Child care workers remember that even very young children have very different needs and preferences, according to a presenter at the 14th Annual Child Care Conference, held at the Stephen F. Austin State University Center June 19. There are, of course, gender differences.
Girls usually develop verbal skills sooner than boys, an edge they carry through to adulthood.
But beyond these gender separators, there are major variations between any one child and the next, differences in personality, differences that may begin before they are born, Johnston told the approximately 50 child care workers attending his workshop. As one example, for some children a hug or a pat on the head is an award while for others any kind of physical contact is punishment. In a similar vein, children may mean different things when they use the same word. Child care providers can go a long ways in overcoming these communication barriers by learning how to listen. One aspect of good listening involves watching body language.