Who do we communicate with?
Children
Staff
Parents/Carers
Local Authority
Social Workers
Health Visitors
SENCO
Speech and Language Therapists
Outside Educators, i.e. Tatty Bumpkins
Other settings, i.e. nurseries and schools
Ofsted
Colleges
Emergency services
PSLA
How do we communicate with them?
Face to face – verbally
Daily sheets
Newsletters
Communication boards
Communication diaries between settings
Non-verbal i.e. body language
Staff meetings
Supervisions/Appraisals
Website/Social Media pages
Telephone
Memos/Letters
Parents Forum
Learning Journeys
Text Messages
Posters/Leaflets
Open Days/Visits
Prospectus
Makaton
White boards on room doors
Observations
Slide 1 – Observations
PRO’s
Can see staff skills and attributes may not have known
Can see clearly what is going on, especially if someone else is able to take notes.
CON’s
Can be intimidating, especially if it’s a member of staff observing you don’t usually work with. Example is Ofsted.
Slide 2 – Electronic
PRO’s
Cost effective
Can send to many quickly
Good papertrail
CON’s
Interpretation can vary from person to person
Impersonal
Fear of technology; may not have email addresses, mobile phones.
Slide 3 – Visual
PRO’s
Eye catching, colourful
EAL help
CON’s
Busy – lots of information
Displays/Resources need to be able to be touched
Slide 4 – Makaton/Sign Language
PRO’s
Helps inclusive practice
CON’s
Have to know what you’re doing; can be costly to train staff
Has to be all staff and used all the time otherwise it will not work
Have to be sure you’re using the right type; Makaton/Sign Along are signs with verbal communication, British Sign Language is sign only-deaf from birth.
The Communication Cycle
1. Aim – who is receiving message and what am I trying to get across. What is the benefit of this message.
2. Compose – have good vision of what you are aiming to receive, don’t move from this