Communication Strategies   

Page 10

On page 8 you read the resource Winning Ways to Talk to Children (Vincell), a booklet developed for child care professionals, that explains communication techniques and methods to create a nurturing, enriched, and respectful environment for young children. Teachers who use positive verbal guidance are respectful of children, validate children’s feelings, and clearly communicate expectations. ​ 

The following methods for using communication to create a winning environment for children are described in the booklet:

• Positive words communicate acceptance for each child
• Listen attentively
• Use “you messages” to reflect children’s ideas and feelings
• Say “do” instead of “don’t”
• Talk with and to children- not AT them
• Use “I” messages to talk about your thoughts and feelings
• Make sure you have children’s attention before you talk
• Keep requests simple
• Make important requests firmly
• Talk at the child’s eye-level
• Be courteous
• Let children tell their stories
• Speak kindly

Positive communication is a significant element in creating a classroom atmosphere that is welcoming to children. Warm, nurturing, and respectful teacher-child relationships create cooperative interactions and reduce the incidence of negative behaviors. The following tips are useful in developing an environment that is conducive to positive teacher-child and peer interactions.  

• Get to know each child as a unique individual with special talents, skills, abilities, learning styles, temperament, family and culture. This will also aid you in planning activities.
• Warmly welcome each child as they arrive.
• Hug children.
• Promptly comfort children who are unhappy or in distress.
• Smile!
• Listen to your tone of voice. How would it sound to a child?
• Engage in respectful listening by actively seeking the child’s point of view to understand their perspective.
• Non-verbal behavior indicates that you are happy to be in the classroom.
• Engage in pleasant conversations with children about their interests or questions. If teacher talk is mostly instructions and activity related, observe the children and talk about their activities and interests.
• Set clear and fair expectations for the children.
• Involve children in challenging activities and tasks.
• Give children feedback that makes them think and expand their understanding.
• Guiding children’s behavior requires considering the child’s age, developmental stage, and temperament.
• Provide clear behavior expectations and hold children responsible for meeting the behavioral expectation.
• Implement consequences for negative behavior in a fair and consistent manner.  

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
2. Factors and Influences
3. Environmental Factors
4. Developing Social Behavior
5. Positive Social Characteristics
6. Fostering Positive Social 
7. Social Behavior (1/5)
8. Communication and Interactions  

9. Talking with Children (2/5)
10. Communication Strategies
11. Teaching and Personal Beliefs
12. Personal Beliefs (3/5)
13. Teaching Styles
14. Direct and Indirect Guidance 
15. Defining Guidance Terms
16. Mistaken Behavior 

17. Mistaken Behavior (4/5)
18. Causes of Behavioral Issues
19. Prevention: Indirect Guidance
20. Direct Guidance Techniques
21. End of Course Quiz (5/5)
22. Course Evaluation Form​
Parking Lot
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