Social Communication
We know from experience what social communication skills look like because we have experience of using them to live, work and get along with others. We know the rules around communication (verbal and non-verbal), skilfully choose which words we’ll use, adjust our volume and consciously position ourselves. We also know that it takes effort sometimes.
When I left primary teaching to become a childminder, I initially had a blast. Looking after three boys under 2 was so much fun… until... they began to flex their emerging social communication skills.
Biting, baiting and bundling behaviours developed as those cute little babies, who had first charmed me with babble and chubby finger pointing, turned into rising fives who spoke fluently and told me fibs.
I had already enjoyed the switch-up in my skill set from changing career, but now I discovered the importance of proactive approaches: quick reflexes, noticing, responding in-the-moment and inching positive social communication forwards, step by step in partnership with parents. We called these strategies our weapons of mass distraction.
Early years children are the fastest learners on this planet. If we missed a trick (as we did initially with the biting), unwanted habits were harder to break. But if we identified potential areas of challenge before they became habitual then social communication development could continue to thrive in my setting and at home.
When children practise positive social communication with each other, all participants develop their skills, and children with delays benefit more. Friendships develop, conflicts are resolved and, for typically developing children, it is relatively straightforward journey to becoming an increasingly skilful social communicator.
But what about the children who don’t have full access to social communication in their early years? For example, some autistic children process language differently (Gestalt processing) and children experiencing deafness miss out on the 90% of learning that comes from overhearing social communication. Unfortunately for these children, who tend to communicate less, they access fewer interactions which compounds the issue even more.
Do you have children in your setting that are:
- often ignored/ excluded from other children’s social communication, or seem to be choosing to play alone?
- over-dependent on adults for social communication?
- dominating social communication and don’t let others communicate back?
- waiting and hovering on the sidelines of social communication?
These are all signs that their social communication development is at risk of delay.
Strategies:
Strategies for teaching and modelling social communication are explored within Evidence Store and they recommend the following approaches for helping children to,
‘notice body language, spoken words and how to listen and respond in appropriate ways. They learn how to become a helper and help seeker in relationships.’
Weave your support into adult-led and child-led provision. While you’re doing this, consider the physical acoustic environments in your setting. Which areas promote social communication, even if it leads to conflict? Anywhere that social communication happens naturally for children is relevant to them, so this is a good place to start.
Proactively highlight positive examples of social communication. When you catch a child doing it well, let them know you have noticed; do this in-the-moment. Follow this up at story time: share pictures, stories or puppet-shows with positive examples of social communication and then keep an eye out for children who are practising in play.
Scaffold social communication that is struck up between children but at risk of failing, “I think he’s trying to tell you…” “Did you mean to say…”
Model for children how you fix failed social communication by asking for clarification, repetition or demonstrating how to rephrase if someone hasn’t responded to you, “I don’t think she heard me, let’s go a bit closer and I’ll say it again.”
Help children understand that sometimes people need thinking time and teach them to start social communication, how to interject and how to end social communication, “Hello, my name is…”, “Excuse me…”, “You’re welcome.”
Remember, we’re teaching the skills of connection and confidence. We want children to be unafraid of speaking their truth, occasionally failing and making amends.
Social groups provide a safe environment for children to practise targeted skills. Set up a simple game that involves social communication at a level the child is comfortable with. When they are ready to extend this, give them experience of a specific new skill. For example, let them watch a cause-and-effect toy, then try it out for themselves, then show it to a communication champion.
Communication champions are children at a higher level of social communication development, and therefore positive role models.
Every child is unique and for some children the challenge is hearing, others may be stuck at the looking, listening or remembering stages of social communication. For some children we need to build resilience around being more independent, so that we can prevent learned helplessness in this area.
Exercise play is visual, physical and the least complex for communication which can lead to a drop in opportunities for social communication so always have something in your pocket to provoke children into communicating. Bubbles, conkers, insects, seeds. Plan games like Duck Duck Goose and expect the children to begin to manage this with increasing independence as they master the rules of social communication.
Curriculum-linked, regular outdoor sessions are great for developing social communication because they provide planned and spontaneous experiences which promote children’s social connection, cooperation and confidence.
At the end of their foundation year in school, children who meet the age-related expectations will be able to:
- hold conversations when engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with peers (CL)
- form friendships with peers (PSED)
- talk to peers about what they notice (Maths)
- invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers (EAD).
(DfE, 2021)
There is no quick fix for delays in social communication and children can’t be expected to demonstrate age-appropriate skills as they progress through formal education without intervention in the early years.