by Corinne Gregory

Created on: August 03, 2009

"Early Childhood Education" is one of the current top educational buzzwords. But, what EXACTLY does that mean, and what is it that our children need to learn "early" to help them be more successful in school and life?

There are many people in varying areas that believe the sooner we introduce our youngest children to reading, math and science, the more capable their brains will be to capture more advanced concepts. But, the reality is that there is an aspect of early learning that is frequently overlooked, yet is even more critical for the child's success: social skills. It goes by many titles these days: social skills, character education, social/emotional learning, etc., but it's essentially the same thing regardless of the label. It's the "missing link" in education that enables a child to participate effectively in a more structured educational environment, get along with others, develop a sense of self and an appreciation of group-think. It also works on developing the underlying motivators for positive self-development such as empathy, compassion, consideration, respect, trustworthiness and so forth.

We're so used to thinking in terms of the traditional "Rs" (Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic) and tend to measure learning by that yardstick. However, the missing "Rs" (Respect, Responsibility, Reliability, Resourcefulness), that refer to social skills and positive character development, have been shown to be the most important factor in a child's personal and professional success, out-ranking academic achievement, socio-economic status, or professional or personal connections. Traditionally, students learned these vital life skills outside of school, in the home and in their communities. Today, however, for a myriad of reasons, too many students come to school under-prepared with those social skills and character foundations that help them be successful in the classroom environment. Further, this inadequacy continues and frequently worsens throughout their education, so that they are too-often unprepared for the job market at the end of their school career.

The results of this lack of social-emotional abilities are hugely significant and have both short- and long-term ramifications. Disruptive students and inadequate classroom discipline is one of the biggest problems facing education today. Bullying and other forms of school-based violence continue at frightening levels, leaving students, teachers and staff feeling unsafe. Too many teachers

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