This post may contain Amazon affiliate ads at no cost to you. See my disclosures here for more information.

Looking for communication skills activities for high school students (or middle school, or maybe even upper elementary kids)? Check out my fun phone text activity targeting conversation skills! This 15-page packet contains 81 cell phones cards that prompt your student to respond to a comment or question! Each comment or question looks like it is a text message from a specific person (mom, dad, friend, classmate, etc.).

Incorporate your student interests to increase engagement! This cell phone themed packet is a fun way to target conversational skills including topic maintenance, making comments, asking questions, safety, and initiation. This 19-page packet contains the following: •95 text message cards •1 sorting visual •8 blank cell phone cards •8 screen shatter foil cards •1 card deck cover

The sorting visual challenges your students to identify why their response was appropriate.

Tiffany J. gave me some great feedback and ideas for how to use this product:

“My middle schoolers love this game! We’re building meta awareness of what makes a response appropriate or not by having the kids evaluate the responses of the students to their left and suggest alternative responses. A fun way to expand this: some of the “texts” can elicit different responses based on context. For example, for “Best Friend: Do you like my painting?” I’ll say, “Your best friend made a tremendously ugly painting for the school art show, but you don’t want to hurt his feelings. What do you text back?” vs. “Your friend made a painting that you love. What do you text back?””

There is an included visual mat that may help some students decide how to respond (with a comment, question, or response). It could also help get your students to explain why they responded a certain way.

Great for social skill or pragmatics goals!

Watch out for shattered screen cards!

If you like these communication skills activities for high school students, check it out in my TpT Store here . I have lots of other ideas for secondary students too, and I always love to hear more! Secondary SLPs gotta stick together!

About the Author

Shannon is a pediatric SLP and the creator behind Speechy Musings. As an SLP, she is most passionate about language, literacy, and AAC. Outside of being an SLP, she loves hiking, camping, dogs, and travel.

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Home » Blog » General » Developing Effective Communication Skills for High School Students: A Practical Guide

Developing Effective Communication Skills for High School Students: A Practical Guide

Welcome to my blog! In this post, I will be sharing a practical guide on how to teach communication techniques to high school students. Effective communication skills are essential for success in both academic and personal life. By helping students develop these skills, we can empower them to express themselves confidently, build positive relationships, and navigate the challenges of the modern world.

Understanding Communication Techniques

Before we dive into teaching strategies, let’s first define what communication techniques are and why they are important for high school students. Communication techniques refer to the skills and strategies used to effectively convey thoughts, ideas, and emotions to others. These techniques include verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.

Teaching communication techniques in high school is crucial because it equips students with the tools they need to succeed in various aspects of their lives. Whether it’s presenting in front of a class, participating in group discussions, or resolving conflicts, effective communication skills are essential.

High school students often face common challenges in communication. These challenges may include difficulty expressing themselves, struggling to listen actively, or misunderstanding non-verbal cues. By addressing these challenges and providing guidance, we can help students overcome barriers and become effective communicators.

Strategies for Teaching Communication Techniques

Now that we understand the importance of teaching communication techniques, let’s explore some practical strategies that educators can use to help high school students develop these skills.

Creating a Supportive and Inclusive Classroom Environment

A supportive and inclusive classroom environment is the foundation for effective communication. By creating a safe space where students feel valued and respected, we can encourage active participation and collaboration. This can be achieved by fostering a sense of belonging, promoting empathy, and understanding among students.

Encouraging active participation involves providing opportunities for all students to contribute to discussions and activities. This can be done by using techniques such as think-pair-share or small group discussions. By giving students a chance to share their thoughts and ideas, we can help them build confidence in expressing themselves.

Promoting empathy and understanding among students is essential for developing effective communication skills. By teaching students to consider different perspectives and actively listen to others, we can foster a culture of respect and open-mindedness. This can be achieved through activities such as role-playing, group projects, and discussions on diverse topics.

Developing Verbal Communication Skills

Verbal communication skills are at the core of effective communication. By teaching students how to listen actively and speak confidently, we can help them become effective communicators.

Teaching effective listening skills is crucial for high school students. Active listening involves paying attention, understanding, and responding to what others are saying. Educators can teach active listening by modeling the behavior, providing opportunities for students to practice, and giving feedback on their listening skills.

Enhancing speaking skills can be achieved through practice and feedback. Providing opportunities for students to speak in front of the class, participate in debates or presentations, and receive constructive feedback can help them build confidence and improve their speaking abilities.

Non-verbal Communication Skills

Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in conveying messages effectively. High school students need to understand and use non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact.

Understanding body language and facial expressions can help students interpret others’ emotions and intentions accurately. Educators can teach students to recognize and interpret different body language and facial expressions through activities such as role-playing, watching videos, and analyzing real-life scenarios.

Teaching appropriate use of gestures and eye contact is also essential. Students should learn how to use gestures to enhance their verbal communication and maintain eye contact to show attentiveness and engagement. Educators can provide guidance and practice opportunities to help students develop these skills.

Written Communication Skills

Written communication skills are essential for high school students as they prepare for college and future careers. Educators can help students improve their written communication skills by teaching proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Providing opportunities for written expression and feedback is crucial for students to develop their writing skills. Assignments such as essays, research papers, and creative writing can help students practice and refine their written communication abilities. Educators should provide constructive feedback and support to help students improve their writing skills.

Technology and Communication

In today’s digital age, technology plays a significant role in communication. Educators can utilize digital tools to enhance communication practice among high school students.

Using digital tools such as online discussion boards, video conferencing, and collaborative platforms can provide students with opportunities to practice communication skills in a digital context. However, it is essential to teach students responsible and respectful online communication to ensure they use technology appropriately and ethically.

Incorporating Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a valuable framework that can be integrated into communication lessons to enhance students’ overall development. SEL focuses on building self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

By incorporating SEL activities into communication lessons, educators can help students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others. This can be achieved through activities such as self-reflection, role-playing, group discussions, and collaborative projects.

Assessing and Monitoring Communication Skills

Assessing and monitoring students’ communication skills is essential to track their progress and provide targeted support. Educators can utilize formative assessments such as class discussions, presentations, and written assignments to assess students’ communication abilities.

Providing constructive feedback and support is crucial for students’ growth. Educators should provide specific feedback on students’ strengths and areas for improvement, along with guidance on how to enhance their communication skills.

Encouraging self-reflection and goal-setting can empower students to take ownership of their learning. By encouraging students to reflect on their communication skills, set goals, and develop action plans, educators can help them become self-directed learners.

Effective communication skills are essential for high school students to succeed academically and personally. By teaching communication techniques and incorporating SEL, educators can empower students to express themselves confidently, build positive relationships, and navigate the challenges of the modern world.

I encourage high school educators to prioritize communication skills in their teaching practice. By implementing the strategies outlined in this practical guide, we can make a significant impact on students’ communication abilities and set them up for success in their future endeavors.

Start your EverydaySpeech Free trial today and discover a comprehensive platform that provides resources, activities, and lessons to help high school students develop effective communication skills. Together, let’s empower our students to become confident and effective communicators!

Related Blog Posts:

Implementing Effective SEL Programs for Schools: Best Practices and Strategies

Understanding Teacher Burnout: Key Causes and Statistics Behind Teachers Quitting

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