Communication is one of the most important skills for our children. Then the communication method in addition to verbal communication, but also include non-verbal communication, then non-verbal communication: actions, gestures, expressions, eyes and so on. Then in language communication, our children mainly need certain language expression skills, and whether children can speak or not has the following three abilities:
1. Your child can pronounce. For example, children can pronounce single or double tones such as a, i, baba, etc.
2. The child has a corresponding cognitive foundation. The common things in a child's life are that he can know and recognize, such as being able to recognize simple verbs (sleeping, drinking, eating, running, walking, jumping, etc.), nouns (fruits, vegetables, animals, etc.).
3. The child should have the desire to communicate and express (for example, the child wants to play with bubbles, wants to eat cookies and has the desire to do things, etc.).
If the child does not have the ability to express themselves in language, can they communicate? It is also possible, at which point we can use some non-verbal means of communication. Then in nonverbal communication we also need children to have the corresponding desire to communicate, which is what we call motivation.
Our topic today is to share with you how to create a more natural motivation for communication.
So first of all, let's understand what motivation is?
Motivation refers to the mental tendencies or internal drives that motivate and sustain the actions of an organism and direct them to a certain goal. It is considered to be an intrinsic motivation for determining behavior.
Motivation has three functions:
(1) Stimulate function, stimulate individuals to produce certain behaviors. For example, hungry people are particularly sensitive to food, and thirsty people are particularly sensitive to water, so they are also prone to foraging activities.
When our child is hungry, he will be very sensitive to food stimuli, and we can induce communication opportunities such as the child's desire for food. For example, when a child is hungry, he will want to eat, and if we are associated with food, or can get food through us, then the child will naturally communicate with us.
(2) Pointing function, so that the individual's behavior points to a certain goal. One fundamental difference between motivation and need is that need is the subjective state of the organism arising from its lack, and this subjective state is a state of non-targeting. Motivation is different, the motivation is directed at a certain goal (or inducement) and is guided by the goal. That is to say, once the need is guided by the goal, it becomes a motivation. For example, some of our children especially like to recognize words, letters, numbers, etc., then they will tend to text, numbers, letters, icons and other targets; some of our children like to play with toys, play games, do activities (blowing bubbles, big slides, etc.) then their goals will point to toys, slides, bubbles, etc.
(3) Maintain and regulate functions, so that the individual's behavior maintains a certain period of time, and adjusts the intensity and direction of the behavior. When an individual's activity arises, motivation maintains that activity against a certain goal and regulates the intensity and duration of the activity. If the goal is achieved, the motivation prompts the organism to terminate the activity; if the goal is not yet reached, the motivation drives the organism to maintain and intensify this activity in order to achieve the goal. For example, a child will eat when he is hungry, but when the child is full, then he will stop eating.
Then we can see that motivation is very important for our children's lives according to the function of motivation.
According to the origin of motivation, it can be divided into physiological motivation and social motivation. The former is related to the physiological needs of the organism, such as eating, drinking, playing, etc.; the latter is related to the social needs of the organism, such as: wanting the praise of the mother, wanting the hug of the teacher, etc.
According to the cause of motivation, it can be divided into intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. The former is caused by the internal motives of the organism itself (such as hormones, central nervous system arousal states, ideals, wishes, etc.), such as eating because it is hungry; the latter is caused by the external triggers of the organism (such as the opposite sex, food, money, rewards and punishments, etc.), for example, because the meal is too fragrant to taste and so eat.
Since motivation is so important, how do we arrange the environment in communication to create opportunities for interaction?
It can be done from the following aspects:
(1) Create "unexpected opportunities" - the original fixed pattern or sudden change of rules
For example, children are accustomed to picking up the car on the cabinet (fixed position and behavior) every time they enter the classroom, and then we can change the car to another place. At this time, the child will find that the car that plays every day is gone, and the child with the language can assist the child "Car?" Or "car, no", "car is gone, etc." Children without language can assist children to watch adults point to the place where the car is usually placed, make no gestures or make "mm-hmm" sounds.
For example, each time a child plays with blocks, they are lined up in a row, and then we can put another row of blocks next to them. The child finds that we have changed his play, and we can make different assists according to the child's wishes. 1. The child is very resistant. Assist the child to say "no" or push the adult away. 2. The child just feels very sudden, and the assistant child says "one more" or looks up at the adult.
For example, if a child and a teacher play a game of grabbing a chair together, every time before, every time when the music stops, everyone grabs the chair, then suddenly we can grab the chair when the music does not stop. The child will suddenly find out how the teacher suddenly violated the law, then the child can guide the child to communicate "no, no, the music stops to grab the chair" For children with better ability, we can sometimes deliberately make mistakes or make trouble in the rule game to stimulate the child's motivation, but as natural as possible.
(2) Limit the child's chances of being satisfied - there are needs that are not met, and the opportunity to move is stronger
So many times we will feel that it is not okay for me to artificially block the creation of motives? So usually we do that. When the child wants to drink milk and walks to the refrigerator, we deliberately press the refrigerator door to prevent the child from opening the refrigerator to get the milk. The child will be asked to say "drink milk" before he opens the refrigerator to get it. Sometimes when the child is not clear, we will ask the child to repeat it. It's also an opportunity to create motivation, which is for children who are more cooperative.
So is there a better and more natural situation for children who do not cooperate so well to grasp the motivation for children to express?
For example, if a child has received milk and needs to insert a straw, if his hands-on ability is not up to par, he needs the assistance of an adult. Then it is a very good opportunity to seek help, at which time we can guide the child to say "help me", "insert" and "straw". Or this child only knows that this milk is delicious, but does not know that we can insert a straw to drink, then the adult can do an active demonstration, using the child's motivation to drink milk to initiate this communication round, so that the child can communicate with us.
What we call resistance is actually something more natural about it (what the child wants to do) than what we artificially create. Some children will feel that we are deliberately embarrassing in the process of creating difficulties, so children may have problems such as non-cooperation and emotional behavior.
(3) Unfinished activities - incomplete materials
When the child is preparing to carry out the current activities of special interest, then we only present a part of the teaching aids to the child, for example: only paper without pen when drawing, pretending to use a small pot to stir fry vegetables only the pot does not have a shovel, when the child wants to drink yogurt only yogurt without straw, the child's current activities can not be carried out due to the lack of items, then we can guide the child to communicate the needs, children with language can express for example, "I want to paint the brush" Children without language can point their fingers to the pen or go to the pen.
(4) Provide opportunities for choice - enhance children's interest and motivation to participate, and provide children with opportunities to judge and make choices
When we're going to do an activity that our kids like or eat something tasty, we can ask ," do you want a hamburger or fries?" "At this time, the child will participate in our topic and interact with others.
In daily life, we will also encounter such a situation, children see other people's fun or delicious food when they want it, this is the parents to help say that you go to your sister to ask for one, then how do some of our children not want to go so should be done? So at this time we need to teach the child that we have to communicate before we do it (we can get toys), say what to say, how to do it? We can choose in any way. At this time, we can create motivation for the child one step at a time, for example: Do you want your sister's toy? (Adults take the initiative to initiate communication content,) The child can respond on the line, at this time the parents can give the child a demonstration "The younger brother wants to play with your toys, can you play with him for a while?" "Then the child can get such an item with our help." With the help of our demonstration, children can understand what to say and how to do it. Of course, such a skill requires repeated practice many times.
(5) Guide children to make more attempts at new things and activities to induce children to have more motivation
Usually children are curious about new things and want to try them, but some of our children are more resistant to new things, such as delicious things that they have not eaten, toys that have not been played with, or ways that have not been played, and they will refuse to accept them. We can only motivate a child to try again if he tries. At this time, the guide needs to demonstrate to the child and guide the child to try.
For example, when we are faced with a new toy, we have to show how fun and interesting the toy is. (As exaggerated as possible) When faced with a new snack, we have to show how sweet and delicious this thing is to eat, it is simply a delicious existence in the world, and stimulate the child's desire to try. Once the child tries, it may stimulate the motivation of the child to try again.
There are many opportunities for communication activities in children's daily lives, and we should carefully observe, carefully grasp each of the child's motivations for practice and strengthen in time to consolidate our sense of pleasure in maintaining interaction with others.