While trying to think about a blog post related to “Connections”, two things happened almost at the same time: I got a phone call from a young student and the topic of phone calls came up in a radio interview. Did you know phone calls can be both fun and learning for kids and help with kindergarten readiness? For a play-of-the-day kids can make some pretend, or real, calls.
Every year at the end of kindergarten, I give all my students a coupon with my number that says “Good For One Phone Call.” Most of the time this 
ends up on the family fridge until it falls off or the family moves. Occasionally, I do get a call with news like a new baby brother or sister, a broken arm, or the first tooth that finally falls out. Yesterday, a young student did phone, bursting with pride, about a fear that had been successfully tackled. She’d dialed herself and waited until I’d answered before starting to talk. It was an exciting conversation to share.
Shortly after that call, I was a guest on a business radio show about learning styles. One of the questions was about how things that we learn as kids can affect us in the workplace. Not only can previous learning influence our attitudes and risk tolerance, but things we haven’t learned, play a role as well. Apparently, young graduates are great at texting, sending emails, and using technology, but employers are finding that they do not have appropriate telephone skills with customers. Young adults are missing some of the practice and learning for talking on the phone.
There’s no doubt that phone calls are one way to connect. Young children see and hear adults on the phone. They love to pretend that they are having phone conversations too. As they talk, kids are developing language, expression, and listening and thinking skills. For some fun and learning, dig out the toy phone (or a banana) and let your child play. For some real practice, perhaps your child could phone a grandparent or neighbor? Ring…ring…
P.S. Has your child made some surprise phone calls, like Australia?