I recently took the Common Core Skills course via the London School for Childcare Studies. Whilst I have been a teacher for over a decade now. I found the course very refreshing and think it is an important course for any and all childcare providers. Regardless of your experience level.
A large part of the course was spent discussing communication with children and allowing them time to communicate back. Children often don’t feel like they are being listened to properly. Part of that is due to us adults often expecting instant answers. You don’t need to go on a course to know that children will need longer to process information than most adults. Yet, we don’t always give them time do we?
One tip shared on the course is to go down to their level when talking to them. This allows the child the chance to read your facial changes and expressions easier. You should then allow up to 20 seconds for the child to respond to you. Now, we don’t need to be as prescriptive as this but I liked the tip because I often see teachers and parents doing the exact opposite.
I took the course as part of our registration with Ofsted and a commitment that we make at Docode to follow the good practice of the common core skills.
To view my certificate. Click the link below:
Luke Currie – 2021-10-07Download PDF • 525KB