A good education is one of the best things you can do for your children. It increases their earning potential, helps them find satisfying jobs and improves their quality of life.
Physical education is essential for young children. Activities like climbing, running, playing with sand and exploring art materials help kids develop their physical skills.
Learning to Think for Yourself
In a society that relies on thinking, learning to think for yourself is critical. It’s what allows us to solve problems and make decisions, and it’s how we develop ideas that lead to inventions and new solutions.
To help kids develop these skills, child education often incorporates group projects and collaborative activities, which teach cooperation and problem-solving. Moreover, integrating age-appropriate technology like educational apps and games into playtime enhances digital literacy and fosters an interest in STEM subjects.
Effective child education also encourages children to explore their surroundings, which cultivates curiosity and a sense of wonder. It also includes a range of activities that enhance a kid’s imagination and creativity, such as imaginative play and art and music projects. These activities support physical development, nurture language and literacy skills, encourage thinking skills, and promote social and emotional growth. These are the foundations that will allow children to succeed in school and become productive members of society.
Learning to Respect Different Cultures
Developing respect for people from different cultures is a critical part of child education. Children who understand that everyone has a unique background and way of doing things are less likely to make judgments based on stereotypes. This can help them interact with their peers more easily and work together to solve problems in a diverse world.
In high-quality preschools, teachers plan activities that allow children to express their own cultures and learn about others’. Staff share about diverse cultures in small group activities and through books, and encourage children to ask questions.
They also teach children that mistakes are part of the learning process and they can improve on their own, using skills like analyzing, thinking critically, and planning. This enables children to develop essential life skills, such as emotional regulation, healthy self-esteem, and the ability to take risks. It also helps them develop socially and emotionally with their peers, and prepares them to tackle more complex challenges later in life.
Learning to Communicate
Communication is one of the most important skills that children learn, and it’s no different for adults. Children need to be able to express themselves clearly, understand others and adapt their language to fit the audience. It’s also a critical part of learning and building the Seven Essential Life Skills, and it’s not only a crucial aspect of teaching but it can help you with problem-solving and resolving conflict.
Encourage children to narrate their experiences throughout the day so they can attach words and meaning to what they see, hear and touch. Play games that require back and forth conversation and have children act out characters to retell stories to each other. Use open-ended questions rather than closed ones (eliciting yes/no responses), and make sure to adapt the questions to the level of your audience.
Check out our free Book Tips – a series of short guides for families and teachers designed to promote the Seven Essential Life Skills based on classic and diverse children’s books, available in English and Spanish. They address common behaviors that can be difficult to navigate, such as picky eating, bedtime fears and sibling rivalry.
Learning to Read
Developing early reading skills helps children become lifelong learners. Longitudinal studies have found that early readers get higher grades throughout grade school and beyond. They are better able to learn new information, understand and solve complex word problems, develop a wider vocabulary, communicate orally and write clearly.
To become fluent readers, children must move from sounding out letters to blending sounds together (i.e., d-o-g becomes dog) and then reading connected text. Teaching these skills takes time and patience. It’s also important to teach children the context for reading by introducing them to new stories every day.
Reading with children from a young age helps them build a stronger bond, increases self-confidence and lays the groundwork for moral literacy. It also strengthens existing links among brain cells and provides the basis for learning other subjects. This, in turn, leads to a lifetime of success in both academic and non-academic areas. Reading also provides a greater opportunity for social mobility, helping children to overcome disadvantage.