There are many aspects to being a good communicator.

Not only is it important to be able to communicate effectively with the children being cared for, it is also necessary to be able to communicate with the parents and colleagues. Good communication skills are essential to good leadership and will ensure that an early childhood educator can progress in their career. When studying to become an early childhood educator it is imperative you gain a large range of communication skills. The skills that should be developed are careful

listening, responding clearly, appropriate body language and assertiveness. Being able to communicate effectively is a fundamental skill of an early childhood educator which will allow them to teach effectively, form strong relationships with students, parents and colleagues and to successfully progress in their career.

To be a successful early childhood educator it is vital that excellent communication skills are developed. There are many skills required for good communication. Some of these are attentive listening, appropriate body language, clear responses and assertiveness. One of the most valuable communication skills is listening. According Anning, Cullen, & Fleer Your posture and non-verbal

(2008) body language is an important part of listening.

communication indicates that you are listening. It is essential to remember that the listening side of communication is just as important as the talking (Long, 2012). Some of the other skills that are essential are sending correct and clear messages, having a clear understanding of what is being said and replying in the correct manner. Being able to manage the feelings of others is another way in which communication is paramount. Expressing your views and helping others to do the same can avoid some unpleasant situations and misunderstandings (Rodd, 2006). Of the following three communication

styles, assertion, non-assertion and aggression, assertion is the most effective. This is essential to the educators well being. If the early childhood educator is not assertive and is unable to get their point across, they will end up being highly stressed and frustrated at not being able to do their job properly. While aggressive communication may work in the short term, it will cause problems later on (Rodd, 2006).

Forming good relationships shows that the early childcare educator has well developed communication skills. Mac Naughton and Hughes (2011) state that early childhood

educators need to be just as well skilled in communication as they do in child development. This helps to foster good relationships with parents and fellow workers. Good relationships between educators, parents and children are essential for good learning outcomes. Gaining trust is extremely valuable and this will happen through good communication. There are many different but effective ways to communicate with parents, it does not have to be all verbal. Other ways are through written reports, daily communication books, weekly

newsletters or even through parent information evenings (Basford & Hodson, 2008). These are particularly helpful for parents that are not available on a daily basis. It is not possible to be a good early childhood educator if communication skills are poor because the goal is to meet the needs of parents, students and colleagues (Rodd, 2006).

Being able to communicate successfully with the children being cared for is the most important aspect of communication for an educator. Without this the educator is unable to gain trust and form solid relationships which may result in poor education. There are many different ways to communicate with children in the early childhood setting. From the very beginning, babies are able to communicate through crying, movement and facial expressions. The early childhood educator is able to communicate with very young children and babies in much the same way. Very young children rely on voice tone, facial

expression, soothing sounds and even gentle touching from their carers as their main form of communication (Curtis & O'Hagan, 2003). Being able to communicate effectively with children is vital for building strong relationships between the educator and child. To be able to build a good relationship the early childhood educator needs to be able to use their communication skills to build a trusting relationship with the child. By building good relationships with the children they are caring for, the educator will be able to find out how the child thinks and feels and how they react in different situations (Perry, 2004).

Excellent communication between parents and early childhood educators is essential as parents know their children best. It is vital they feel they are able to share information with the carer. The educator needs to be able to listen effectively as this will guide them in how they care for the child. It is also useful for the early childhood educator to be able to communicate back to the parents their observations of what the child has done and accomplished in their care. Communication between parents and educators can be crucial when making decisions about the child for both the educator and the parent (Rodd, 2006). As the early childhood educator is the main link between child, parent and school it is imperative that the educator is able to communicate successfully with the parents to ensure they continue to have faith in the school (Sharma, 2008). Good communication is essential in forming a good relationship with the parents. It is necessary to understand and

acknowledge parents feelings and to be able to respond in an appropriate way (Rodd, 2006). Being straight forward in your communication with parents will ensure they respond in a positive manner (Bender, 2005). The most successful early educational settings have strive to have regular communication and involved parents which ensures successful educational outcomes. (Long, 2012).

Being able to communicate in an efficient way with your colleagues is vital to a rewarding and happy work environment. When working as an early childhood educator a requirement will be to work as part of a team which can be just as challenging as working with children. This is why communication skills are so important. Building a strong team will benefit both the educator and the children they are caring for (Robson, 2012). Good communication with your colleagues will also be beneficial when starting a career as an early childhood educator as they will be an invaluable source of information. Being able to discuss your students needs and abilities is also a beneficial aspect of communicating with fellow colleagues to ensure that the children get all the support that they need and any problems may be addressed quickly and efficiently (Sharma, 2008).

To further a career as an early childhood educator into a leadership role, it is essential to have fantastic communication skills. Well developed communication skills will ensure a successful progression of the career for the early childhood educator. The ability to listen and to respond to others is vital to be a successful leader. This will enable the early

childhood educator to build solid relationships with parents and colleagues which is essential for successfully handling conflict (Rodd, 2006). By keeping the lines of communication open the early childhood educator will be able to predict problems and ward them off before they become an issue (Bender, 2005). Effective professional communication is vital to your career success (Sharma, 2008).

Having strong communication skills as an early childhood educator is essential. Communication comes in all forms. It is essential to realise that your body language,

gestures and facial expressions as well as the words spoken all aid in communication. Firstly, as an early childhood educator, good relationships need to be formed with the children being cared for. To be able to educate children effectively trust needs to be gained for them to feel comfortable. Forming a trusting relationship with the parents will be Being able to beneficial for both the child and educator to aid in the childs learning. and the childrens needs.

communicate with colleagues effectively will allow the educators to discuss different ideas To further a career as an early childhood educator into a

leadership role, it is essential to have fantastic communication skills. To be able to progress in a career, communication is essential. In a leadership role the early childhood educator will need to communicate with a wide range of people from children and parents through to other early childhood educators and colleagues. This is why it is extremely important to spend time developing outstanding communication skills and using these to form good relationships with all the different types of people involved in the early childhood setting.

Reference:

Anning, Angela, Cullen, Joy, & Fleer, Marilyn. (2008). Early Childhood Education : Society and Culture Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=880867 Basford, Jo, & Hodson, Elaine. (2008). Teaching Early Years Foundation Stage Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=820119 Bender, Yvonne. (2005). The Tactful Teacher : Effective Communication with Parents, Colleagues, and Administrators Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=457222 Curtis, Audrey, & O'Hagan, Maureen. (2003). Care and Education in Early Childhood : A Student's Guide to Theory and Practice Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=181771 Long, Rob. (2012). The Art of Positive Communication Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=1098996 Mac Naughton, Glenda, & Hughes, Patrick. (2011). Parents And Professionals In Early Childhood Settings Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=681126 Perry, Rosemary. (2004). Teaching Practice for Early Childhood : A Guide for Students Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=198493 Robson, Sue. (2012). Education in Early Childhood : First Things First Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=1075099 Rodd, Jillian. (2006). Leadership in Early Childhood Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=258775 Sharma, Ranjan. (2008). Effective Teacher-Parent Communication Retrieved from http://CURTIN.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=588634