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"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
�"Dolly Parton

IMPROVING ADULT-CHILD INTERACTIONS

School-Age NOTES (www.AfterSchoolCatalog.com) featured this excerpt by Ingrid Griffee from her book Listening to Children in School-Age Care Programs with tips for improving child-adult interactions in after-school programs:

* Modify staff job descriptions to include listening to children;

* Assign one adult a day who is free from administrative duties so he/she is available just to listen and engage with children;

* Assign busy work tasks to older children in order to free staff for listening;

* Sit down and eat snack with the kids;

* Inform parents of your new focus on listening so staff won't feel pressured to "look busy" in front of parents;

* Have projects ready to go so staff can focus on interacting with children instead of controlling the project;

* Occasionally schedule staff to an administrative task that removes them from the children. Or allow staff members 10 minute breaks from the children. This gives staff time to "recharge" so that they're more able and willing to appropriately engage with the children;

* Remind the staff that time always flies faster when we "forget ourselves." Quit looking at the clock and engage with the children.

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