Blog: Attuning to Conversational Equity

About

Attunement is often described as emotional synchrony and the ability to notice and respond to children’s cues, interests and intentions. But what happens when some children are more readily recognised as communicative than others? This reflective blog explores the relationship between attunement and conversational equity, considering how adult expectations can shape whose communication is noticed, interpreted and valued. Looking beyond words, it examines the many ways 2yr olds express meaning through gesture, movement, emotion, play and silence, and asks whether these forms of communication are recognised equally across all children. Through a focus on curiosity, listening and relationship, the blog invites practitioners to reflect on how assumptions about language, behaviour and competence can influence children’s opportunities to participate in shared meaning making. It argues that conversational equity is not simply about giving children a voice, but about developing the attunement needed to recognise the many ways children are already communicating.

Book now to receive access on the release date of Jacqui Lewis's 'Attuning to Conversational Equity: Listening to 2-Year-Olds' Blog