There are some specific things we can do to help us communicate with our young children. The next series of articles will cover some of these ideas.
The idea we will discuss today is called "Joining children at their level of conversation." Young children have varying abilities in conversing and we should be aware of these and respond in kind. Consider the following points:
a. MATCH THE COMPLEXITY OF YOUR CHILD'S LANGUAGE: Is your child is speaking in full sentences, phrases or single words? If your child uses phrases, you will want to respond in kind...using phrases similar to hers. If your child is speaking in full sentences you will want to respond in sentences of similar length.
For example if your child says "I carry baby bottle." Your
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TAKE TURNS SPEAKING. Think of taking conversational turns in a 50-50 turn taking manner. In other words: your child speaks and you listen. Then you speak and your child listens. Then your child speaks again as you listen. This provides the time your child needs to interact with language. In this process we become partners in language with our children.
e. ALLOW TIME FOR YOUR CHILD TO SPEAK. Be sure to give your child time to speak. Frequently we are so rushed and focused on our day to day business that we talk "at" or "to" our children without giving them the time to respond. Giving them time to respond and taking the time to listen is what allows for the give and take that establishes good communication. Sometimes it helps to count to ten after asking a question. Otherwise it's all too easy to answer it ourselves before our child has had the chance to process our question and formulate an answer.
When you are sensitive to your childs' level of conversation and support that level with your responsive language, your child will feel comfortable about talking with you and will develop her language skills to the maximum of her ability. She will also find it easier to communicate - to listen, to understand and to respond. All of this will build her language on a day to day basis while establishing a positive and nurturing
I have learned that being able to utilise good communication skills is fundamental when working with children. It is so important to building and supporting ongoing relationships, which, along with listening,
With children langue needs to be age appropriate so your language will need to be simpler and you need to be very clear and concise about what you are saying. You may also have to give more reassurance to build their confidence. Body language may also have to be more exaggerate as children may not pick up on subtler signs. Also you may have to use more physical contact with children especially the very young.
Not only do you talk to them but also the child will response, or even approach you first to communicate; either for a general conversation or to ask a question.
The skills needed to communicate with children are active listening; give clear messages, understanding the reply by giving appropriate feedback and being able to pitch to the correct level. Giving clear messages is important so the child knows exactly what is required of them. If you give an instruction in a jovial manner the child or young person may not be fully sure what to do. This may unsettle the child worrying whether you really meant the instruction or if they don't do the required task they maybe chastised. Being able to pitch to the correct level is probably one of the most important skills needed to communicate. If you use jargon, acronyms, sarcasm and innuendos the recipient will not understand, possibly switch off to what is being said and the instruction will not be followed. If you use vocabulary
Effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults alike. It is the central key to establishing and maintaining such positive relationships. It means listening, questioning, understanding and responding to match each individual’s stage of development, their age, personal circumstances and their needs. It is important for the communication to be on the same level as the person you are speaking to so that neither person seems to have more power than the other. Good communication is not just about listening and speaking, it is also about watching and feeling. Excellent communication builds trust in relationships with all.
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.
Adapting your communication by using sign language or pictures, flashcards or slowing down your pace will also encourage a child and giving them
Effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children and young adults because it helps the child to be able to communicate effectively with other people as they grow. Children react better to clear, concise communication and this in turn will help to build better relationships between child and adult and enable trust to grow, which is one of the key elements in building a relationship. It is also important to listen to the child and let them say what they want to say. Do not try to pre-empt or interrupt them. Try to keep your language and explanation simple and to the point. Make them feel that what
This might be through a mix of open and closed questions. For example, a closed question such as “are you enjoying this?” is quite safe as it allows the child to simply answer yes or no and they can add to it if they wish. Open questions such as “why do you like this one?” are good at encouraging children to talk a little more as they require a fuller answer. Using questions can show your interest and help you explore some issues.
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
There are two ways of communicating with children and young people , conventional and body languages , communication may be formal (adult-led activity) or informal (playtime or social situations). In order to communicate appropriately with any child or young people I need to show that I understand them. Using my body language; eye contact to make sure that I am at their level, try not to invade their space, avoid
In my life, I have always felt that I was exceptional at communicating with others. I found it very easy to understand what people were trying to convey and express while also being able to share my thoughts with them in a clear and concise manner. This led to me having a lot of success in building relationships with people at work and in my social life; but what about with children? It never occurred to me that I would need to take a completely different approach with children and I had to learn those skills quickly when I was asked to step up as the head coach for my son’s youth football team. Although it was challenging, coaching youth football afforded me the opportunity to learn how to communicate with children more effectively.
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.
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.
There may be a recognised syndrome or disorder that causes language difficulty for the child and is not able to communicate with others. The child may have a lack of stimulation and support to provide the rich language experience necessary to develop speech, language and communication skills. For example at school, the setting may not have an enabling environment to stimulate the child’s different interests necessary for acquiring language. The books, music, songs and so on may not stimulate and interest the child.