Blog
Verbal and Non Verbal Communication
2nd March 2009
Children communicate in a non verbal way often because they do not have the emotional maturity or the linguistic skills to speak about their feelings. This is painfully obvious in those children who have been emotionally damaged.
Children communicate in a non verbal way often because they do not have the emotional maturity or the linguistic skills to speak about the often terrible feelings inside them. Nowhere is this more aparent than in the behaviours of those children who have experienced abuse or severe neglect.
The following article makes excellent reading and refers to a number of non verbal communications by children resident at the Mulberry Bush School in Oxford. “they are just bundles of raw emotion and they express their feelings like toddlers”.
Read the article first and then have a look at the clip (contains some swearing)
Clickhttp://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article3886308.ece for the article
Watch this clip from the film Hold Me Tight and Let Me Go
Some thought points for the film-
In the first scene be aware of more than just what the boy is saying. He is communicating a lot through the rest of his actions.
Why is he hiding?
Why is he choosing to use the words he is using?
Why does he play the music?
How many of his communications are conscious and how many sub conscious?
A little later on the teacher is talking to ‘Alex’.
What is he communicating?
How does his teacher try to interpret his actions for him?
Look at the verbal and non verbal communication taking place between the boy being restrained and his teacher. Why do you think the way of ‘holding’ is important when working with children in such a way?
Why is it important that the children are encouraged to verbalize their actions and take ownership of what they have done? Why are they then encouraged to think about why they have acted / communicated feelings in such a way?
What do you think the film maker was trying to communicate by calling the film Hold Me Tight Let Me Go?
Why are unconscious communications important?
Click here for an interview with the film director