EXAMPLES of NON DIRECTIVE TALK and REFLECTIVE LISTENING DURING PLAY

EXAMPLES OF NON DIRECTIVE TALK and REFLECTIVE LISTENING DURING PLAY

Active or reflective listening involves:

-Recap language

-Reflect/mirror feelings and content

-Summarise talk and activities

This gives modelling of adult syntax, adjectives, descriptions and words for feelings, and the child hears their own words used which conveys implicit respect and mutual sense making. If a child has under developed language skills, their play represents thought and feelings symbolically.

It is more helpful to the child if the adult does not try to interpret what he has made but describes what is observed or heard, and the child asked to explain what they have done if they want to.

Invitation:

Child makes a figure in a blanket, which to the adult it may look like an animal. The adult does not say ‘That’s a dog n a blanket’ or ‘Is that a dog in a blanket?’ He asks the child for his interpretation:

Adult: Would you like to tell me what you have made?

Child: That’s Mummy in hospital.

The child’s words can then be reflected:

Adult: You made a model of Mummy in bed in hospital.’

Descriptive mirroring:

At other times, descriptions of what is observed trigger the child’s thinking:

Adult: I can see you have stood the monster next to the duck.’

The child looks, and takes in what has been placed and its position, and begins to think what can be done next. As the next thing is moved or buried, she will wait to see if you have noticed. You then reflect it as you did with Reflective Listening. If he pours sand over a dog and makes it disappear and then ask you a question: you may ask one back as follows:

Reflective paraphrasing:

Child: ‘Where is the dog?’

Adult: ‘I wonder where the dog is.’

Descriptive mirroring:

Alternatively you may acknowledge what they have just done:

Adult: ‘You have buried the dog.’

It is only necessary for the adult to reflect what the child has said or done, and not introduce adult thoughts and feelings on the possible circumstances or questions that arise in the mind.

Summarising: At the end of a session, it is helpful to summarise what has been going on in the play activities, giving the child a chance to add his thoughts.

Adult: First you made a clay model of Mummy in hospital, then you played in the sand and buried the dog.

Child: Yes and then I poured water on it.

Creative Journal before and after play sessions

Asking the child if they want to draw in his journal what they enjoyed most out of the session is helpful for them to express their high points, and begin relating to pen and paper before going back to the classroom.

Child: That’s the crocodile.

Adult: You really liked playing with the crocodile.

Child: Yes, and he opens his mouth like this…

Journals can be used before play sessions, with the invitation: ‘Would you like to draw things you did on holiday in your journal?’ of ‘…… what you like doing at home’. The child often chooses what is on the top of his mind, or chooses not to do anything in the journal. They choose if a happy, angry or sad event needs to be drawn.