Observing Communication

I chose to watch a short 4 min and 27 sec conversation between a preschooler and her parents after her first day at preschool on YouTube. Here is the video clip.

I found the little girl poised, polite and cute, able to articulate and hold a conversation. Her parents were asking her questions which helped her to keep her conversation with them. In this week’s learning resource (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) Lisa Kolbeck says, asking questions to children is important to help them move on in their thoughts and actions. We also notice how the parents were patient with the child. This approach, being receptive to what children are saying, and going slow is also important when communicating with a child in order for them to formulate their thoughts and bring it out in the way they intend. This not only helps them communicate their thoughts but also helps them feel respected and accepted for who they are and heard (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). This child definitely felt listened to and seen and therefore respected and accepted.

Though her parents did a good job in holding a conversation, I think they could have built it further. When they asked her how she got hurt, she begins to say by running and then the father quickly put in the words in her mouth, closing in her thoughts with his assumption that it was at recess while she was running. Had he not done that and remained quiet for her to come up with the reason she would have probably surprised him with what she mentions later in the conversation about trying to get the blue thing from the boy and running. We as adults need to learn to be quiet enough to let the children come to us with their thoughts and reasons and be open to surprises (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). I also agree with Lisa Kolbeck when she says we as adults need to be imaginative when talking to children instead of just interrogating children when trying to communicate with them. Because, children live in their imaginations. Here when the child talks about having read a book in the circle time or play with bricks the father could have been imaginative and got her to express further about the book she read or the construction she did with the bricks.

Doing this assignment makes me understand and reflect on the way I communicate with children in my class. I am more like the father who interrogates children and sometimes putting words in their mouth when trying to hold a conversation with them. Comparing the father and what I have learnt this week I realize I need to be patient with children, go slow, letting their thought come out of them by themselves. Children communicate in different ways and use their bodies in different ways to express themselves (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). I therefore, need to be more sensitive to these expressions so that I can pick up cues about how to communicate.

Sensitivity, respect, acceptance, reflective listening and providing the space for each child to be their unique self are the philosophy for communicating with young children (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).


Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Communicating with Young Children. [Multimedia]. Strategies for working with diverse children. Baltimore, MD: Author.