The development of "Nonviolent Communication" in an early years setting to support conflict resolution and develop an emotional intelligence related to both self and others

Download the full report The development of "Nonviolent Communication" in an early years setting to support conflict resolution and develop an emotional intelligence related to both self and others (pdf) by Elaine Fullerton, Hope Cottage Nursery School, Edinburgh

Summary

This research project explored and evaluated the use of interventions based on the Nonviolent Communication Model developed by Marshall Rosenberg in a nursery setting to see if this model could be used successfully with children aged 3-5 years.

The purpose of the research was to see if children would be able to use this style of language to negotiate and resolve their own conflicts and to see if through this model being consistently used they would develop an awareness and expression of their own feelings and underlying needs as well as developing an understanding and showing respect and empathy for the feelings and needs of others.

Although the children did not negotiate conflicts independently the teacher researcher found that with adult support and the help of 2 visual books the children developed an emotional language and intelligence which they used to negotiate conflicts very creatively and found new solutions which met everyone's needs. She was encouraged to see how creative the children could be and that they enjoyed this style of communication and asked for help in order to find solutions to their everyday conflicts with their peers. The conflicts are current and are resolved there and then.

She also found that this model is more than a tool. It is an underlying set of values and ethos, which could pervade all our practice in order to consistently model and teach values.