Childcare was my first love and something I have returned to throughout my life. When you have children it is essential that you're communicating with them and observing their reactions. This comes very naturally to most people, although it can be daunting to others who look at a little baby and are totally at a loss as to how to hold them, speak with them, and as for engaging in play, the very idea may be quite scary. Interestingly, there are many childcare students who much prefer to work with pre-school children as they tend to chat freely so it is easy to build relationships with them- when asked to work in the baby room those same students often look decidedly uncomfortable and occasionally almost froze!
I am sharing the content below which was written when my now 8 year old Granddaughter was just a little baby. The interaction really fascinated me at the time so I recorded it. If your child attends day care you will know that we do written observations so that we can plan their next steps- or targets as you would say in the business world. This is very similar as we follow the communication process, and maybe it will provide a little insight as to how you can observe your own young children if you are new to this.
I phoned my son yesterday and whilst we were chatting Aliyah, my little granddaughter, started to bawl. She's only 9 months old so we don't think too much about our interactions, however, after yesterday I would say that she is highly conversant. I asked Sim, my son, to pop her on the phone and she quietened immediately when I spoke, clearly curious as she tuned into my voice which became her sole focus.
Very quickly Aliyah started making a sound and stopped to listen to my response. I copied her and then introduced a different sound and so on. Interestingly, it really felt like a conversation despite the fact we were speaking 'baby language.' This brings us right back to the very purpose of language-communication. Despite not yet having recognisable words Aliyah is clearly skilled in the art of conversing and sends happy vibrations with her unique mix of sounds. Our conversation ran for quite some time and was a relaxed, enjoyable experience which reached a natural conclusion. I would say the warmth created in an interaction such as this is a wonderful thing, being a positive experience and part of the bonding process as well as an essential component of language development. All of these little interactions will be stored in the baby's brain until they are able to join the dots and speak their first word.
Very quickly Aliyah started making a sound and stopped to listen to my response. I copied her and then introduced a different sound and so on. Interestingly, it really felt like a conversation despite the fact we were speaking 'baby language.' This brings us right back to the very purpose of language-communication. Despite not yet having recognisable words Aliyah is clearly skilled in the art of conversing and sends happy vibrations with her unique mix of sounds. Our conversation ran for quite some time and was a relaxed, enjoyable experience which reached a natural conclusion. I would say the warmth created in an interaction such as this is a wonderful thing, being a positive experience and part of the bonding process as well as an essential component of language development. All of these little interactions will be stored in the baby's brain until they are able to join the dots and speak their first word.
Over to you!!! Do you have a great
story to tell? What have you overcome and how? Are you organizing an event that
you’d love to share? Have you written an article, poem or short story you would
like featured? If so, please contact me with brief info via my Facebook
Group Its Braap and
I will get back to you.
Jaz McKenzie~ The Word Magician
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