I observed a child around four years old in the grocery
store with her mother. They were in the
produce section of the store. The child
was asking questions about a pineapple. “What
is this? Can I smell it? Can I taste it? Do people eat the outside of the
pineapple? It would hurt if they did.” The child also asked what color the inside of
the fruit was. The mother was very
patient and answered each question. She
did not hurry through the shopping without answering the questions of the
child. She allowed the child to smell
the fruit and even asked the child if she would like to purchase some.
I feel as if the questions of the child were answered and
the child was able to explore and learn from the communication. The mother was listening and not speaking for
the child, as Lisa Kolbeck implored in this week’s video segment (Laureate
Education, Inc., 2011). The mother acted
as a facilitator rather than a dictator (Rainer Dangei & Durgin, 2010). The child seemed to have learned from this
experience.
This child most likely feels that her questions and ideas
are important. She feels valued and
important. She likely feels safe to ask
questions and voice her ideas.
Sometimes I get busy and do not devote as much time to
listening as I should. I admit when I
have twenty four year olds each expressing ideas that it is difficult to
effectively listen and facilitate student thinking. I feel I am a great one on one listener, but
in a large group, I need to focus those skills and truly take the time to
listen and effectively communicate.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive
Producer). (2011). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Communicating with Young Children.
Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819834_1%26url%3D
Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T. R. (2010).
The nature of teacher talk during small group activities. YC: Young
Children, 65(1), 74-81. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the
Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=47964033&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Hi Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that this child got her communication needs met in a way that strengthened her self-esteem. In this day and age you find so many people ignoring these questions and rushing through their task. I also need to practice actively listening in larger groups. It is so much easier wwhen there is a limited amount of distractions to have to work through.
Nice post,
Luci
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteChildren love to ask questions. As a result, parents must be open and willing to provide answers. This helps children to learn. Teachers should also provide answers for inquisitive children.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your observation, it reminded me of part of my childhood. When I was a child my mom would answer all of my questions when we were shopping and when I "helped" make dinner. Because of her patience, I grew up to love cooking and shopping for fresh foods. It is amazing what long term affects effective communication can have.