Title: Model effective communication skills to use with children.
Course: GRADS: Family Focus (19905-36) > Section: Managing Family Relationships

Modeling should involve

- demonstrating active listening skills
- expressing caring and loving messages during everyday interactions
- demonstrating positive touch
- responding to children’s questions
- applying methods of positive reinforcement
- conveying clear instructions
- using tone of voice appropriate to the situation
- analyzing effects of respectful and disrespectful messages on children.

Process/Skill Questions

Thinking

- How do you feel when you believe someone is really listening to you? How do you know they are listening?
- Why is it important to respond to children’s questions? In what manner should you answer a child’s questions?

Communication

- What do each of these active listening skills contribute to good listening: encouraging, clarifying, restating, reflecting, summarizing, and validating?
- How do you show respect when speaking to a child?

Leadership

- Why is it sometimes difficult for parents to use positive reinforcement?
- In what ways do you or could you express caring and loving messages during everyday interactions?

Management

- What are the consequences of using positive reinforcement? Negative reinforcement?
- What are the consequences of conveying clear instructions? Of conveying unclear instructions?