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This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Primrose Schools; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
When you find out you are expecting a baby you immediately start planning for all the things – best car seat, nursing vs. formula, pediatricians, vaccines, sleeping situations, baby proofing…oh so much! And then you have that sweet bouncing bundle of joy and you feel like you know nothing for the first few months. But then it happens, you find your groove and you rock it! It begins being fun, messy but fun. Then that “S” word becomes a reality…yes that word…SCHOOL!
Seriously, when we were thinking of being parents, I never imagined that picking and deciding on a school would be one of the hardest parts of parenting and raising your child. I have talked to a number of parents and they agree with me. SCHOOL – the choice that will affect your child for the rest of their lives! So…now what?
Reach For The Next Horizon With The Right Skills
As parents, we want the very best for our children and that includes school. But what if, when we start looking into schooling options, we stop thinking so much about reading, writing and arithmetic, and instead we focus on skills that our children will need for the rest of their lives. Those skills are called executive function skills. Now, don’t get me wrong, the basics of school are an obvious must learn but our kids deserve more!
Primrose Schools focus on the basics for Infants through Kindergarten but also integrate the executive function skills as well. According to a recent survey, executive function skills are more highly valued in entry-level job candidates than technical abilities, academic background and other factors. So, let’s focus on the future, let your kids reach for the next horizon.
What are Executive Function Skills?
- Adaptability – This skill helps your child learn how to go with the flow, adapt to any changes that he or she may have to deal with.
- Teamwork – This is an essential skill for every young child to learn. Learning to work together when playing, socializing, cleaning, etc. with playmates and family members will allow the child to do the same as they grow older. Working as a team brings more productivity.
- Problem solving – Nurturing skills like problem solving early in life can help children become more successful adults. This is the ultimate goal, right? Successful adults!
- Critical thinking – For any situation in life you may need to be able to take information and determine how best to use it. While this seems like a huge skill for a child to learn, playtime is a great place to begin the learning.
- Self-control – Not blowing up and having patience is a huge goal for small children. The time to build self-control starts at a young age.
- Memory – This is more than just remembering things. This is about using the information they have been given in the past and using it again, like when following directions or completing a task.
All of these skills are skills that I know I want my children to learn, use and grow with and I can totally see why the studies show that in the future our children will need more than the educational basics. They will need these executive function skills in order to be successful in the working world.
What Can You Do At Home?
Primrose Schools focus on these skills in the classroom but as a parent you can be focusing on these skills while at home as well. We are really focusing on Self-Control and Teamwork with Jude and Teagan. We know these skills are very important for their future and honestly, they struggle with them both skills.
Teamwork Skills At Home:
Teamwork is important as a child but even more important as an adult, which is why we see this as a skill we want to work on as a family. We enjoy playing games with one another that require everyone to work together in order for the game to run smoothly. One example is building a city of blocks one by one. Everyone has to work together to see the end product. We also encourage both Jude and Teagan to play out imaginary scenarios together. Building a story with each other means they have to work together to complete the story.
Self-Control Skills At Home:
Oh goodness…both of our kids have those melt downs and outbursts. Self-control is a skill neither of them have mastered. To try to curb this loss of self-control we are focusing on using board games and play those games with the rules in hand. No one wins just because they are the youngest or oldest. Rules are to be followed. In addition to board games we have found that sharing relaxing breathing techniques helps them both calm down and build their confidence when feeling the loss of self-control.
Celebrate those milestones!
Parents celebrate a ton of firsts but we often forget to celebrate when our children make strides in skills like teamwork and self-control. When Jude gets through a day with out a meltdown for not being the best, we tell him we are proud of him. When Teagan has a play date with our neighbor and doesn’t freak out when her friend wants to play her game, we celebrate!
While all of these skills are important to nurture before the age of 5, it is obvious, even as an adult we often need review and continued education. As your child grows into a young adult, continue to praise them for their work on the executive function skills.
Primrose Schools has provided so much information for parents on their website. I encourage parents of all ages of kids to check out this information.
Parenting is hard work, we want the best for our children and we need to be a player in the game of life they are running. Do not rely just on school staff, take part in helping your child reach for the next horizon and be the very best they can as kids but also as future adults!
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Prize Information: 10 lucky winners will receive a $250 Barnes & Noble gift card and 5 children’s books!
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Which Executive Function Skills are you focusing on with your children this school year?
I love that this encourages teaching at home! That is where it all starts and it can be so difficult to know what exactly to teach them. This sounds really awesome!
My boys are in pre-k for the first time this year. They are enjoying it. I also teach them at home some, as well.
My son started first grade this year. I am considering adding teaching at home, as I am so amazed at how much he's learned. He attends a bilingual charter school. Thanks for the encouragement.
I've never heard of the Primrose school but this concept is so cool – I have to look into it. the typical environment hardly helps the team work skills that are so important in the every day life.
I always taught my kids at home and at school when they were younger. Now all of them are in high school so it's a bit harder to help.
You're absolutely right about that! I was hunting for schools as early as I could, asking around and learning about the curriculum and teachings styles. It's important for me to find a school that will bring out my children's talents and help prepare them for their future.
Oh wow, that sounds like an amazing school. I love the concepts and the kind of education that they focus on. If I have kids, this is something I'd love them to take!