Develop Positive Relationships with Children, Young People
Unit 028 Develop Positive Relationships with Children, Young People And Others Involved in their Care. Be able to develop positive relationships with children and young people. Outcome 1. 1 Explain why positive relationships with children and young people are important and how these are built and maintained. Having good communication skills will help us to develop better relationships, especially with younger people. Some students who lack in confidence may find it hard to communicate at all with us, so if we come across to that pupil in a positive and gentle manner they are more likely to open up to us and talk.
We would not like to be spoken to in a negative way so therefore we should also be careful of how we speak to others too. Non verbal communication can also develop positive relationships for example, if I feel that a pupil is coping in lesson without me being sat next to them all the time, a simple smile to them across the classroom will show them that I am there should they need my help, but also show that I’m not pressurising them by being at their side constantly. This would help the students confidence in working alone.
Another reason for effective communication is that if a pupil has had a problem in a previous lesson with another pupil you may not be aware of this. It could then possibly continue and escalate into something more at a later time. Being informed by talking to teachers or support staff at the previous lesson they can tell you of the situation. This therefore would mean that you can keep a closer eye on that particular pupil and should anything occur later in the day you could intervene.
Talking to the pupil and letting them know you are aware of the situation will also make them feel more at ease in the classroom and putting their mind at rest. Positive relationships are extremely important if you want the child to thrive and grow within the setting. Being a positive role model is essential as the child needs to feel secure in your care. If a positive relationship has been formed, it makes it easier to work with the child to develop in all kinds of areas, such as speech and language.
The more you interact with a child with positive gestures, comments and actions and body language, the more they will relax in your company and feel they can and want to talk to you, open up with feelings and requests and join in activities. This in turn makes for a happy child. To establish a respectful, professional relationship, I would be friendly and approachable along with aiming to build trust with the child in the long term.
It is vital to be positive and give lots of praise and encouragement in order to help increase the child’s self confidence yet still maintain consistent, clear boundaries together with appropriate sanctions as required. In order to promote effective interactions with other children, it is important to be a positive role model. This would help to encourage positive behaviour, and promote effective social skills. Some children may not have a positive role model at home, which makes it even more important to set a good example for them to follow.
Treat everyone fairly and be aware of your own approach-a negative attitude can have a negative impact on the children. In the case of adult, then mutual respect is key-be polite, friendly and speak as you would wish to be spoken to. Being a team player and offering to help others is beneficial in building effective relationships. Likewise, sharing information or giving feedback is essential, ensuring it is given at an appropriate time and place. It is essential to bear in mind the child’s age and previous experience throughout any interaction with the child.
Patience would be needed to help build the child’s relationship with peers and adults alongside close liaison with the child’s parents. Try to see things from their perspective, speak using age appropriate language and use paraphrasing to aid understanding. Use positive body language, eye contact and listen to what they are saying. Ask open ended questions to learn what the child is interested in and use that information to help involve them in class activities to help them to integrate with the other children.
It may be useful to appoint a suitable classmate to be a “buddy” for the new child to make it easier for them to mix with other children and form friendships. Early intervention means intervening as soon as possible to tackle problems that have already emerged for children and young people. It means that it targets specific children who have an identified need for additional support once their problems have already begun to develop but therefore they become more serious. There are numerous intervention services that are provided through schools namely SENCO, speech and language therapy, social workers and educational psychologists etc.
At the beginning of the process the teacher will be aware which children may potentially be in need of some additional support. The teacher will monitor the situation by observing, ensuring that the teaching is appropriate, plus being aware of the developmental stages that the children should be at or working towards. Children are assessed using the National Curriculum levels for that age group. Children can be grouped according to ability and can work in smaller groups within the classroom.
A variety of intervention strategies can be implemented for those who need it i. e. additional support in the classroom, reading to staff more regularly, additional focus on their writing in small groups, targets can be given (as an ability group or as an individual). This aids the learner in being clear on what they have already achieved and where their learning is headed. This is a positive position as it gives the learner ownership of their specific requirements and a knowledge that they are being supported throughout their additional journey.
