Communication Skills for Working With Children and Young People

Petrie (education, Institute of Education, UK) shows those who work with children and young people in nurseries, schools, foster and residential care, and other settings how to build relationships with children by communicating effectively using the ideas and values of social pedagogy. She describes preverbal, verbal, and non-verbal communication (but not written communications); listening, feedback, and empathy; self-disclosure; using questions; power and equality; confidentiality; working with conflict; and working in groups. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Pat Petrie is Professor of Education at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, UK, where she leads the Centre for Understanding Social Pedagogy (CUSP). Her interests lie in social and educational policy and practice towards children in the UK and elsewhere, with a strong focus on social pedagogy. Her work has included research into play and childcare, services for disabled children and their families, the place of creativity and the arts in social pedagogy, and children in residential and foster care. She is part of the team at the Thomas Coram Research Unit carrying out the Department of Education-funded pilot project investigating the impact of a social pedagogic approach in residential child care. Her publications attract national and international attention.