Language for Behaviour and Emotions: A Practical Guide to Working with Children and Young People

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Supporting parents to talk about emotions and their own emotions – depending on how comfortable parents feel with this. To talk about emotions parents need to be able to reflect on and be relaxed enough to talk about a range of emotions. Children's emotional vocabulary is strongly linked to their experiences. Practitioners and parents can support this area of language development by focusing on the language they model with children, together with helping children think through different situations and scaffolding appropriate responses using the language of emotion. This both supports vocabulary development and builds children's ability to work with each other in groups. About the author Some schools and educators already use these effective techniques. Mindfulness supports improvement in learning, health, self-regulation, and attention in children (Lee et al., 2020). Pay attention to inconsistencies. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said. Is the person saying one thing, but their body language conveying something else? For example, are they telling you “yes” while shaking their head no?

Know when and how to talk about emotions. Research suggests that talking about emotions in a relaxed and comfortable way, e.g. when sharing books, has a more positive effect. Being neutral about emotions and not judging whether emotions were ‘good’ or ‘bad’ also supported children to use a wider range of emotional vocabulary. Barrera, M. E., & Maurer, D. (1981). The perception of facial expressions by the three-month-old. Child Development, 52, 203–206.

Boden, M. T., Thompson, R. J., Dizén, M., Berenbaum, H., & Baker, J. P. (2013). Are emotional clarity and emotion differentiation related? Cognition and Emotion, 27(6), 961–978. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2012.751899 Tuning in. Listening to children can help us see and hear what children are saying, the emotional content of their message, as well as the language involved. This can help us support them through challenging situations and build their resilience.

Sixty illustrated scenarios that can be used flexibly with a wide range of ages and abilities to promote language skills, emotional skills and self-awareness.

Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your facial expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever can. Colliver, Y., & Veraksa, N. (2021). Vygotsky’s contributions to understandings of emotional development through early childhood play. Early Child Development and Care, 191(2), 1–15.

Bandura’s social learning theory posits that people learn through observation (Deming & Johnson, 2009); modeling is critical for stimulating emotional development. Bowlby’s attachment theory asserts that early parent–child relationships are critical for emotional development and future relationships (Fraley & Shaver, 2021).

This Inside and Outside worksheet can be used to familiarize children with their emotions. The child organizes how their body feels when they experience an emotion and how they typically respond when they experience the emotion. If you want to become a better communicator, it's important to become more sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own. Nonverbal communication can play five roles: Challenges with vocabulary can often be clearest when pupils move to secondary school. The curriculum becomes increasingly complex and the vocabulary involved reflects that. At this vulnerable point of transition, vital ground can be lost.

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to language and psychosocial and emotional development. 23 Children who are poor communicators do not send clear messages and therefore may be difficult to read and respond to appropriately. The amount and kind of language stimulation at home 24 and family stresses such as child abuse 25 also contribute to children’s language development. Attunement is being aware or receptive to the child. For example, attunement play may include peek-a-boo and baby talk. With these interactions, an emotional connection is formed. 2. MusicThis free guide shows behavioural leads and teachers an intervention that helps young people overcome problems with language and emotional skills and develop more positive interactions. Books. Talk about how characters respond to situations in books. Often even simple books have a narrative in which a character has a challenge they need to overcome or a puzzle they need to solve. For example, in Dear Zoo the central character is looking for a pet. How does he feel when this range of unsuitable pets are sent to him? I am learning skills and strategies which will support me in challenging times (HWB 0-07a / HWB 1-07a). Someone who cares: Ask pupils to draw a picture of 'someone who cares'. It could be a friend, a mum or dad, a granny, brother or a sister, or a grown-up you trust, who can help if you feel sad or worried. Remind the class: 'Don't keep those feelings bottled up inside. Tell someone you trust about your feelings. Sharing your feelings may not solve all your problems, but it can help.'