2 crucial skills for kindergarteners

By Lavern Nissley

A 19 year study completed by researchers from Penn State and Duke University has identified 2 skills learned as kindergarteners that made people twice as likely to obtain college degrees and have full time jobs by age 25. Deficiencies in these skills were correlated with higher chances of being arrested, engaging in binge drinking and living in public housing.

So, if you were guessing the 2 skills needed by 5 year olds that would positively affect their success in life, what do you think they would be?

A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found the 2 skills to be social and emotional competence.

Typically the skills learned in school relate more to intellectual competence. Baby Einstein interactive multimedia products and music are supposed to heighten development. Although some studies have shown live interaction with parents to be more effective than watching videos.

Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, suggest several simple strategies to help build social and emotional competence:

• Label your child’s feelings - “It looks like you’re feeling sad today” helps a child eventually to verbalize his or her own feelings.
• Validate your child’s feelings - “I know you’re really upset right now” communicates that it’s OK to have big feelings.
• Make empathy faces - Inviting a child to make a face that reflects how another person might be feeling builds empathy. They actually experience that emotion for a moment.
• Let your child experience uncomfortable emotions - Rather than talking children out of those emotions, teach them strategies to deal with the discomfort.
• Correct the behavior, not the emotion - Angry feelings are OK, but aggressive behavior isn’t.

Morin reassures parents whose children are past kindergarten. “You can teach those skills at any time--but it’s important to give kids the opportunities to practice using their skills firsthand.”

So, if you’re a parent, grandparent, or someone who interacts a lot with young children, set them up for success by remembering the 2 skills needed to help them succeed in decades to come.