Early Childhood studies Application
" A successful communicator needs to develop the ability to determine what is appropriate and what is not in a variety of cultures and situations" (O''Hair & Weimann, 2015, p.16)
In this application you will have the opportunity to apply what you have been learning about communication to observing and analysing the communication skills of others.
First, choose two of the following groups of people to observe: Peers or colleagues,children and adolescents,Family, Group of friends. You may observe adults communicating with adults, adults communicating with children, children communicating with children. You may also choose the situation; or venue, where the observation will take place, such as a family gathering, a group of friends meeting for lunch, a group of children on a playground or in an early childhood setting, a meeting at work, and so on. Make sure to obtain permission from the group you are observing and explain you are not there to judge but rather record observations about communication skills.
Encourgae the people you are observing to interact naturally. If, possible, try not to observe groups with more than five or six people.
During your observation, look for the following: Verbal skills and cues (formal/informal, direct/vagues,positive/negative). Non verbal skills and cues ( intentional cues such as gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions. Non verbal cues such as blushing, body positions and tone of voice, Listening (active, passive, defensive, attending,empatheic, reflective.
For this assignment: Summarize the interactions you observed.
Based on these observations, write a summary of what you learned with regard to communication skills, including the following: Which verbal and nonverbal skills and cues did you observe? Which, if any, fostered communication? Provide examples. Which, if any, impeded communication? Provide examples. Were there any similarities and or differences with regard to communication across gender, ages, and/or context? What, if anything surprised you about the communication you observed? What did you learn from these observation experiences that will help you be a more effective communicator?
Use and/or adaptive charts below to record the ways in which people are communicating, both verbally and non verbally. As you observe, consider the following: Which, if any, of the communication skills that you have learned about are you seeing evidence in this interaction? Which might you not have noticed prior to taking this course? Are they any particular communication skills are fostering communication? If so, which ones? Are there any particular communication skills that are impeding communication? If so which ones?
Observation#1
Participants and Ages
Context/Situation
Participant 1 Verval skills and cues Nonverbal skills and cues Listening
Comments regarding communication skills and the communication process n this group
Observation#2
Participants and Ages
Context/ Situation
Participant 1 Verbal skills and cues Nonverbal skills and cue Listening
Comments regarding communication skills and the communication process in this group