Thomas Gordon: Active Listening

Part I of Essay
Thomas Gordon feels that one the most effective ways of responding to children’s “feeling” or “problem” messages is the invitation to say more or as he calls it, “the door opener”. This type of response invites the child to share his own feelings or ideas. The importa ....

Part II of Essay
.... or parent must understand more about the communication process. He says that when a child decides to communicate with a parent or teacher, it is because he has a need. The child’s organism is in a state of “disequilibrium” because there is something going on inside him. He wants, or needs something. In order to bring the organism back to a state of equilibrium the child begins to talk. Gordon gives the example of hunger. When a child is hungry, he must communicate his hunger to someone else. He selects a signal he thinks represents his hung ....