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Communicating with others can be both simple and complex at the same time. Have you ever been surprised that someone misunderstood a message you thought you had communicated quite clearly?

学龄期计划的工作人员和家庭之间的交流发生在每天的问候和告别期间，以及家庭会议等更正式的活动中。所有这些机会都要求你了解家庭的许多特点，包括语气、词语的选择和非语言交流，如面部表情和肢体语言。当你意识到这些特点时，你可以用最支持和尊重家庭的方式更好地交流。家庭会急切地想知道他们学龄儿童的情况，你可以通过提供鼓励性的回答和要求澄清一些不明白的事情来支持舒适的沟通。

Importance of Communicating with Families

沟通是建立家庭伙伴关系的关键。家庭成员必须对提出问题、寻求信息和关心孩子的照料、幸福和发展感到自在。与家人一起工作时，友好、专业、乐于助人是很好的。工作人员和家庭成员之间的关系应保持专业性，并始终围绕儿童。

Communication is unique in school-age programs because of the limited interactions between staff members and family. Some children may arrive or depart your program by school bus, bike, or on foot. This means you might not always have the opportunity to speak directly to a family member each day. To ensure that communication needs between yourself and the families are met, you will need to be creative in your communication methods.

Ways of Communicating With Families

每个项目都有各种各样的沟通methods, both informal and formal. Depending on the situation or information being shared, you will need to determine which method is most appropriate. If you are unsure, always check with your trainer, coach, or supervisor.

非正式沟通方式

Some examples of informal communication methods include:

• Family information boards:Family information boards provide information for family members that is posted in a central location. Boards may contain schedules, menus, upcoming events and general program news. This can also be a good spot to post parenting resources.
• 日常对话：日常谈话包括与孩子的家庭成员进行非正式交流，讨论日常事件、孩子的表现以及家庭成员是否有任何问题、顾虑或要求。
• Newsletters:A physical or digital newsletter that informs families of the program’s news and events. This would be a way to share a project that children have worked on or tell families about an upcoming talent show.
• Phone calls: A phone call to a family member informing them of a minor incident or injury, or to seek specific information.
• E-mails:An e-mail to a family member informing them of a minor incident (i.e., a torn backpack or a missing permission slip) or to seek specific information. Check with your program’s e-mail policy.

These informal methods of communication are appropriate to use when there is general information of which all family members should be aware, such as the schedule, policies, or upcoming events. Phone calls or e-mails may be used to inform families of situations involving their child (such as an overdue permission slip). Whenever possible, interactions between staff and family members should occur daily. This is the first way to keep lines of communication open at your program. Informal communication methods should not be used to discuss major incidents, behavior issues, or developmental concerns.

正式沟通方法

Some examples of formal communication methods include:

• Individual Conferences:Conferences should be used to discuss child achievement, behavior issues, developmental concerns, or other major situations. Phone or virtual conferences may also be used if a family member is on deployment or otherwise unavailable. Be sure to check your program’s procedures for conferences and consult a trainer, coach, or supervisor with any questions.
• Program-Wide Family Meetings: A group meeting may be used to discuss a particular situation, concern or issue within a program. This would mostly likely occur with multiple families and would be lead by the program’s director. A formal group meeting would have a leader and a planned agenda. Check with a trainer, coach, or supervisor to learn your program’s policy on group meetings.

应规划正式的沟通方法，以提供具体和重要的信息。在最适合家庭的时间安排正式会议。在不方便的时候，比如在接送的时候，不要向家人透露困难的信息。在讨论孩子的行为问题或其他你可能关心的问题时，保持积极、尊重和帮助是很重要的。你会尽可能向家人解释你的担忧，并提供帮助和资源。

The following are tips on how to effectively communicate with families during formal meetings:

家庭会议是加强家庭伙伴关系的好方法。它给予家庭成员个人的关注，让他们自由地讨论他们的孩子的发展，进步，困难或成功。一个积极的家庭会议将在你和家庭成员之间建立一种纽带，这可能会使家庭在将来讨论他们的孩子时感到舒服。

If appropriate, invite the child to be a part of the conference. Sometimes, having the child present will give you a better understanding of the family dynamic. It will also make the child feel responsible for their own actions and give them more ownership over the situation.

Finding the “Right” Time to Communicate with Families

尽管与家人的沟通应该全年都在进行，但你应该了解与家人进行某些对话的适当时间。例如，假设你和一个孩子有纪律问题。你可能觉得在接送的时候和家人讨论这个问题是合适的。然而，这种方法几乎可以保证家长会关闭对话。他或她对讨论感到疲倦，毫无准备。你应该为困难的对话提前计划：这个对话将如何计划？何时何地发生最好？谁会参与？当您需要与家人讨论重大问题时，应安排与您的培训师、领导或主管进行正式讨论。这将最大限度地提高各方对结果满意的可能性。家长会感到受到尊重，能够在注重成果和协作的环境中做好准备。这种结果不可能发生在一天结束的时候。看讲义，Sharing Concerns with Families, for additional ideas and resources.

Creative Communication Methods

学龄期项目提供了独特的沟通挑战。随着儿童的成长，家庭和工作人员之间交流的需求也发生了变化。与照顾婴儿、学步儿童和学龄前儿童不同，一旦儿童进入学校，工作人员和家庭成员之间的交流就变得不那么频繁，而且往往只有在出现问题时才会发生。你的部分职责是通过结合使用传统的沟通方法和创造性的、开箱即用的方法，弥合学龄期项目中工作人员和家庭之间的差距。以下是一些创造性沟通方法的例子：亚慱彩票

• Communication journals:
  物理期刊或在线日记，允许家庭成员分享他们家庭生活的信息或照片，例如假期或部署经验。这些期刊可以在家庭成员之间共享，以帮助在家庭之间建立债券或在员工和家庭之间来回通过，以分享或寻求信息。
• Online discussion groups:
  Use an online forum to allow communication between yourself and families. This should be used for group information only, not information specific to one child. You should also check with your trainer, coach, or supervisor for any regulations regarding internet use.
• Blogs:
  使用在线博客与家人交流该项目的活动是一种分享照片、活动计划和其他信息的有趣方式。再次，向你的教练、培训师或主管询问有关互联网使用的任何规定。

See

Watch the following videos about communicating with family members in a school-age program. In this first video, you will hear a parent and a staff member talk about communication. The second video illustrates the importance of communicating about the care of children and youth and suggests methods to do so. In the final video, you will hear from a training and curriculum specialist on creative communication.

Do

Familiarizing yourself with a variety of communication methods will set you up for success. Remember to always be available for families to offer support, guidance, information or just to lend an ear.

• Create a welcoming environment for family members by being kind, respectful and professional at all times.
• 与famil沟通ies each day through informal and, when necessary, formal methods.
• 全年计划家庭合作的机会。
• 在沟通时获得创造性。不要让家人穿过裂缝只是因为你每天都没有看到它们。