Key Elements in Communication - Essay Example

Good Communication Skills Order No. 279807 No. of pages: 4 1st 6530 Introduction: ‘Good communication is frequently seen as key to solving problems and there are many reasons why communication skills need to be developed by people working with children. Some of these are pragmatic others more philosophical.’ (Crow et al., 2008, p.9 cited in Foley, P. and Leverett, S. ‘Communicating with children’) Communication is a potent tool in the hands of every practioner to make use of in order to expect better outcomes. Communication is a skill that is very necessary especially when dealing with children. Poor communication will only result in poor outcomes. Importance of good communication The above statements only underlines the importance of Communication and what needs to be considered is if communication is so important for adults how much more is there a need for effective and good communication when dealing with children. Children are easily swayed and ready to adopt styles of the teachers/elders., hence it is imperative that practitioners dealing with children should be well aware of this fact and the impact they may have in communicating with children. A very important cog in Child interaction is our communication comprising of both verbal and non-verbal. As brought out earlier, children absorb and imitate their teachers, parents and elders very easily. They are like sponge and have this tendency of following or imitating the actions and words of their role models which invariably are elders whom they like alot. In such circumstances how we communicate, what we communicate and when we communicate is crucial. Child development centers on communication at every stage whether it is from parents, family or teachers. A child’s psyche is moulded and patterned by Communication to a large extent. In the area of child care because children are more sensitive and easily hurt, it becomes an imperative factor for child care practitioners to be well aware of this facet and act accordingly. While one has to adopt a balanced approach in our communication, even with adults it is more crucial when it comes to dealing with children because different ways of communication can impact in totally different ways that what was intended. Forms of Communication Communication falls into two basic categories viz. a) Verbal and b) Non-Verbal. Verbal refers to our speech, its intonations, the decibel level etc. Professor Albert Mehrabian in his book’ Silent Messages’ published in 1971, states that in a conversation or verbal exchange words are 7%, Tone 38% and Non-Verbal Communication 55%. What is Non- Verbal Communication? And why does it play such an important part? Gestures, Posture, Touch, Eye Contact, Space & physical environment, personal adornments, physical attractiveness, facial contortions etc to name a few are forms of Non-Verbal Communication. Along with the Verbal communication, Non-Verbal Communication plays a much more significant role in being a good communicator. Seeing that Non-Verbal communication holds a 55% part of any conversation, care should be exercised in our gestures, posture, personal adornments, facial contortions so that the wrong message is not communicated. Sometimes, children may get unwittingly ‘discriminated’ Piper, H. and Stronach, I. (2008) against by a practioner or any other elder in charge either on the basis of poor behavior or poor participation in activities or shabby work. By passing on such messages, we will be reinforcing the negative aspect of feelings and emotions within the child which would lead to feelings of rejection, anger, hurt, sadness etc. Therefore, it is imperative to always communicate on a very positive note and if the child has to be corrected for something, it should be done in a positive manner through motivation and real concern for the child. According to Collins, J. (2008) better outcomes could be achieved by “developing positive relationships.” Since children are always very sharp at noticing the way elders behave and picking up the same nuances of behavior, we have to be all the more careful in the way we treat and behave towards children as well as towards other people such as colleagues around us. In the case of very troublesome children who try to bully other children, the practioner should make it very clear that such behavior will not be tolerated in the school because the school is meant to be a safe place where children come to study. The children should be made to understand from the onset what is expected of them and anything deviating from this fact would be dealt with in a strict manner. (Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007) Key Elements in Communication We have seen two basic forms of Communication viz. Verbal and Non-Verbal. While we have dwelt in brief on how non-verbal communication has a larger role to play in conversation and by adopting methods and practices that are conducive to good communication, one can become a good communicator. Another very important part of good communication is Listening. Carl Rogers in his book “On becoming a person” notes that “… real communication occurs when we listen with understanding… to see the idea and attitude from the other person’s point of view..” - how true and profound this thought is. The world will be a better place should all people adopt this effective yet simple way of communication. Don Gabor in his book “Speaking your Mind in 101 difficult situations” brings out tips for a tactful conversation. He says, - T - Think before you speak A - Apologize quickly when you blunder C - Converse, don’t Compete T - Time your Comments F - Focus on Behaviour not Personality U - Uncover Hidden Feelings L - Listen for Feedback While the above tips can be considered philosophical, the words of Martin Luther King in his historical speech ” I Have a Dream” the words that have been immortalized for ages, does echo philosophy and acts as a clarion call to communication practitioners to adopt and practice the above principles. Conclusion The fact that good communication is now considered an important tool in all areas thereby making communication a study course by itself, only goes to prove how important it is for us to exercise and adopt good communication skills especially in the arena of child care. There is this demanding requirement that honing communication skills is vital when taking up any assignment especially in the area of child care. Since children always look up to the elders for guidance in everything they do, it is but evident that we have to satisfy this need through our behavior and good communication in order that good outcomes in every aspect may be expected. References Collins, J. (2008) ‘Developing positive relationships’ in Foley, P. and Leverett, S. (eds), Connecting with children: developing working relationships, Bristol, The Policy Press/Milton Keynes, The Open University. Crow et al. (2008) ‘Communicating with children’ in Foley, P. and Leverett, S. (eds), Connecting with children: developing working relationships, Bristol, The Policy Press/Milton Keynes, The Open University. Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007) Safe to Learn: Embedding Anti-bullying Work in School, London, DCSF. Available online at Piper, H. and Stronach, I. (2008) Don’t Touch!: The Educational Story Of A Panic, London, Routledge. Read More