Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-manner-of-speaking/5018001/
We lay nose to nose on the quilt, and when he is focused on my face, I begin. When I tell stories to four-month-old Zachary, I speak in a very soft voice, almost a whisper. I speak very slowly �" this will be my storytelling voice. I build patterns into the story, so that he can begin to anticipate. My face is very expressive, there is drama and humor. Not too surprisingly, Zachary stars in all the stories: Zachary’s Walk, Zachary Lives in a Tall House, and the current favorite, There’s a Bunny in the Garage.I am very intentional as I begin to build my relationship with Zachary. I won’t see him as often as I would like since we live far apart, but when we are together I want him to be able to count on certain patterns and routines that will bind us together.
There is a buzz of talk around intentionality in our profession. In ongoing efforts to refine skills and focus learning, there will be more discussion of this concept in workshops and trainings and in upcoming articles in Exchange magazine. Intentionality is an integral part of the skill and art of caring for young ...