summerise entitlement and provision for early years education

TDA 3.1: Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults

1.1 Explain why effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children young people and adults.
Effective communication is very important in developing positive relationships with children young people and adults because this allows to build a good rapport with people. This also produces a sense of responsibility and belonging which builds trust. If a person has good communication skills then they will be more approachable and easy to work and communicate with.
When I first started working at Castlehall Academy the children hadn’t met me before, so it was very challenging for me to make sure that I could make the children feel that I was there to help them with their education. I had to build a good relationship and have good communication skills so that I could understand what difficulties they were having and be able to provide the correct support. To be able to do this I had to stay inattentive and listen to them making sure they felt I was interested in what they were saying. I also introduced myself and explained a little about myself. I was constantly calm even when they tried to push the boundaries occasionally. I found that by staying positive the child felt more comfortable with me and managed to complete the tasks they were given with compliments from the tutors.
1.2 Explain the principles of relationship building with children, young people and adults.
The principles of building a relationship with children and adults is very important as understanding these will help with finding out what is lacking from a relationship. These principles can be applied to improve any misunderstandings that maybe caused by not getting along.
Effective communication: Main area in developing any good relationships
Being considerate: Trying to understand the positions of others stress and why their behavior may have changed, they may say something unusual for them.
Remembering Personal issues: Making sure you remember others Birthdays and personal concerns etc.
Maintaining a sense of humor: Not taking everything seriously especially if it’s not, laughing at different situations.
Listening to others: Giving full attention when listening to others and dealing with the situation appropriately especially when someone needs advice or help.
Show respect: Show respect in what others believe in and the culture they follow.
Being clear in key points: Always make sure that children fully understand what you have said to them and that they are no longer confused in the direction, request or task you have set.
1.3 Explain how different social, professional and cultural contexts may affect relationships and the way people communicate.

At the school the staff are requested to dress in a smart casual way, I believe this shows the children that the teachers and support staff take care in their appearance; this also allows the children understand the standards required by the school from the children regarding the uniforms and appearance. When I work with the children I always remain professional without making the children feel I’m being soft or too strict on them, I have to adapt myself by changing my explanation skills in a easier way so that they can complete the work they have been set by doing this they feel more relaxed around me and are more likely to work hard.

I have recently been added onto the school emailing list and receive emails regarding courses I need to complete on the intranet, timetable changes or just school updates this type of communication can be formal and informal as emailing can be used just to pass common information on to colleagues but can also be used to form contacts on a professional level e.g. letters of correspondence, work timetables, security information and messages from Head teacher or other teachers.

However a lot of the children’s parents in the school do not have English as a first language and would find it difficult in responding with emails or text messages in English. The school has overcome this situation by providing an interpreter who discusses school/home situations on the phone or by appointment face to face. I find this improves the overall impression of the school and builds a positive relationship with the parents. The school also provide for interpreters on parents evenings in two languages so the parents know how well their child is doing in school.

The school has a lot of involvement within the community so understands the cultural backgrounds of the children who attend the school and provide a prayer room during Ramadan and understand the importance of the fasting month.

Formal communication Informal communication

Letters to parents/businesses Conversations with colleagues
Texts to parents Emails to friends
Phone calls (Business Related) Gossip/grapevine
Parents evenings/open days Phone calls (personal)
Interviews Backbiting
School information packs
Complaints procedures

2.1 Explain the skills needed to communicate with children and young people

I work with a child who speaks very softly and I find him very sweet and polite, however he has some confidence problems due to his learning difficulties. When I first started he would only answer in yes or no words.

I remained neutral with him for a few lessons, thinking that he needed to get used to me. After a while I started having conversations with him asking him about his favorite lessons and what he did over the weekend. I would try my best to remember what we had discussed the last lesson and carry on the conversation whilst helping him build a relationship with myself which made him feel more confident in speaking to me. Now after a few weeks he always calls me in the corridors and is always smiling when I’ve been given the chance to work with him.

To be able to communicate with children and young adults there are a few pointers that need to be followed which will allow the child/young adult want to learn more and feel valued.

Speaking
Give the child time to speak, don’t interrupt them thinking you know what they are going to say or fill in the words for them. This will make them more negative towards you and may not want to speak at all.

Eye Contact
Always give the child eye contact to show you are comprehending what they are saying and try not to look elsewhere, so they don’t feel ignored as this can cause more problems with communicating in the long run.

Body language and facial expressions
Positive body language makes the child feel more positive as they will imitate that state. Walking into a class with a smile and uprightness shows the children that you are ready to take on a challenge and they will automatically feel the same. Whereas negativity breeds negativity, so even if the child was originally feeling positive and ready to work the negativity that a TA brings will deflate the child’s abilities.

Reaction and comment on what the child is saying
Always repeat back the sentences the child has said just to make sure they have used proper words. This also fortifies their understanding of how sentences are really formed and reconfirms what you might have heard so that you can have the right reaction to it.

Take interest, respond and always question to maintain the conversation Children should feel that the TA is interested in a conversation with them; to help them reply and use a varied language the TA should constantly ask questions. This helps the child learn how a conversation is formed and maintained with others and it also builds a better relationship.

2.2 Explain how to adapt communication with children and young people for:

The age of the child or young person: - Small children who have recently started school require more attention then maybe children who have been in school for a few years. Young children will be more timid and scared and may need cuddles and allowed o take time to get used to adults as well as other children, whereas older children would have been able to build this qualities and may only need attention in being able to express themselves and use more of their own intuitive to solve problems emotionally and physically.

The context of the communication: - Children at different age groups require different ways of talking to them this also depends on the environment they are in at the time. At my placement I am placed in different classes each lesson, I find that some of the students are very inquisitive and ask loads of personal questions, I try my best to let them know that I am there as a helper to improve their education and that my personal details does not affect our relationship at school. I have worked with a child who has very disruptive attributes, this child doesn’t like to do his work and will always look around and distract others from their work. I find that the best way to deal with him is to move him away from others so that he can’t disrupt them. I have also found that this technique helps him also because he has been recently being completing his work for the teachers though he could do more than he does.

Communication differences:-When children have problems speaking due to lack of confidence or maybe they can’t speak the language and also if they have a stammer or other speech impairments. It is advised that the child is allowed to take his/her time and be able to express themselves without feeling more conscious of their situation. The person who they are having a conversation with should make sure that the child is not interrupted and words are not used to help them express what they are trying to say. These children require understanding and patience which will in turn help them build the skills they need to be able to communicate with others also.

2.3 Explain the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children.

There are not many differences in communicating with adults and child as both require the same skills: - Eye contact, making sure you are fully focused and interested in the conversation. Making sure you do not disrespect the other person and most of all making sure the other person does not feel they are being ignored.

There are however some points to remember, children require a little more attention when they are given information weather it’s for completing a task or just general knowledge. The importance of speaking clearly and in simplest terms and asking the child to repeat will establish that the child knows what has been requested or said to them.

2.4 Explain how to adapt communication to meet different communication needs of adults

Different have different communicational needs and these should be addressed accordingly. Some parents may require a translator as they may not use English as a first language. Or if a translator is not available then speaking in simple terms will allow for some means of understanding. This could also affect any correspondence that may be sent to the home like School letters. If the information passed to the home is of importance then the best option would be to contact the parent over the phone or call them into school to be able to get a response.

2.5 Explain how to manage disagreements with children young people and adults

There may come a time during my work, I may come across disagreements with others and I feel the best way to overcome with these disagreements are:-

Some parents may feel that the school is opposing their ideas and values, to deal with situations like this I would need to explain why the school deals with these ideas in a certain way and try to build a positive relationship with the parents

Children often forget to give their parents letters from schools so this effects the communication between the school and home; this can be overcome by finding out the reasons and dealing with them. Other factors that affect lack of communication is time management and misunderstandings these will also have to be discussed and the correct procedure will have to be applied.

When preparing for activities, there may come a time when not everyone will agree on how best to deliver it. To deal with someone like this I should be able to discuss and also take on board their ideas, however this should not contradict the whole purpose and outcome of the activity.

Some people have low self esteem and confidence and this effects the way they deal with others. They could also have stress from other situations and act in a certain way and out of character. These people require more understanding and encouragement to help them improve themselves. I will have to offer a more sensitive side and be really patient with them making sure I understand their situation and how they react to certain scenarios.