By Helene Swartz, Senior Program Operations Manager, The Malvern School [caption id="attachment_7898" align="alignright" width="330"]
Helene Swartz, The Malvern School Senior Program Operations Manager[/caption] �We cannot build the future for our youth � but we can build our youth for the future.� -Franklin D. Roosevelt Dennis Van Roekel, former president of the National Education Association, cited this famous Franklin D. Roosevelt quote in his introduction to �
An Educators Guide to the 4 Cs.� He goes on to state, �It is our duty to do whatever we can to help our students connect learning with real life and to provide them with the necessary skills to prepare them for success.� This is the foundation for the concept of the �4 Cs.� Research suggests in order for children in today�s society to be successful in school and an ever-changing workforce, they need to exhibit proficiencies in these core competencies:
- Communication � Conveying messages and information in a way that is understandable to others, whether it�s verbally, in writing, through pictures, charts, graphs, etc.
- Collaboration � Working effectively with others on projects or tasks, requiring the ability to listen to others, compromise and cooperate
- Critical Thinking � Examining/analyzing data, using trial and error and thinking outside the box to solve problems
- Creativity � Trying new methods to meet a goal or objective
Starting with early childhood education, the 4 Cs should be integrated into standard curriculum � in areas like reading, math and science � to foster these critically important skills in children. That�s exactly what we do at The Malvern School. We integrate the 4 Cs in age-appropriate ways across various aspects of our curriculum by:
- Planning learning experiences that are unique to children�s individual interests and needs
- Providing a safe, respectful environment where children feel comfortable expressing themselves
- Promoting problem solving and experimentation, for example, providing a wide range of materials that can be used to construct and represent ideas
- Setting up learning centers to allow for individual and small group work
- Allowing children opportunities throughout the day to decide what activities they want to focus on and explore
- Facilitating children through their own thinking by using prompts, asking open-ended questions and encouraging them to explain their thinking (Tell me about what you made. Why did you use those materials? What do you think would happen if you�? How could you make it go faster?)
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st century jobs require the abilities to work as a member of a diverse team, think differently, innovate, communicate clearly and reason effectively. There�s no better way to empower future leaders to master these skills � and set them up for success � than by making practice a daily part of their lives as young children.
