Teaching Kids More Than Just Academics Children spend their formative and impressionable years in school. This is the one place – often more than their own homes – where they learn the basics of life; where they forge lifetime friendships and where they generally develop personalities that will shape them into the adults that they will one day become. Keeping this in mind, it is therefore important that schools re-consider what they are teaching their students. Apart from academics, schools should also put a bit more attention to aspects of life that will prepare the kids for their entry into the real world once they graduate. Not Just Academics A lot of parents or guardians, and even former students who have graduated, often find that basic life skills are lacking in the teaching curricula of schools. For this reason, questions have arisen as to what content and skills should schools teach young minds and just how important these truly are. Oftentimes, it’s not the academic lessons that will help kids cope with the real world. Sure, academic lessons may help in job descriptions but coping with the harsh realities of life is a totally different matter – and one that requires more than just knowing your ABC’s. It’s not that our schools are teaching the wrong lessons. It’s just that the lessons are lacking in certain areas. Life Skills For instance, while an individual may be adept in Math and in fact, excelled in this subject during their school years; it will not help much with personal finances if the individual wasn’t taught the basics of budgeting early on. Two other very important skills not given much focus in school are social and communication skills. It cannot be emphasized enough just how essential communications skills are in life. If is poor in this aspect, it will pretty much negatively affect most parts of an individual’s life: relationships, friendships and work. Excellent social and communication skills can open opportunities for growth and progress. Another important lesson that can tremendously help kids in the future is teaching them about time management. With time management skills, individuals can accomplish a lot more things and they not only complete their tasks for the day but do so in a more effective and efficient manner. Having the time for both business and pleasure is highly essential for an individual to be able to survive the rigors of everyday life. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, remember? But all play and no work can make Jack a poor boy, too.
References: http://www.theshould.com/what-content-and-skills-should-schools-teach.html http://www.fortliberty.org/our-schools-are-teaching-the-wrong-lessons.html