Communication Facts For Kids
Communication is about sending and understanding messages, like telling a friend a secret and getting a reply, and it helps people share ideas and feelings.
About this topic
Scientists and students who study how messages travel are part of a field called communication studies. They look at how messages move, how people understand them, and how sometimes communication not only sends meaning but helps make new meaning between people.
Quick Facts
Key Points
Photos of Communication
Wolves communicate by howling.
Shaking hands is one form of non-verbal communication.
Shannon–Weaver model of communication, which focuses on how a message is first translated into a signal and then back into a message
![Example of computer communication: modems act as transmitter and receiver while the public telephone network is used as a transmission system.[203]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Example_of_computer_communication.svg/330px-Example_of_computer_communication.svg.png)
Example of computer communication: modems act as transmitter and receiver while the public telephone network is used as a transmission system.[203]
Lasswell's model of communication, which is based on five questions corresponding to five basic components
Steps of plant communication
A honeybee on a Cosmos bipinnatus. Many flowers use vivid colors to signal to insects that they offer food like nectar.
Schramm's model of communication, which focuses on the processes of encoding and decoding as well as feedback
Kathy Matayoshi and Mazie Hirono conversing in the White House, an example of interpersonal communication
📘 What Does Communication Mean?
Some definitions include animals and plants, because they send signals too. Other ideas say communication must be conscious and between people. People also disagree about whether meaning is just passed along or whether it is created as people interact.
🔎 How Models Help Us Understand Communication
Models are useful because they help scientists and students test ideas and solve problems. But models are simple by purpose: they leave out some details so the main idea is easier to study. Often you will see these models drawn as boxes and arrows to show the steps.
🧭 Human — Verbal Communication Models
Another well-known model is Shannon–Weaver, which shows a source, signal, channel, and destination, and warns about noise—things that make the message harder to hear. Later models, like Schramm’s interaction model, add feedback so the receiver can answer. Barnlund’s transactional model goes further: it shows people creating meaning together, not just sending one-way messages.
💡 Non-verbal Communication
Because people share many of these signs, we learn to read them. Some are planned, like waving, and some happen on their own, like blushing. Non-verbal messages often add extra meaning to words or can even show what someone really feels when their words say something different.
🌟 Talking And Acting With Others
These signals include body movement (kinesics), how close we stand (proxemics), touch (haptics), voice sounds (paralanguage), and even clothing. When words and body signals match, the message is stronger; when they don’t match, listeners can get confused about what was meant.
🧩 Talking To Yourself
Intrapersonal communication can begin from things around you—like a teacher’s instruction—or from inside, like hunger or an idea. Even your body sends messages to itself, such as feeling hungry and deciding to eat. This inner talk helps you control actions and remember what to do next.
🗺️ How Messages Travel (channels)
People disagree about which kind of communication comes first. Some say talking to yourself is basic because it helps you control your actions. Others say talking with people is first because parents and teachers guide children before they learn to guide themselves. Choosing the best channel helps a message get understood.
🔬 How People Communicate Well
Different channels let us use different kinds of signals. For example, a phone call keeps your voice but hides your face, so you lose facial expressions. Some channels last a short time (a spoken word) and some last a long time (a book). We can switch codes — write down speech or use sign language — and use several channels at once to help understanding. Picking the right channel for your idea and the other person helps make communication work better.
📘 Animals And How They Communicate
Animals share some things with people, like copying movements to show care. But animal signals are usually non‑verbal (no human words). Some scientists call certain patterns “animal language” because they look like parts of our language, while others say human language is more complex. Still, animals use clever, reliable ways to send important messages in their world.
🧠 Take the Quiz about Communication
Frequently asked questions
What does communication mean?
Communication means sending and getting information. For example, when you tell a friend a secret, you are sending a message, and when your friend nods, they are sending a signal back. Some people think communication only happens on purpose, and some think it includes accidental signals, like a cough or a plant turning toward light.
What are sender, message, channel, and receiver in communication?
These are the parts used to talk about communication. The sender starts the message, the message is what is sent, the channel is how it travels, and the receiver is the one who gets it. Some definitions include animals and plants, because they send signals too.
How do models help us understand communication?
A model of communication is a simple picture or map that shows the main parts of how messages move. Models help scientists and students test ideas and solve problems, and many models show a sender, a message, a channel, and a receiver. But models are simple on purpose, so they leave out some details and stay easier to study.
What is non-verbal communication?
Non-verbal communication means sending messages without words. A smile, a frown, a nod, or crossing your arms all say something. These signs can tell others how you feel, what you think, or how you want to be treated.
What is interpersonal communication?
Interpersonal communication is how people send messages to each other—using words and actions together. Often the body and voice help make what we say clearer, with a friendly tone or a smile. Sometimes non-verbal actions are done on purpose, such as shaking hands, or happen without thinking, like sweating when you’re nervous.
What are channels, and why do they matter for understanding?
Channels are the ways messages move from one place to another. A channel can be your voice in a face-to-face chat, a written note, a text message, a picture, or even your own thoughts. Each channel carries different parts of a message; in person you get words and body cues, while a text gives only written words and maybe emojis. Choosing the best channel helps a message get understood.