Successful Students Need More Than A,B,C & 1,2,3

Teaching letters, numbers, sounds, phonetics, reading and math skills will certainly put them on the right track to closing the achievement gap at home. When my children entered kindergarten, school was a review for them; they knew most of the skills being learned, but attending kindergarten each day gave them a chance to master these skills.

They were at the top of their class and the main purpose of kindergarten for them was sharpening their skill of letters, numbers and mastering how to put them together. They learned how to socialize with other children and learned the rules of school.

TEACHING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

I also taught my children emotional intelligence. Teaching them resiliency and how to bounce back. I wanted them to understand at an early age, disappointment and frustration is a part of life, it is how you handle it that counts. I would roleplay with them about circumstances they may encounter in their younger school years; and I told them how to handle certain situations at their age level.

My son, who is now 18; I am still talking to him about handling situations out in the world. Now that he is driving, I roleplay how to handle being pulled over the police; what to do if he has an auto accident, major or minor. I gave him examples of being in college and everyone is drinking, should he allow them to drive home? I gave him example after example on situations that he may come across and asked him, "What Would You Do...?

Even though my son is 18, but you should begin roleplay with children at a young age. Of course the scenarios and examples will be different, but it teaches them how to handle adversity.

For example: I would ask my 4 or 5 year old.....

What street and city do you live in?
What state do yo live in?

What is your phone number?

What number do you dial in an emergency?

What is an emergency to you (meaning the child)?

What do you do if someone is bullying you at school?

What if you get a bad grade in school, etc

What do you do if someone calls you a name?

Teaching children emotional intelligence will carry them through life's ups and downs. Children should be taught to delay gratification, how to be self-motivated, how to read other people's body language and feel empathy for others; most importantly allowing a child to talk about and feel their own emotions.

Children come with different personalities and temperaments, but emotional intelligence is taught. The learn how to handle life's ups and downs by watching, listening and learning from adults around them.