Assessing my own communication and interpersonal skills

Children need to be given the chance to speak even if they go round in circles when they are trying to tell you something, I need to have patience and let them speak and not try to rush them. I also need to speak to them in accordance with their ability always remembering to give them my full attention looking at them while they are speaking so that they know I am listening and interested in what they have to say. It is important to make the children feel valued and you really are interested I them.

Communication is constantly happening within the day care centre and in my job role I have a responsibility to communicate with staff, service users and other professionals. I use various forms of communication but I also seek to make sure that it is understood. Communication has got to be understood before it can be effective and so I try to ensure comprehension when I am verbally speaking by getting staff to repeat what I have asked them to do. I also write simply worded memos and emails to ensure ease of comprehension. When communicating with other professionals I speak clearly and seek affirmation when organising meetings or planning events. I also

As child practitioners we must work on our skills in communicating with children because the way we communicate with them is important not only for their communication and language development, but also the development of our relationship with them. Young children often aren't able to express their thoughts and feelings in words, or express them poorly. Because of this, it's important that child practitioners can listen carefully and help children to learn how to express themselves and also provide what they need.

Adapting your communication by using sign language or pictures, flashcards or slowing down your pace will also encourage a child and giving them

It is important that you take the time to understand the cause of the conflict and why it has happened. Listen and hear what is being said, if a child does not think that he or she is being listened to they will get even more upset or angry.

When communicating with children, a number of skills need to be demonstrated to communicate effectively. Children learn to communicate through the responses of others, if they feel they have not had there contributions valued they are less likely to initiate communication themselves appropriate responses reinforce the child’s self-esteem, values this is important in building relationships initiating conversations and finding out the answers to questions builds on the language skills that are integral to child’s learning. In the setting working with children with

The skills needed to communicate with children are both verbal and non-verbal, getting down to a child’s level and maintaining eye contact and asking appropriate questions, making the child feel secure and developing trust. A smile, a nod or a thumbs up will also show you are interested in what they are saying. Listening and not interrupting them when they are speaking is vital so they can express their points of view and develop confidence in themselves, making sure that if someone is talking to you to give them your full attention, even if that means finding a quiet suitable place with no distractions. Being supportive to the child’s needs can build respect and trust between the child and adult also giving feedback in a clear, constructive way, so the child can feel they can develop with confidence.

Whilst listening make sure that you have eye contact and use different expressive words to show your interest.

Effective communication is not just about speaking and listening. It is also about watching and feeling. Our body language and tone of voice actually communicate more strongly than the words we use. So, listening effectively involves tuning in closely to the other person’s body language and tone of voice as well as their words.

To communicate effectively with anyone, you need to speak clearly, using different pitch and tone to create interest. You should talk at a pace that is neither to slow or monotonous, nor so fast that others can’t understand it. It is important to know the stages of language development. You should also be aware that if you are working with a pupil with special needs, their communication development will be different; this could be for reasons such as autism, speech and language problems, or a hearing impairment.

It is important to adapt communication to include all children. In my class the children are always greeted with a smile, good morning and how are you today. Some of the children have news to tell you. I get down to their level and have eye contact and listen to what they have to say. I always show interest in what they are saying as it boosts their confidence and shows that you care. When talking to the children I use

I have to create a positive relationship with children and young people by encouraging two -way conversations -both listening and responding to build their confidence.

When communicating with children, it is important to talk at their level while maintaining eye contact and use positive body language. We must give them time to understand and absorb what is being said to them. This will make the children feel respected and develop trust and thus they will feel confident to communicate with us. The child’s learning and development will benefit if the adults in their life can communicate effectively about them.

As part of my M3 I will write a report to review and assess my communication and interpersonal skills during each interaction within my P5 and P6. I will discuss factors such as tone of voice and non-verbal communication. I will also highlight my strengths such as my ability to make a service user feel at ease and my weaknesses such as miscommunication due to misunderstandings.

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk is an excellent communication guide and an exceptional book all around. It is broad enough to be relevant to just about any relationship, not just between children and adults, though that is what it is intended for. It is based on a series of workshops developed by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. Both authors provide sensible yet simple approaches to improving relationships between adults and children.