Mind in the Making: Communicating

Ellen Galinsky’s chapter on “Communicating” in Mind in the Making touches the many fascinating ways that humans learn to communicate, from inside the womb all the way through infancy and childhood. Communication beyond mere spoken language, as Galinksy explains, is a mélange of pitch, tone, facial and hand movements and other nuanced expressions. She guides us on how to help our young ones sharpen their language skills and become effective communicators.

 

No matter your age, social position or vocation, communication is essential. I believe there are two crucial parts to communication: being able to make distinctions and break things down so others can understand you; and, more important than anything else, listening. To master communication one needs a firm grasp of the spoken and written word. As Galinsky explains, when she asked businesses, “Tell me the general skills and competencies you look for in new hires that often fall below your expectations,” the two main concerns were “spoken communication skills and written communication skills.” It is our job as parents, educators, community leaders and policymakers to create an educational environment that nurtures communication skills so these discrepancies no longer arise. 

 

I had many opportunities throughout my schooling to read, write and speak many languages and to travel the world, which has enriched my ability to communicate. Soon after I was born my father, a college professor, moved us to Paris for a couple years to conduct research for his next book, so as an infant and toddler I was immersed in French language and culture. Back in the United States, beginning in 4th grade, I rediscovered my French tongue and accent and it awoke in me a hunger for all languages. From middle school on I learned every language I could: Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, German, French – and English, of course. In studying these other languages I also learned about diverse cultures and geography. The more I understood my place and my culture in relation to the rest of the world, the better I felt I could communicate. This has helped me immensely in every facet of my life.

 

As parents, my wife and I try to create every opportunity in our household for our children to learn and to be creative. When I read Ellen Galinsky’s suggestions for promoting communication with our children, I thought of our home. Our house is never quiet - there is always a LOT of talking going on! It’s also important to note that my wife and I ask the kids to tell us how they are feeling – especially when they are acting out. Not only does that help us to understand if they are having difficulty, but it helps the kids to identify and sort out their feelings and to articulate them.

My family enjoys reading just as much – 4-year-old Felix is already reading Thomas the Train books and 8-year-old Vivian is plowing through Harry Potter, Nancy Drew Mysteries and Little House on the Prairie. We often all climb into bed together and take turns reading to each other – what a treat!

Family dinner time is important and every night we sit together, all around the same table. It is a great time to talk, to laugh, to catch up on the day and to teach and learn. We don’t have a TV, so screen time is replaced by more interaction and play. Ellen Galinsky suggests giving children “access to many forms of media communication.” The time my children DON’T spend in front of the TV is often spent painting, drawing, dancing, singing, playing the piano or reading – of course!

As a policymaker I have made it a priority to ensure that kids are healthy and ready for school. As we all know, when kids arrive in kindergarten without the social and emotional skills to be ready to learn, they are already at a severe disadvantage. Preschool plays a key role in this preparation and I’m focusing a lot of my legislative energy to promote greater access to high-quality preschool.

I am encouraged by our state’s high-quality early learning programs: ECEAP and Headstart. However, I lament that there are more than 4,000 children on waiting lists for these programs. In 2010 I sponsored and led the Legislature to pass House Bill 2731, which makes preschool an entitlement for all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2019. In addition, I am part of an Early Learning Technical Workgroup that for the last two years has been creating a plan to expand Washington’s preschool programs to all parents who want it for their kids. I am very excited about making quality early learning available and affordable to all!

In the Legislature I am also working to encourage rich and meaningful learning experiences in the home. A child’s home environment is even more important than the quality of the school experience. There are terrific programs in our state that couldn’t sustain themselves without state partnership in funding. Some of these programs include Reach Out and Read, whereby pediatricians support and encourage early exposure to books in infants and young children; and United Way’s Parent-Child Home program, in which a trained volunteer of the same language and cultural background of the family brings a book or toy to the child and teaches the parents and children alike.

I agree with Ellen Galinsky about the importance of imparting communication skills to our children so they can become competent and independent adults. With supportive homes, strong and healthy parent-child relationships and access to high-quality early learning programs, we can help our children to be engaged learners, effective communicators and successful in life.

Representative Roger Goodman
45th District