Parental communications strategies in interaction

Adult orientation in child development reveals the parents’ upbringing concepts and allows predicting the results of refl exive interactions between an adult and a child (Goodnow, Colins 1990, Miller, Davis 1992, Kielar-Turska 1997). Numerous studies point to the significance of the mother’s communication strategy in the child’s development (e.g. Bornstein, Cote 2005; Ozcaliskan, Goldin-Meadow 2005). A correlation between a child’s behaviour and the strategies employed in the adult’s contact with him/her has been confirmed.
The observational study on 99 children aged 2.6 at various stages of linguistic development (developmental norm; with underdeveloped speech; high-achieving) in contact with their mothers has demonstrated that a child’s behaviour leads a mother to employ corresponding strategies. Thus, the mothers of children in normal linguistic and communicative development actually employed developing strategies more often and broadened the child’s attention. They engaged in play with the child and were able to adjust to him/her. In turn, the mothers of children with underdeveloped speech tended to do things for the child by limiting its activities through operative control. Difficulties in adjusting to the child were noted. Finally, the mothers of overdeveloped children frequently did not participate in the child’s activities, granting him/her significantliberty. In play, the mothers broadened the child’s attention or redirected it to other objects.
The results of the study encourage a rethinking of the problem of mutual impact of an adult’s and a child’s behaviour in everyday interaction. They may also serve as a resource for educating parents.

Parental communications strategies in interaction

Adult orientation in child development reveals the parents’ upbringing concepts and allows predicting the results of refl exive interactions between an adult and a child (Goodnow, Colins 1990, Miller, Davis 1992, Kielar-Turska 1997). Numerous studies point to the significance of the mother’s communication strategy in the child’s development (e.g. Bornstein, Cote 2005; Ozcaliskan, Goldin-Meadow 2005). A correlation between a child’s behaviour and the strategies employed in the adult’s contact with him/her has been confirmed.
The observational study on 99 children aged 2.6 at various stages of linguistic development (developmental norm; with underdeveloped speech; high-achieving) in contact with their mothers has demonstrated that a child’s behaviour leads a mother to employ corresponding strategies. Thus, the mothers of children in normal linguistic and communicative development actually employed developing strategies more often and broadened the child’s attention. They engaged in play with the child and were able to adjust to him/her. In turn, the mothers of children with underdeveloped speech tended to do things for the child by limiting its activities through operative control. Difficulties in adjusting to the child were noted. Finally, the mothers of overdeveloped children frequently did not participate in the child’s activities, granting him/her significantliberty. In play, the mothers broadened the child’s attention or redirected it to other objects.
The results of the study encourage a rethinking of the problem of mutual impact of an adult’s and a child’s behaviour in everyday interaction. They may also serve as a resource for educating parents.