Communication and Professional relationships with children, young people and adults in an educational environment is an important part of a professional relationship.
Describe how communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development Children’s cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills develop as they go through life. As they grow and mature, their needs, abilities, interests and challenges change. Younger children may be able to comprehend through very simple language and concrete images, older children are able to process more complicated linguistic and visual expressions. Various psychological theories on human development are based on the concept of “stage”. The key to stage theories is the understanding of stages as unique stages of development, with each stage personified by its own special behavioural and cognitive characteristics. According to child development and psychological research, all individuals progress through the same stages in a fixed chronological order.
Foundation stage and key stage 1
Young children are still developing their language and communication skill they will have to be reminded of listening carefully when others are talking. When we are talking to young children we have to speak clearly slowly and not using big words as they won’t understand what we are saying. We will have to check their understanding of what has been said by asking questions or asking them to repeat. Young children get tired quickly when doing activities and they can't concentrate for a long time as they became fidgety and start playing about touching things and people around them. Understand and often use colour, number and time related words, for example, 'red' car, 'three' fingers and 'yesterday / tomorrow'. Try to be able to answer questions about ‘why’ something has happened. Describe or talk about events that have already happened e.g. 'we went to the park. Ask many questions using words like ‘what’ ‘where’ and ‘why’ to understand their point or expression.
Key stage 2
During middle years, children gradually develop into more independent and separate human beings who are capable of exploring the world around them. They use more sophisticated language and learn a tremendous amount of new information. Use of strategies such as visual and auditory humour and cognitive challenges (e.g., brain teasers, riddles, tongue twisters, etc.) are more effective with them. Including interactive problem-solving and critical thinking can help them assist with their individual behaviour and more capable. At this stage they will start understanding bigger words but will still need some of explanation. Children in this stage have a better understanding of language and communication skill and they will stop thinking of them self when wanting to talk and let others speak first but you will still have to remind them sometimes about waiting their turn when people are speaking as they will be excited to say something and forget about waiting for the person to finished.
Key stage 3 and 4
Young people at this stage will use formal and informal language they will know and understand how to communication with people more better. Teenagers will become shy and nervous when having to speak out in front of people due to them being worried what people will think and be embarrassed if they get it wrong. You will have to encourage them to talk and giving them more time to do so. Teenagers will start communicating with others through technology by phones texting and internet emails and social network. Cultural differences play a very significant role in constructing what it means to be a child and an adolescent at different stages of development, and requires that our communication be culturally specific. The fact is that while growing up, adolescents continue to need loving and empathic adults who provide guidance, serve as positive role models, set clear