Key Skills to Develop in Preschool

Foundations of Learning and Development (FOLD) skills pave the way for other critical forms of learning and development. How are you encouraging and supporting these six initial skills in your preschoolers? 

This post by the Harvard Graduate School of Education identifies six skills and four ways in which to develop them. 

The Skills:

1. Curiosity
2. Creativity
3. Critical thinking
4. Self-regulation and executive function
5. Perspective taking
6. Early identity 

The Strategies:

1. Encourage play. Whether individual imaginative play or engaging with peers or adults, all forms of play contribute to the development of the six skills.
2. Respond to students’ interest and curiosity. When a child asks a question about a topic, provide the answer and then respond with another question to invite more thinking and consideration about the topic. Or, when a child shows interest in a topic, prompt additional thinking through questions.
3. Model these six skills. Children learn by watching and imitating adults. When you experience an emotion like frustration, name it and note how you will self-regulate. “I am feeling really frustrated right now. I think I’ll take a walk to calm down.” Show perspective-taking by saying you’re trying to understand what someone is saying. When adults articulate aloud what they are thinking, they make transparent their thought processes. “Adults who are curious, have kids who are curious and adults who use creative methods, have kids who use creative methods, adults who talk about their own identity have kids with a strong sense of self.”
4. Teach kids strategies. Teach kids how to take deep breaths to calm themselves, for example. 

Read the full article here.