Importance of Effective Communication at the Early Age of Learning - Essay Example

Running Head: IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AT THE EARLY AGE OF LEARNING Effective Communication Name Institution Date Introduction Education is essential for effective personal growth and development. The early stages of life are critical as the learners are experiencing growth physically, emotively, socially and mentally. This is the wise age to impart knowledge to the learners as their minds at this age are normally very receptive. To enable this, effective means of communication have to be employed. There is need for the teachers and parents to identify their roles in the learners’ education process and the educational institution has to identify the right pedagogy to impart the adequate knowledge to the learner. The paper will aim at identifying how teacher and parent/teacher communication is essential at the early stages learning. The thesis will also purpose to identify the skills employed in the teaching and their importance to early learners. Lastly, the thesis will identify the various ways in which the learners can learn as well as the importance of nonverbal communication in early learning setting to achieve effective communication. Objective To identify the importance of effective communication at an early learning setting. The teacher is an important determiner of the early child’s successful communication and education life. The teacher endeavors to give a supportive and motivating environment for the learners to reflect and question. In this case, the learner is expected to be corrected and not be dispensed with information by the teacher. The instructor is meant to be a tool to be used by the students to achieve a certain aim when needed. The teacher should provide an environment that supports inquisitiveness and challenge to ideas. This enables the students to move from one knowledge and experience level to the other. The teacher is expected to know the learners and identify their differences in view of understanding the best ways of creating a trustworthy relationship to enable a favorable learning environment where both the teacher and the learner are free to communicate and learn from each other Malaguzzi, 1993b, p. 82. The teacher should know that making mistakes is an essential step in an education process and allow the learners to go through the experiences of the perceived wrong route. The teacher should be there to encourage and support the students as they find their way out of the perceived problem. The teacher through observation should be able to find the most appropriate interventions which can only be achieved through building of strong relationships with the learners as it makes the teacher be confident of the role. In addition, the teacher is expected to be informed through continuous research. This will enable the instructor to gain insight on appropriate methodologies that will enable him motivate learners adequately to be able to increase the learners interest to learn and discover new ideas. The research will be able to give the teacher new instructional ideas that will build the learner teacher relationship even to greater heights as the dynamic world needs dynamic ideas. This will enable the instructor to keep an eye on the learner at each particular time through observation without being subjective Gandini, 1997, p. 19. Participation of parents in learning life of the learners is crucial and should begin at the onset of school attendance. This should be enhanced through regular meetings between the parents, learners and the teachers. This enables the learner’s image at the learning environment to be enriched. The teacher and parents should help integrate home and school life environments and help learners understand and relate the two at an early age. It should be realized that the integration program enables a great establishment of trust and collaboration among the learner, teacher and parents. The parents are to participate in collaboration in the observing and if possible in documenting the learning process of the learners to enable the teacher to have a complete image of the learners. The parents are to keep a journal of the learners and store any other relevant images or observations that will be shared to the teacher and to convincingly and conclusively discuss on the learners experiences in a group. This should be done frequently as every moment is precious in the learners learning process. Partnership between teachers, learners and parents are able to strengthen and meet the learners’ abilities and needs. The parents could participate in school activities like sports events, fun day, preparation of meals, offer tutorial talks and volunteer in doing some activities like gardening to enhance cooperation among the school, teachers and the learners as the learners will be motivated to participate through observing the parents commitment in the school and class activities. The learners will be able to relate the uniqueness and importance of schooling and learning experiences from both the home and school environments. It should be understood that partnership between parents and teachers is built over a period of time through mutual involvement and respect between both parties. Teachers should ensure they inform the parents on their roles in the development of the learners’ education process and the schools program should also be availed to them for effective planning and allocation of time for the school events. The development and use of a variety of teaching methodology at an early stage is critical as this forms the basic steps towards the development of the learner in terms of emotional, mental, social and psychomotor development to maturity. Teachers and instructors should be aware of the existence of pedagogical methodologies that are aimed at enabling the learner to develop and decide on school activities. Content in some instances is not developed in advance but is developed based on the learners’ needs. The skills employed in the early stages of learners to be explorers and developers. The skills are aimed at building the learners’ mind to be innovative and not only be great inquisitors but also who are able to form informed decisions. The skills are to enable the learners to be social as the skills employed are meant to increase interaction and involvement of all learners. Skills like play and song and dance employed in school are meant to improve the interaction skills of learners Katz, L. G., & Chard, S. C. 1989. In addition the skills in the early learners’ stage are aimed at enhancing gender equality as the learners are meant to interact and perform tasks with learners of different sexes. These skills employed are also aimed at increasing the learners’ curiosity and interest in learning. It should be evident that at an early stage learners at an early stage are involved in different activities and pedagogy to enable them deal with temperament differences and overcome their socio-emotional milestones. The skills on the other hand are meant for the teacher to identify their differences in behavior so as to be able to guide them in forming informed choices. In the employment of the different teaching methodologies, the learners are able to identify the environment in which they exist and be able to coexist with its inhabitants peacefully. Lastly, skills employed to enhance the learners’ ability to communicate both verbally and non-verbally of with other and using language as a means of communication. The learners are also able to identify the accepted values of a particular society and live up to the societal expectations. This is vital as this is when the learner is experiencing a tremendous growth physically and the brain at this stage is very receptive thus the need to impart valuable skills and knowledge to the early learners Katz, L, & Chard, S, 1989. The Reggio Emilia philosophy is a popular and exemplary model that concentrates on the natural development and growth of a child but in light of the close varied relationships that form their environment Gandini & Forman, 1998. One of the major principles of this model is the fact that children are given the opportunity to learn through varied methods such as moving, touch, hearing, seeing and listening. Additionally, they are allowed to explore as well as express themselves to others. This is contrary to the mere lip service that some teachers offer some children that are solely verbal communication. The Reggio Emilia approach is unique mainly because of the emphasis given to the nonverbal communication throughout the curriculum even when it still carries the aspect of verbal communication. Its curriculum is based on the interests and abilities of the children and is inclusive of projects that enhance the in-depth study of ideas and concepts. The model is beneficial as it allows the children to engage in projects and self-selected activities that advance the cognitive development of the children. This happens as they explore, negotiate, hypothesize, compare, critique, creatively think and problem solve through the various group work activities. In addition to acquisition of such skills, the children get to understand the uniqueness of ones self as well as develops a sense of team work. The inter-relational activities also teach the children to relate to different people, a vital social skill necessary in the growth and development of any child in a community. The model also incorporates the frequent use of a large variety of popular communication media making the children more creative and conversant when it comes to non-verbal communication. The children also learn how to express their new knowledge through various means of representational work for example drawings, dramatic play, sculpture and writing. Any child who therefore goes through a school with the Reggio Emilia program comes out a more enriched and equipped student in the journey of education. A child’s home language gives one a sense of belonging but one also has to learn numeracy and literacy because they are vital aspects of communication and are very important for successful and effective learning across a curriculum. Acquisition of these skills is necessary for one to become an effective communicator. Armed with numeracy and literacy, a child is able to go through successful learning as they move from one level to the next in the education ladder. A firm foundation in these competencies is therefore necessary and it should thus be well built in one’s years of early childhood. Developing communication skills in young children is essential in an early learning setting as these children develop a positive and improved sense of personal identity. They also experience responsive and respectful relationships which strengthen the child’s skills and interests. Their experiences are broadened and they understand the responses to various actions and how these actions affect others. Additionally, one learns how to respond to experiences and people and when given opportunities to make contributions to decisions, independence is formed Educational Research, 1979. Communication-based interactions (verbal communication) in the classroom are important as they expose children to diverse personalities and ideas as well as different ways of doing and being. Such exposure, with the proper guidance from teachers, teaches the child to respect differences and similarities among people. This form of learning helps them notice positive ways of reacting to situations and consequently transforms the ways in which they interact with other people. Fairness is realized in terms of treating one’s neighbor and appreciation and care for ones environment becomes evident. Most importantly, individuals learn how to participate in the surrounding community in light of one’s rights and responsibilities. Non-verbal communication in teaching is of great importance in making whole communication process effective and complete. A classroom that allows the penetration of natural lighting through windows into the room improves involvement and enthusiasm of the children. Feelings of rejection or acceptance can be communicated from the teacher to the student by the patterns of travel used by the teacher in class as well as the distance maintained from the students in the room. The arrangement of desks should allow accessibility of the student by the teacher to encourage openness and a learning environment that is physically supportive. The teacher should be able to get to each individual frequently and quickly as well. Eye contact should be maintained with each individual by sweeping through the classroom with one’s eyes to enhance fairness among students. Any suspected bias of favoritism can result to withdrawal or poor reception of information during lessons. Teachers should therefore pay attention to each individual child to ensure proper progress and to enhance learning Miller, 2005. Conclusion This paper was aimed at registering the importance of effective communication skills in the early learning setting. Communication in itself is divided into verbal and non-verbal aspects but the importance of either of the two should not be underscored. The learning done in the childhood years should be treated with utmost importance as it is during these years that a foundation for future learning is built. Such a foundation should therefore be one that is firm and carefully built. The teacher’s and parent/teacher are essential in ensuring meaningful and effective communication. The teacher and the learning environment should be able to employ different learning skills in imparting knowledge in to the receptive minds of the learner. It is however important to note that the learner should be encouraged to be inquisitive and to learn through self discovery. It is therefore evident to say effective communication is important at an early learning setting References Educational Research, Vol. 49, No. 4 (autumn, 1979), pp. 631-672 PDF Edwards, C,Gandini, L & Forman, G. (Eds.) 1998 "The hundred languages of children" Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Emilia. Gandini, L 1997 Foundations of the Reggio Emilia approach. In J. Hendrick (Ed.), First steps toward teaching the Reggio way (pp. 14–25). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Katz, L, & Chard, S 1989 Engaging children’s minds: The project approach. Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Malaguzzi, L 1993a for an education based on relationships. Young children, 49 (1), 9–12. Patrick, M, Body Language in the Classroom, , Techniques, November/December 2005 Retrieved on the 24th March 2011 from: www.acteonline.com The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, 2009 http://www.ag.gov.au/cca Read More