WECAN Northwest Birth to Three Conference

COMPANIONSHIP THROUGH COMMUNICATION – Caressing the Seeds of Self

SAVE THE DATE: April 4-5, 2025 – Seattle Waldorf School, Seattle, WA

Companionship forged through communication conveyed through touch, voice tone, gesture, and responsiveness, harmonizes and attunes us with the child’s internal timing.

Language development emerges from what children understand well before they can speak – not merely from what they say. Preceded by our gestures, the soul gesture of the young child is shaped from the early experiences through rhythms and sounds. The young child delights in the nursery rhymes and cadence of songs, rhymes, and verses. One can caress with words! In the tone of language – gesture also lives. The feeling with which we speak and move is internalized by the young child. When in synchrony a space unfolds between the adult and child that underlies language and cultural learning. With willing and affectionate adults, the innate sociability of the young child nourishes and motivates the child toward a shared companionable space with another. The seeds of self are fostered through these encounters and acts of meaning, eventually leading to language learning.

If you have questions, contact us at hchurch@waldorfearlychildhood.org.