1. Children Communicating: an introduction
FdA Children’s and Young People’s Services
Early Years Pathway: Option Module
Session 1
The meaning of communication

2. Learning Intentions
By the end of the session students will:
have acquired a better understanding of the module and its associated assessment
appreciate the ways in which children & adults progressively communicate with each other
begin to identify ways in which theory, play and concepts influence communication capabilities
reflect on the importance of their own com skills when interacting with children

3. …do we communicate?
TASK: Fill me!

4. The meaning of communication
‘Communication is a complicated process that demands putting together information from many sources, and expressing thoughts with ___________ and relevant ____________, according to established ____________, and an awareness of our ____________ through the reactions of others to what we say and do.’
(Sage, 2006: 1)

5. Communication: the facts
Communication is usually only partially oral
Non-verbal behaviour plays a powerful part in any face-to-face communication
____________________________________________________________________________
Non-verbal communication is particularly important in the lives of young children because they are still learning about verbal behaviour
Q: Which children are highly dependent on non-verbal communication?

6. Communication through the ages
Q: Babies communicate
from birth – but how?
Children:
- might initially use the same word in different ways to convey different meanings;
- use gaze, gestures and actions as well as words to help them link meanings together;
- learn to recognise some of the ways in which words are linked together and begin to combine them in simple ways, although not always correctly.

7. Theoretical underpinnings
_____________________________ – Meltzoff and Prinz (2002) believe that language results from children’s imitation of adults
_____________________________ – Skinner (1957) argues that children can not acquire language unless it is reinforced by parents and others
_____________________________ – Sage (2008) discusses children’s ability to analyse adult language patterns and extract rules from them which are copied & simplified for their own use
_____________________________ – Chomsky (1965) proposed that children are born to sort and learn rules for language transformations

8. Strands of communication & language
_______________________________
TASK: How can the definition and
development support practice in early years
settings?

9. Play and communication
Language skills are learnt, just as other skills are learnt. Children learn a lot through play, as well as through interacting and observing.
Early social play lays down the template for communication – eye contact, turn-taking, making a response, and that communication via vocalisation or gesture causes an effect.
Words, signs and symbols are ____________________
___________________ – of things, actions or concepts e.g. the word ‘car' represents a car, and the word ‘run' represents the action of running (Bazley, 2008)

10. Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia is a northern Italian town
The Reggio model of early childhood education, developed by Malaguzzi, is a socio-constructivist model influenced by the theories of Vygotsky, Piaget, Gardner and Bruner.
‘The 100 languages’

11. The skilled practitioner
TASK: Is U an effective communicator?
Godwin et al (2002: 10) define the role of the adult based on materials taken from the National Oracy Project (1990-2):
The practitioner as _______________________

12. Good Practice in Early Years
Using words, gestures, body language and facial expressions
_____________________
Collaborative tasks
Thinking time
Using home language
Alternate communication strategies – signing
Passing comments and expressing opinions
Experimenting with words and sounds – nonsense rhymes
Exploring language for different audiences
____________________________________________
Providing new and exciting vocabulary
Talking for different purposes
Child initiated discussions

13. Directed Task for Session 2
Please engage in the Prior Reading set for Session Two: Young Children’s Language by C. Genishi (on Blackboard)
Search the Internet for one reading or a journal article about how sociodramatic play can support and enrich young children’s oral communication skills. Please read this, annotate it and bring it next week’s session.