informal communication – Early Math Counts https://earlymathcounts.org Laying the foundation for a lifetime of achievement Tue, 11 Jul 2017 15:51:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 183791774 Informal vs. Formal Communication with Families https://earlymathcounts.org/informal-vs-formal-communication-with-families/ https://earlymathcounts.org/informal-vs-formal-communication-with-families/#comments Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:00:46 +0000 http://www.mathathome.org/blog1/?p=366 There is a time and place for everything….Never is this more important to remember than when speaking with families.  Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about informal communication.  These are the moments before and after drop-off when you chit-chat and catch up with family members.  It should be pleasant, engaging and friendly.

Remember, for a lot of young families, you may be the ONLY friendly face they see all day. You are a daily presence that should help parents (or other caretakers) feel good, feel secure and feel like they are being supported in raising their families.

Informal communication lays the foundation for a trusting relationship.  It is through the informal moments that families learn to trust you and believe that you are on their side.  Without this part of the communication process, formal communication can be very difficult.  (Let’s talk about formal communication next week!)

Make time for these interactions.  Be sure to meet and greet the family members in the morning.  Ask about them, their health, their other children.  Take notice of the things going on in their lives and ask about them.

A smile goes a long way.

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