Communication Builds Connections

2 days ago
2 min read

Good conversational skills are an important aspect of forming meaningful

and long-lasting relationships between educators and children as well as

friendships with peers.

“Traditionally, educators have found that much of their

communication with children involves

directing them,
giving instructions,
telling them what to do, and
correcting their behaviour –

rather than really connecting with them in a meaningful way.

However, an approach that emphasizes listening, responding to, and building on child- initiated communication and conversation can be a more effective way to promote children’s language acquisition and their development of social skills, empathetic understanding, and ability to pay attention.”

How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (p. 41)

“Seeing children as capable and powerful communicators from birth onwards means recognizing them as active social partners who are able to initiate and respond to communication exchanges.”

How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (p. 41)

Communication is very likely both the most important and the most complex set

of skills a child will ever develop. These skills develop naturally in the first three years of life if the child has the neurological and physical capabilities and is developing in a relationship-rich environment.

Social emotional benefits for children include

emotional bonds,
mutual social enjoyment and
joint attending between educator and child.

Communication Creates Social Bonds

Children are born into a complex social world, where they need to know how to engage with others for both practical and meaningful emotional reasons. They need to be

successful in:

● initiating messages that result in others, (parents, educators and peers)

understanding and responding to their needs.

● responding to the actions of others in ways that promote interaction

and goal achievement,

● building mutually satisfying relationships.

The skill of listening attentively is crucial for preschool children to develop and reach their potential. Listening is more than simple hearing. It involves the ability of

children

to hear and interpret information spoken to them,
to understand and retain that information, and
to respond to it appropriately.

Poorly developed listening skills can influence children’s play and their ability to socialize and keep friends. By the preschool years, both listening and

speaking are necessary for reciprocal conversation. In addition, there are rules

that determine how effective conversations will be. Conversations happen

when there is turn- taking between the communicators. When one is speaking,

the other is listening and trying to understand what is being communicated.

Communication in Educator-Child Relationships

Educators develop and enhance relationships with children through sensitive and

prompt responses to their communication behaviours. As you are well aware, young children communicate with a wide variety of methods, including verbal (sounds, emotional expression) and non-verbal (body movements and behaviours). The younger the child, the more often their messages will be non-verbal.

Children are trying to let others know about their feelings, thoughts and needs. Educators need to remember that communication is more that just words. It is important to respond to varied forms of messaging to let children know that they matter. When children struggle to get their messages across, it is important to be patient.

“By waiting, you give children time to develop their own ideas and build their confidence and independence. Waiting also helps you understand their needs.”

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/5-steps-for-brain-building-serve-and-return/

CONVERSATIONS make a Difference

Successful communication is a two-way street. It’s an active partnership

that involves using more than words to send and receive messages.

Young children particularly, but everyone, in reality, communicate in several ways -our words, our tone of voice, our facial expressions and our actions convey important

cues to others regarding our intent.

Educators must be able to

respond appropriately to children,
acknowledge their messages, and
maintain open avenues of communication

that are supported through practices of inclusivity, equity and respect.

When English is not a familiar language, other visual forms of communication

should be utilized consistently. In addition, educators are strongly encouraged

to expand their own vocabulary to include key, every-day phrases in each

child’s first language such as

mommy daddy hello goodbye I want no yes please I need hungry thirsty rest washroom play

with accompanying photos to clarify.

All Day – Every Day

Be accessible where children are gathered or playing.
Make two-way communication a priority.
Interact with children one-on-one or in small groups

so children do not need to compete to get attention or a turn to talk.

Educators are encouraged to be good listeners as well, and model good

communication skills.

● Be an active listener by conveying interest through

body language and non-verbal cues such as nodding.

● Listen to children’s opinions without any agenda.

● Summarize what you heard each child saying.

● Reflect on each child’s attention development, and

adjust planned activities to broaden each child’s interests,

language development and social skills.

CONVERSATIONS DURING PLAY

While children play, there is often an extensive amount of conversation that you

can observe and even document. Be flexible between listening and participating to

ensure all children have opportunities to be engaged.

● Ask open-ended questions and listen to children’s opinions. Use open questions, or questions that can have multiple answers, to help ELLs (English Language Learners) expand their own vocabulary.

For example, Why do you like this doll best? instead of What is this doll’s name?

● Show an interest in what the children are saying.

● For quieter children, get down to the children’s level and

give them your full attention when they speak.

What clothing does your doll like to wear?

● Make individual decisions about eye contact with the children when you speak, remembering that some children find eye contact overwhelming, and for others it may be culturally unfamiliar. Never insist on eye contact from any child.

● As you listen to the children, reflect on each child’s attention development, and adjust planned activities to broaden each child’s interests, language development, and social skills.

Educator’s Reflections:

How much time did I spend listening to the children today?
How did I coach children in using their listening skills in various contexts (listening to each other, listening at centres, etc.)?
How did I model and reinforce listening skills in authentic ways throughout the day?
How did I use documentation and observation to provide next steps in the process of developing each child’s independent listening skills?