skills needed to communicate with children and young people.

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Communication
Effective communication with children and young people requires a person to possess some skills. Although people might engage in this activity on a daily basis, it is essential to focus on the process of doing this as effective communication plays a vital role in a person’s life. Children are in the phase of learning how to communicate; their learning is dependent on the responses provided by others. When they get a feeling that their contributions are not valued, they are less likely to initiate the communication process.
The first skill required is the ability to find opportunities to speak. Young people and children should be provided with enough opportunities to talk. Some children might lack confidence; this makes it difficult for them to say what they may want, they might also have a hard time expressing themselves towards adults. When children try to speak but have trouble expressing themselves, it is essential to encourage them with a nod, helpful questions or through a smile as a way of showing interest.
The second skill is maintaining eye contact and listening actively. When listening to a child or a young person while looking at and doing something different, the child gets a perception that the person they are talking to is not interested in what they have to say (ATA 19). It is important to note that in addition to what is being said, the intended meaning may be expressed through emotions or other non-verbal methods. Also, the manner in which a person responds to a question is part of the communication process.

Replying the right thing based on what the conversation is about is an indicator that a person is listening actively.
The third skill is the use of facial expressions, body language and being approachable. People engaging in communication with children or young people should make sure that they show interest based on the way they act when speaking. In the case of children, a person can get to their level or hold them up to their level. It can be very intimidating to the child when a person is towering over them which makes the communication process difficult.
The fourth skill entails reacting and commenting on what is being said. Since children are still learning to communicate, a person might need to repeat back what they said as a way of improving their understanding. If the child makes a response and makes a mistake, they should be corrected. For example, if a child says something and pronounces a word wrong, the whole sentence should be repeated to them while emphasizing on the mispronounced word and pronouncing it correctly.
The last skill is being interested, questioning and responding to maintain a conversation. It is essential to model the principles applied in a normal conversation while interacting with children and young people so that they can understand how communication works; this is making them learn through experience. One of the methods to achieve this is through responding to any question and showing interest. Communicating with children effectively involves encouraging them to ask questions and express their ideas. They should be provided with the necessary platforms to make them feel confident and relaxed to make their suggestions so that the dialogue is two-way instead of a one-way flow of instructions. Effective communication fosters the creation of positive relationships.

Works Cited
ATA, AYSUN. FACTORS EFFECTING TEACHER-CHILD COMMUNICATION SKILLS & SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS: AN INVESTIGATION ON PRESCHOOL TEACHERS. Diss. MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, 2015: 1-152.