Good Communication Skills are Essential for Early Childhood Education

Children are social learners and it is crucial that all adults working with them need to model good communication through listening and speaking which will aid the development of the child’s friendships, confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 3.3.1 – How communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development

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,

Personal, social and emotional development is linked with communication development, because both are based in the formation of relationship. Children experience difficulties when they are not being able

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

“Oral language is a skill that is acquired naturally by the young. The importance of its development in early childhood cannot be overemphasised. It underpins the whole scope of learning and is employed to question, to seek information and to proffer ideas. A child who has a well – grounded ability in oral language will usually be nicely poised to cope with reading and writing. Anyone who lacks this will be at a disadvantage.” (J.Fellowes & G.Oakley, 2010, pp4) It is a vital component of every human beings life as it is a means of communication and interaction with their family, friends and

Non verbal communication is also just as important as verbal communication. Again, using the child with confidence and relationship issues,

They consider a child’s daily routine and activities highly influence an important role in their language development. Their theories focus on exploring how children socially interact within environments. They explain how children start to explore how language and communication works by inevitably adapting themselves to environments (Orfano F, 2015). This process confirms children are socially persuaded to be pragmatic. Depending on the context of the situation children listen to sounds and look at symbols movements and expressions from things around them. It acknowledges the importance of the environment in that it purports that children learn language as a result of communicative needs, in social contexts, and with social support. This evidence persuades them to deem nurture as the dominant

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 develop quickly at a young age. Young children under the age of six are capable of making thoughtful decisions about their behavior and environment (Epstein, 2003). They may even try to explain their behavior to others. In the case of Josh, a three year old boy that I will use for my observation and assessment project, social skills are still in the process of being developed and he hasn't begun to really start speaking at this point. After interviewing Josh's parents I was told that Josh says very few words and doesn't speak at all in sentences. He does, however, include himself socially with other children and plays easily with them. He understands English and Spanish. His

There are a number of factors that early years workers need to consider in promoting effective communication with others as it is essential to consider different communication methods which are the right communication style, although most of our communication is based on face to face interactions there are certain factors we need to consider when using this communication style such as:

Talking and listening are essential life skills. The ability to talk in order to communicate and exchange ideas and information, to negotiate with others, to express feelings and emotions, allows human beings to function well in the world and to be full and active members of society. Communication, to be effective, requires the ability to listen, to understand and to make sense of what is heard. On the personal level, when we listen, we give attention to the other person in such a way as to allow them to feel heard, understood and therefore respected. In that way, listening is more than

But “if there is a difficulty understanding what people say, difficulty speaking or forming sounds or words and using language in appropriate social contexts then this can affect a child’s behaviour and emotional development”. (Speech, Language Communication Action Plan 2011)

The field of developmental psychology has provided a plethora of information on the impact of early childhood education on the development of necessary social and cognitive skills. The research literature has consistently maintained that children previously enrolled in early childhood education programs generally tend to be more advantaged when beginning formal schooling than children who receive traditional or non-traditional parental care. While many studies have discovered the positive effects of early childhood education interventions, there are many important issues to consider, namely children who are disadvantaged in some way. This review sought to examine recent research literature surrounding the topic of early childhood education, how the research addressed contentious issues such as the long-term effects of early childhood education programs, and the impact that these programs have on the social and cognitive development of children in lower socioeconomic status families. Additionally, this review compared two studies on the effectiveness of early childhood education programs. Future research directions and areas of exploration are also discussed.

Based on my own experience I would like to dive into my position on the issue of childhood communication that directly affects a child’s development and education. Communication is essential to human life. We learn how to communicate first and foremost from our parents, or those who raise us. These people whom we depend on are who determine how we learn to communicate with and understand others. When children are growing up communication is crucial to their innate human nature, and the way they develop as adolescents is a building block to the kinds of relationships they form later in life. Childhood growth and development are indefinitely affected by different environmental and cultural situations in which a child is subject to. When acknowledging the undeniable gaps in maturity between children many factors come into account; money and environment. More importantly my standpoint on this issue would be the idea that children who grow up in a relatively less affluent household/area are more likely to face much more problematic issues with learning and communicating. I argue that the more impoverished an area is the less advanced the communication is between parents and children, but I also believe that there is a disparity between the children who grow up in an affluent setting.