Relationship-Based Early Learning
Submitted by
Michelle Gilbert
Our
brain works best when it feels safe.
This is even true for us as adults. Have you ever walked into a room and sensed
right away something was happening even without anyone saying a word? Recently, I had such an experience at a local
store. As soon as I walked through the
doors, I could tell there was a tense energy among employees. I soon noticed several emergency service
workers surrounding a gentleman. Not
knowing the circumstances that had led up to what I was seeing, my mind
immediately went to the worst case scenario.
My brain was screaming, “Danger!
Alert! Get out now!” I took a deep breath and tried to assess
whether there was anything on my list I couldn’t live without. In that moment of panic, I couldn’t even
remember what I had needed. Fear had
paralyzed my brain and made me less capable of thinking logically than when I’d
walked in the door.
For
young children, a sense of security is built when the adults in their world
keep them physically safe by providing an environment free of hazards. Equally important, however, is how we guard
their emotional safety. By investing
time and energy into building trusting and nurturing relationships with the
children in our care, we actually free their brain to work optimally! Children who experience caring relationships
with their teachers can explore, investigate, engage with peers and feel more
confident in themselves as learners.
Trusting, secure relationships
with young children take time to development.
Just like with all relationships, there will be some that feel natural
right away and others that require us to nurture them a bit more. The strategies below provide will help you
establish, maintain and grow your relationships with young children and their
families.
·
Have things prepared for the child before he or
she starts in your program. Starting a
new program can be intimidating for some children and families. Having personal spaces like cubbies and coat
hooks labeled sends the message, “We’re glad you’re here and you belong!”
·
Warmly greet each child and parent when they
arrive each day.
·
Display photos of children and their
families. This can be done on a bulletin
board, posters, in frames or in simple photo albums children can access. Don’t forget to include photos of you and
your family!
·
Try putting up a few photos of children playing
and learning in your environment, too.
These photos can provide great conversation starters with children and
can also build a sense of community for children and their peers.
·
Get to know each child personally. Invest time learning about his or her
interests, fears, dreams, learning style, etc.
This can be done naturally by playing and talking with the child. For very young or pre-verbal children, this
can also be done through observation, documentation and conversations with the
family and other caregivers.
·
Be emotionally available to children. Provide comfort and support when they are
upset and encouragement as they take on the difficult task of learning new
things.
·
Pay attention to body language. Subtle negative body language, such as
rolling your eyes or clapping your hands on your hips can send a very powerful
message to young children. Make sure
your body language gets the same positive attention as the words you say.
·
Take advantage of daily routine times to build
in connection and bonding opportunities.
It has often been said that a baby on a changing table is a captive
audience. Start with a smile and relaxed
body posture, as the child will feel this energy and be less likely to get
upset during the diaper change. Use this
time to make eye contact as you visit or sing with the child. Much of the stress associated with meal times
and nap times (for children and caregivers) can be reduced by creating and using
connection rituals.
For additional information on
relationship-based learning, check out the following resources:
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