9 benefits of skill development
Early childhood development focuses on a period of remarkable social, cognitive, physical and emotional change.
According to a recent survey, executive function skills are more highly valued in entry-level job candidates than technical abilities and academic background. Some of the most important things to foster in order to achieve these important skills are teamwork, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving, self-control and working memory.
Our courses at Learner Circle are made keeping these skills in mind. Our activities on quiz foster teamwork, chess fosters problem solving, Music provides for a good working memory, Indian classical art nurtures adaptability. Each course has tremendous benefit on the early skill development of your child.
Young children are super-fast learners. They have the capability to learn several things at the same time. They can develop new skills and vocabulary at 100 miles an hour. They also absorb information and manage to learn something in several different ways. It has always been highly remarkable how much a young learner can absorb at once. This is one of the many reasons why early childhood education is important.
Why is it important?
Professionals who work with children are better equipped with information when they understand a child’s growth process.
‘By being aware of development, educators and caregivers can understand what types of environment children need’ – Dr Dawn- Elise
Therefore, it is important for parents to foster the right environment for children to develop self-esteem, this will also help in understanding some of their behavior.
‘Understanding early childhood development can help you more effectively support your young ones, but more importantly, it helps children develop a strong sense of confidence and determination.’ Dr Snipes
Important areas of early childhood development:
Social and emotional
Language/communication
Movement/physical development
Cognitive
A healthy learning environment will have these growth areas overlap. Generally, our education system focuses on creating a language-rich environment using alphabets, numbers and colors. We tend to neglect building an emotional vocabulary for the child. Emotional expression helps to understand children and their behavioral difficulties faster. Engaging your child in something powerful and meaningful like music can help the child with emotional expression.
Important skills for a child to develop at an early age
Creative skills which include skills like art, dancing and music
Communication skills like public speaking and debate
Higher level skills like those required for math, languages or computer skills
Analytical skills which include skill in problem-solving, counting and sorting
Leadership skills which will help them to manage other people or tasks effectively
Teamwork skills which can be encouraged in children engaged in sport activities
Spiritual skills help the child find a deeper meaning in life.
Benefits of learning a new skill
Skill development stimulates the child’s imagination, enhances thinking skills thereby increasing their creativity
It enhances the focus and concentration of the child. This plays a great role in improving memory and recall.
It can greatly benefit the child’s learning in school.
Skills like dancing help to build physical stamina, strength and endurance in the child.
It helps the child in problem solving, face challenges and handle conflicts. Skill development is said to help a child approach a problem with a positive attitude and solve it creatively.
It increases self-esteem, confidence and determination in the child. This has a long-lasting effect on the child throughout life.
It builds the child’s personality and adds a unique dimension to the child. Helping a child nurture their own uniqueness fosters amazing overall growth and development
The 10,000-hour rule
If your child is engaged in pursuing art, music or any skill development activity then practice is extremely important.
Have you heard about the 10,000-hour rule?
In his book ‘Outliers: The Story of Success’, Malcolm Gladwell describes how to attain big time success. According to his analysis people reach the top of their fields by practice. Like Bill Gates and Tiger Woods. He says that if you practice your chosen skill for a total of 10,000 hours, you can achieve greatness.
How simple is that? Do you want to be great at what you do? All you must do is work hard and practice. But how does practice help?
In his Malcolm Gladwell, highlights that
Spending thousands of hours feeding your own curiosity builds your quest to learn more. This creates eager lifetime learners
Spending thousands of hours making mistakes, discovering, creating friendships, playing with risks and being ready to face the consequences. All this helps to develops innovative thinkers
Spending thousands of hours taking on responsibility, connecting with role models through work and interacting with like-minded people of all ages. This develops self-worth for the individual.
Thousands of hours spent in building perfection and proficiency through direct engagement, investing in pursuit of interests creates mastery.
Spending this time to comprehend, reflect, clarify and look for answers helps build strength of character and maturity
Do you think that 10,000 hours is a bit much? You don’t have that time? In his book, Gladwell, is quick to remind us that 20 hours a week for 10 years adds up to 10,000 hours. If you are a self-motivated learner, then that shouldn’t be a problem. Just think about all the hours wasted on TV and video games. If all our children were invested more wisely in their time, it could greatly influence the dynamics of the future.
Conclusion
When you start teaching kids important skills like self-control, persistence, academic self-efficacy and mastery orientation at an early age, they become more empowered to learn.
The famous Indian dancer Sudha Chandran began dancing when she was 3.6 years old. A R Rahman began learning music at the tender age of 4.
So, what are you waiting for? We have a diverse range of courses ready for you and we have astutely matched this with a dedicated set of teachers. Please do not hesitate to call and start a conversation.
