Communicating with children

1.             Building relationships through communication is a major part of caring for, and educating, children and has a significant impact on all areas of their wellbeing.   2.             Communication can reinforce children’s self-esteem and contribute to cultural understandings and the reinforcement of identities.   3.             Emotional literacy is an increasingly widespread concept, supported through early years and schools, but this needs to be modelled rather than simply taught.   4.             Communication can have an effect on identity and the identity development of children.   5.             Effective communication can enable the fulfilment of children’s rights to protection, provision and participation.

Book 1 - Chapter 1

Communication is affected by various factors which need to be considered: physical and emotional states, personality, disability, cultural diversity and the environment, and the circumstances in which the communication takes place.

Appreciating the many ways in which children communicate is a key skill for those in the children’s workforce. A pluralistic approach is one that will be most likely to positively affect the greatest number of children

Conclusion   Children, like adults, use a wide range of methods of communication about a wide range of issues. Good communication skills are fundamental to building a rapport with children, to knowing how to present and provide genuine choices and key information and to empathy and making them feel valued.