tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950169.post4097215182242569511..comments2023-07-21T11:27:59.169+02:00Comments on Education & Skills Today: Starting Strong: what should children learn?Cassandra Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02144529034699876259noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950169.post-49522492089722094882012-03-07T09:11:38.971+01:002012-03-07T09:11:38.971+01:00This is a perfect post. I like the mention of affi...This is a perfect post. I like the mention of affirmations which can be such a huge part of driving one towards their goal. Affirmations are so simple to use, and the outcome can be so strong in the end. If affirmations were incorporated into today's upbringing of children, you could help them shape their future to whatever they want to achieve. My daughter has used affirmations in here schooling and she is doing great and handling a lot too. Juggling extra curricular tasks with her school work keeps her loaded down and she is doing well. I think as long as the child has the tools available to accomplish their tasks, help them maintain focus, adapt and overcome obstacles...they have the ability to handle anything. Great post!Jackie S.http://awake2000.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950169.post-76524165147943899912012-01-12T13:37:02.609+01:002012-01-12T13:37:02.609+01:00Yes, foundation skills are also important. Strikin...Yes, foundation skills are also important. Striking a balance between social skills and academic knowledge is a key challenge for successful and effective curricula for young children. Indeed literacy and numeracy, for example, are important and should be addressed with children. No doubt early childhood is a formative period also for children’s understanding of math (shapes, sizes, numbers), literacy and even logical thinking and reasoning. However, addressing these foundation skills is not necessarily at odds with the soft skills. Even the very youngest children use abstract and numerical ideas in their play and exploration. For instance New Zealand’s Te Whāriki curriculum combines clear targets of what children should learn (relating to specific subject areas) with a focus on children’s social competences using play and exploration as a learning strategy. <br /><br />Starting Strong III clearly states that one should think beyond any dichotomy between “academic” and “comprehensive” curriculum approaches and instead focus on critical learning areas. Literacy, numeracy, science as well as information and communication technology are considered important learning areas. Furthermore, these can be addressed together with children’s social development and emotional control. Indeed it is argued that high-quality care and education relate to curriculum practices in which cognitive and social development are viewed as complementary and of equal importance.Matias Egelandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950169.post-23693101975970497682012-01-11T18:12:36.275+01:002012-01-11T18:12:36.275+01:00I agree 100% with the argument that soft skills ar...I agree 100% with the argument that soft skills are hugely important to a student's continuous growth and education. But shouldn't we also be stressing foundational skills (science, technology, engineering and math) during these formative years? Should soft and "hard" skills be taught simultaneously?Josh.iCarnegiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359020475043685721noreply@blogger.com