Early Learning Centre
Preparing kids with 21st century skills
Twenty-first-century skills are a hot topic in education today; some even call them the new building blocks for learning. Our children will need to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive global landscape, and at the same time be able to collaborate with others from all over the world. Creativity and innovation will be highly prized, both for developing technology and new media, and for solving challenges with more limited resources. So how do we prepare our children for the jobs of the future?
What new skills will kids need?
Experts worldwide acknowledge that today’s children need more than the traditional 3 Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) to prepare for 21st century careers. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (PS21), for example, is working with state educational leaders on a new classroom curriculum that adds the 4 Cs:
What the complete set of skills includes—and how to develop it in the classroom—is still under debate. Yet, if there’s a common thread, it’s that 21st century skills are a mix of new and old, encompassing traditional academics (literacy, mathematics, science and social studies), life skills such as collaboration, problem solving and creativity, and career skills such as innovation, technology and global awareness.
While some of these 21st century skills may not seem relevant for young children, it’s important to provide a good foundation at an early age.
Fostering 21st century skills at home
While schools are beginning to make the shift toward 21st century standards, there’s a lot that you can do as a parent to foster these skills at home. Try these ideas as starters for supporting your child’s success.
21ST CENTURY LEARNING
FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
The time to begin preparing children for the challenges and demands of the future is when they are young. Children in the early years are curious and excited learners. It is our responsibility as parents, educators, policymakers, and administrators to create learning experiences and environments that tap into that natural curiosity and excitement. This includes not only supporting emerging skills in reading, math, science, and social studies, but also most importantly, the 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, technology literacy, and social-emotional development. Children need to begin to develop the early foundation skills that will help them reason, think creatively, analyze data, and work collaboratively in the future.
EARLY
LEARNING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
Children are capable of expressing their creative thoughts and feelings through many activities, including painting, writing, drawing, sculpture, drama, dance, movement, and
scientific exploration. Creativity can be expressed in many forms such as how a child approaches a task or a new problem. Part of creativity is learning to innovate. Innovation with young children is how they test their
thinking and interact with their world. Children often start by imitating observed behaviors and begin to innovate using novel ideas or solutions if typical approaches do not work.
CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem solving involves the ability to generate and execute a solution to a problem. Problem solving occurs when a child uses trial and error to solve a problem until a successful solution is found. This includes imitation and observational learning by observing others and using their
problem-solving approaches; sorting and classifying to compare, contrast, group, sort, and categorize objects; using logic and reasoning to generate solutions to problems based on rules
generally accepted as true; and, planning and sequencing to develop and follow a multi-step plan in order to achieve a goal.
COMMUNICATION
Listening, speaking, storytelling, and sharing thoughts and ideas are all communication skills. Children learn through listening to others and hearing stories. They imitate languages they hear, body language, facial expression, and eye contact. Children gain an understanding
of themselves and the world through communication. Strong early communication skills are directly related to later literacy success. Developing strong patterns of both verbal and nonverbal communication also foster positive self-esteem and social skills.
COLLABORATION
Collaboration is how children begin to build friendships and work with others. Young children initially watch others and eventually share or play together. As they get older, they become aware of other children’s feelings and ideas. Young children are motivated by acceptance and they learn to respect others, make compromises, and appreciate each other’s perspective and skills when engaged in collaborative activities. Learning these skills early has the benefit of supporting positive interpersonal relationships
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