High-quality interactions
Nicole is just 3 years old - she has social and communication delay. Her key person, Parmjeet, had a beautiful and effective conversation with Nicole.
I was lucky enough to see and hear this interaction in one of the settings I am mentoring for the Early Years Conversation Project.
One warm afternoon, Nicole went to lie under a tree – she began making sounds as she looked up at the branches.
Parmjeet went over and laid next to her. She mirrored Nicole’s lying position and sounds, making them as similar as she could.
Nicole then changed her lying position.
Parmjeet did likewise. She then said,
“You are looking at the leaves on the tree’.
Nicole looked at Parmjeet and then back at the trees.
Nicole got up and began to climb some apparatus - she glanced back at Parmjeet.
Parmjeet said, “Climbing, climbing.”
Nicole made a sound in response.
Parmjeet said, “Yes you’re climbing up the ladder, Nicole.”
Nicole then moved to a different place – she reached out for Parmjeet’s hand and took her along.
Parmjeet said, “We’re walking together.”
Nicole looked up at her and then carried on walking.
About this conversation:
High quality interactions are central to early years education – these are at the heart of Nicole and Parmjeet’s conversation. Nicole is guided by the strategies of the ShREC approach.
Here is a short, informative video about ShREC from Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s centre.
So, we see Parmjeet immediately uses the Sh (share attention) and R (respond) of ShREC: She goes over to Nicole and joins her in what she is doing and interested in – she mirrors Nicole’s lying down position. She also mirrors Nicole’s verbal sounds. Nicole is taking the lead and Parmjeet is joining in.
Parmjeet then says a short sentence to narrate what Nicole is doing. Parmjeet’s intervention is pitched slightly above Nicole’s level – she expands on what Nicole communicates: the E (expand) of ShREC.
Parmjeet did this again when introducing the word ‘climbing’. Nicole was clearly engaging and made a sound in reply, later reaching out for Parmjeet’s hand. We see a back-and-forth conversation with several turns evolve - this is the C (conversation) of ShREC. At every turn Parmjeet gives Nicole time to respond.
This reminds us that gestures, signs and augmentative communication are all ways to have a conversation with a child.
Using ShREC in your practice – reflective questions:
- Can you think of 5 different ways of sharing attention with a particular child. Bear in mind verbal and non-verbal ways?
- How do you as a team monitor your high-quality interactions, ensuring you access each child?
You might find these online resources from the EEF useful in supporting high quality interactions.