Skill Development of Children  6-8 years of age

This is the age group, 6-8 years where children are introduced to formal education. In other words children move from pre-school to school atmosphere where they are formally trained on their foundations. Parents could really have a sense of what actually children are learning during this stage. But close monitoring is very important.

Tips to improve skills suited to this age

Here are a few tips to improve skill development of children during this important stage of beginning.

• Teaching children do’s and don’ts of everything
• Asking to be cautious when they are on their own in carrying out tasks
• Educating the children on sentence formation – be it either in mother tongue or in new language or specifically in English Language.
• Ask them to form and speak longer sentences. 
• Teach the children the habit of restraint. By this we can ensure that they become aware before doing anything.
• Make them realise that ‘not everything they need is their want’
• Avoid comparing between children especially on their performance – education, sports, extra curricular activities etc. 
• Train them to make the right decision by creating better alternatives. 

One of the main aspects of behavioral change that children of this age should be put through is ‘the habit formation.’ This 6-8 years is a crucial age where parents can instill habit formation. While children spend most of their formal education at school. Family members, especially parents, can perform a role of good ‘overseer’ on children’s habits.

Habit formation

Here are a few examples where parents can watchfully form habits among children.

• Make sure that children follow their regular routines like waking up, getting ready etc., on time.
• Parents are advised to keep track of tasks assigned to the childrens by the teacher. In simple words, keep checking on whether their homework is being done on time.
• Introduce children on socialisation, during special occasions like birthday parties, movie time etc.
• Keep checking on the peer influence.

Develop the spirit of enquiry in the young minds

One could generally notice that whenever Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam meets or interacts with children he will ask them to continuously acquire knowledge. Here is one  such example. During an occasion called Edufest a class X student asked a question to Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam on tips for the upcoming generation to succeed in life.

Here are the four important tips that the people’s president gave 

1. I will have great aim

2. I will continuously acquire knowledge 

3. I will do hard work 

4. I will persevere and succeed 

I presume here that the ultimate object of asking children to have great aims is to develop a spirit of inquiry in them.  When talking about ‘spirit of enquiry’, I mean an aptitude for questioning everything. Therefore, kindly encourage your children to question everything. It is only with the questions they (the children) seek the answer to their great aims.

Few advice for children 

• Carefully listen to your parents.
• Express yourself even if you struggle in doing so.
• Develop the habit of sharing with either your parents or friends.
• Develop a specific interest in the field of study as well as extra curricular activities.
• Develop positive thoughts.
• Never indulge in bullying .
• Ignore negative comments.
• Asses weather you are travelling in right direction with the help of your parents or elders.
• Seek elders / parents help before making decision 

The way forward

Shaping of children is not only the primordial responsibilities of parents. There are two more institutions which have equal responsibilities. They are educational institutions and society. It is these tripartite – triangularly shaped contributions – family, educational institutions and society that the children are being prepared for future skillful world. 

The author is Kannan Periyanayagam, Founder of IASR, a specialised academy of skill development and research