Guidelines for Effective Communication Knot and Birthday Game

Guidelines for Effective Communication

Knot and Birthday Game Reflection n n What did you learn from doing this game? What did you learn about how YOU communicate? How did you communicate as a group to get out of the knot? Did a few people just follow along? What does that say about how they communicate? Did anyone take control of the group? What does that say about how they communicate?

Establish Eye contact n Get on the CHILD’S LEVEL n Find a common interest n Provide wait (think) time n

Focus the child’s attention to the topic Point or hold up what you are talking about n Gently turn the child’s face towards you n Block the child’s view from distraction things n

Be encouraging Focus on the positive n Expand n Show interest thorough body language n Encourage the child to talk for themselves n

Avoid shaming, embarrassing, or comparing Accept the child’s answer n Don’t tease n

Be a language model Appropriate vocabulary n Complete sentences n Speak clearly n Avoid slang n Avoid baby talk n

Encouraging language skills Alert the baby of their surroundings n Look at picture books n Use nursery rhymes and finger plays n Go to the library n Play games together n Use puppets n Sing songs n

Age appropriate conversations with Infants Talk to them as soon as they are born helps with vocabulary!! n Remember to smile, touch, hold, rock and make eye contact when talking n You can talk about anything! n TV and the radio do not work n Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - Goofy Babysitter – You. Tube 2: 05 n

Age appropriate conversations with Toddlers n n n talk in normal tone of voice Use simple words they will understand or define new ones Keep sentences short and clear Wait to give instructions until the time the child should follow them. Get down to the child’s eye level Avoid or explain figurative language n “Mom is going to kill you if you do not wear your coat. ”

What age do you think? (infant, toddler, preschooler, school age, teenage) n “Get your sweater. ” (pause) “Good. Now get your knit cap. ” n “It feels like we’re heading into a second Ice Age. Better put on a sweater. ”

What age do you think? (infant, toddler, preschooler, school age, teenage) n “We’d better wrap you up warm, warm. Feel the fuzzy sweater. Feel how fuzzy and warm. First one arm and then the other. You’ll be warm out in the cold. ” n Put on something warm. It’s cold out there, and you don’t want to get sick before your big game on Saturday. ”