Speak Out Feb 2020 DIGITAL EDITION. pdf

Using “coaching” to build capacity from within

JOANNA GERANGUE AND JANE BACKHOUSE OF CHILDREN’S CENTRES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA CONTINUE THE SERIES OF ARTICLES FIRST PUBLISHED IN SPEAK OUT IN 2018 ABOUT WORKING ALONGSIDE FAMILIES AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE RESPONSIVE CAREGIVING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. THE PAIR DESCRIBE HOW EFFECTIVE THEY HAVE SEEN COACHING WHEN APPLIED WITHIN A RELATIONAL CONTEXT WITH CAREGIVERS.

Coaching can be described as, “an adult learning strategy in which the coach promotes the learner’s (coachee’s) ability to reflect on his or her actions as a means to determine the effectiveness of an action or practice and develop a plan for refinement and use of the action in immediate and future situations”. We draw upon several approaches to guide how we coach in Children’s Centres including The Hanen Centre’s four-step parent coaching model, Friedman and colleagues’ coaching framework, M’Lisa Shelden and Dathan Rush’s early childhood coaching, and Maria Aarts’ Marte Meo. While there are various terms used for strategies in each of the approaches listed above, they generally include aspects of joint planning, observation, action/practice, reflection and feedback. These strategies can be used in a fluid way, multiple times per session, rather than being followed in a strict sequence. Our coaching is based on several key tenets including the importance of supporting caregiver-child relationships using strengths-based, family-centred practice and effective adult

learning in order to impact positively on children’s development. Relationships underpin and promote children’s healthy development. In recent years the concept of family-centred practice has shifted from largely provider driven intervention, (sometimes inviting family participation) to caregiver implemented intervention where the provider’s role is to coach, and to help strengthen the caregiver-child relationship. We know that adults learn and make changes if they are motivated, their current understanding is recognised and made explicit, they have a conceptual framework in which to organise their knowledge, they have opportunities to apply new information and they develop skills to reflect on their own understanding and abilities. Our main focus is working with caregivers (families and early childhood educators) of children from birth up to 3-years-old, given the prime importance of intervening in early childhood. We coach caregivers in naturalistic interventions that they can build into everyday situations to strengthen their relationships with children, and to build children’s self-registration and regulation (emotional and sensory). These foundations set the child up for learning language, play and social skills. Some of the skills

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February 2020 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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