Effective Communication with Families: An Overview

Professional Notes ECD 108

Communication between families and the program and educators are very important in the
success of building family-centered care, it is the cornerstone of the partnership. It is a way to
express ideas and listen to what each other has to say. Speakers understand who the listeners
are and articulate clearly in a way the listeners can understand. Listening should recognize the
many languages, symbols, and codes that people use to express themselves and communicate.
Listeners need to be open and welcoming to differences and always try to appreciate the other
side point of view and interpretation. True communication goes beyond just sharing ideas with
each other, it also allows people time and space to reflect on and develop their own ideas.
Ideas often go back and forth until partners are clear that each of them is heard and
understood. Listening well, speaking well, and be able to write well, being aware of nonverbal
communication and using language that is accessible to both families and teachers is effective
communication tools.
What Message Are You Sending?
Communicating in ways that both respect and support parents requires awareness of several
different aspects of communication, including word choice, content, quantity of
communication, tone, language, different communication styles, and nonverbal
communication.
Recognizing and Respecting One Another’s Knowledge and Expertise
You can convey to families the importance of family knowledge and expertise through
statements and questions. Parents may not know that you need or want their knowledge
because they see you as the expert. So it’s good to include them with asking questions, truly
listening and demonstrate understanding and respect of information from families are crucial
to respecting family knowledge and expertise.
Every Family Has Strengths
Identifying the strength doesn’t mean you ignore the problem but it is the first building block in
creating the partnership in which problems can be addressed.
Teacher Expertise
Different families will want information in different ways. Some will benefit with books, blogs,
articles, and handouts. Others will appreciate receiving development and parenting
information when they have an immediate issue with their child. When teachers offer their
expertise and knowledge in ways that meet a family’s need, both feel acknowledged and
respected.
Sharing Information through Two-Way Communication
Two-way communication ensures that families have a voice in the care and education of their
children and that needed information is available to both teachers and families. Some of the
obvious and visible barriers include parent meetings in which a speaker or an expert gives a
presentation or conference in which the teacher has prepared a developmental report to share
with parents. Invisible barriers may be less obvious and include contexts and relationships in
which people doesn’t feel they have equal permission to participate.
Here are some ways that teachers can overcome the barriers and support two-way
communication.
*Use accessible lay person’s language
*Choose words that reflect your values and expectations
*Be mindful of the tone of your communication.
*Watch the parents’ responses
*Ask questions and give parents a chance to respond
*Pay attention to the quantity of communication desired by individual families
Word neutrally influences the effectiveness of our communication. Discussing and reflecting
on the vocabulary you use, especially some of your word choices in written communication will
help you gain a broader perspective on how words are most commonly understood. Tone is
another way that messages are knowingly or unknowingly sent. Tone is used for emphasis and
to communicate feelings. It is uncomfortable for listeners to address issues brought up only
with tone and often they will leave with an uneasy feeling. If you notice that parents seem
uncomfortable, you can adjust your communication style to see if you can find a better fit.
Building effective two-way communication happens over time, as families and teachers build
trust and as families are given constant messages that their voices are essential.
Communication Tips
*Be curious-be interested in parents’ ideas, beliefs, experiences, and feelings. Act on that
curiosity by showing interest when they talk to you and asking questions to keep them talking.
*Start conversations with a question-they communicate to parents that you are interested in
their ideas. They set the stage for dialogue and give you information about their perspectives.
*Use open-ended questions- these cannot be answered as a yes or no answer. If gives them a
chance to talk about what is important to them.
*Consider answering questions with questions-one good way of doing that is when they ask you
a question turn it around and say that’s a good question, what is your thoughts on that?
*Share information about yourself-let families get to know you-help them feel more
comfortable about who is teaching their child and spending the most of the day with them.
*Observe families preferred styles and modes of communication-You can learn how to best
communicate with family if you observe carefully.
*Let parents know you appreciate their input, personally and publicly-thank parents individually
and in the group, when they offer their input and ideas.
Addressing both the visible and invisible barriers to two-way communications is essential to
building family-centered care. Dedicating yourself to making every communication avenue
two-way will take creativity understanding, and a willingness to ty new things.

Sharing Power and Decision Making

Communication is the tool that teachers and families use to share power and decision making.
Acknowledging and Respecting Diversity
Communication is critical to respecting diversity, and understanding diversity is essential to
effective communication. Diversity refers to culture, family, and other differences as well as
language, respecting diversity through communication is a complicated undertaking. In
addition to language varying communication styles and nonverbal communication are
important to consider.
Communicating across Languages
Several languages offer a unique curriculum to the children, families, and teachers. It can
provide immediate, hands-on learning about language and culture different from one’s own.
This reading list on page 56 several creative solutions they can use.
Communication Styles
Styles of communication are influenced by individual personality and temperament as well as
by the rules of talking that people learn in families and cultures. Recognizing your own style of
communication, learning about the communication styles of those around you, and discovering
the most effective modes and venues for communication with each family to respecting
diversity in your partnerships with families.
Nonverbal Communication
People also communicate though nonverbal—including eye contact, touch, physical distance,
and hand movements, which have mostly been learned through family culture. Most cultures
have elaborate rules about who touches whom, when and how. All of these are on a
continuum relating, but such differences in nonverbal communications can still cause
misunderstandings between teachers and families. The better you know your won comfort
zone with nonverbal communication, the more you can let people know how best to
communicate with you and the more sensitive you will be in reading others. How close you
stand when talking to them is nonverbal communication, how you use your hands to
communicate and facial expressions.
Creating Extended Networks of Support
When teachers create accessible, visible communications avenues for families to use, network
of support begin to develop on their own. Effective communications is not only the
cornerstone of relationships with children but also the foundation of successful family-centered
care. Whether it happens in a simple greeting with a parent or in a parent conference or
handbook it determines the quality of the relationship. Learning the communication styles of
the families in your program as well as improving the quality of your communication skills will
serve to nurture your partnership with families and children.