ABSTRACT
Communication is an essential part of life. It allows opportunities to express, understand, socialize with friends, and convey thoughts and opinions. Adults and children alike have the desire to communicate effectively. Although communication appears simplistic and basic when we use it daily, when we stop to think about the what, how, and why of communication, we begin to uncover the nuances, complexity, and variations of effective and optimal communication. Early childhood is a critical time to build the foundation for a strong communication system, learning through experiences and interactions. When we pause to consider the impact of the strong foundation built during the early childhood years, we begin to realize the reality that we only see a glimpse of the child’s use of these skills, but we often have the distinct honor of seeing the potential of children’s bright and exciting futures, as they grow in confidence and independence, to chart their own unique learning and life path. The speech, language, and literacy foundation during these early childhood education years, specifically during the critical birth to eight years, contributes to reading, writing, and overall literacy development in years to come. As early childhood educators, the positive impact you make in the lives of young children is realized for years after they leave your classroom, as they take the next step in their education and life journey with the communication skills, persistence, and excitement for learning, instilled by parents and educators in their early years of life.
