Observing Communication

I choose to observe how one of my staff persons interacts with a first grade child during homework time in an afterschool program.  I choose these two because she was so excited about how he has been progressing with his school work.  This child is in a special needs program and requires extra help.  He seems to bond very well with the staff person.  While he is doing his spelling homework she sits beside him on the benches and points out each spelling word,  tells him the word, they spell the word together, then she has him say and spell the word by himself, last she covers the word and has him spell it aloud.   When she first began doing this with him he was not a strong speller he is excellent now. 

When he walks into the program after being dismissed from his classroom he walks right over to here and says Ms. So and So cold C-O-L-D she says to him it’s not time to do spelling yet and he replies I am good speller aren’t I. Once a month she rewards him with his favorite lollipop if he does well on three of the four spelling test.  That day he came in and said lollipop please because I got four green stars for spelling.  Watching this has showed me how we as adults have such a great influence on children.  While talking to the staff person the boy’s teacher came in and said he is doing so much better on his spelling now he is in class helping the other students who are struggling. 

Adult-child communication is very important.  Observing the two interact is how I always assist children while doing homework.  When communicating I always believe that you should come down to their level and not talk down on them it makes them feel like your empowering over them or like they did something wrong.  I also believe that it is important to talk to them with enthusiasm, and a you can do it spirit.  It is important to build their self-confidence.