Things that kids should be taught

wgwarburton

PedalPedant wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I think every kid should be taught .........a foreign language

Not sure about this one, if you're not going to actually use it you'll never get properly fluent and just forget it all anyway....

If you're a native English speaker, the point of learning a foreign language is not necessarily to be able to speak it fluently; it's to help you understand foreign-ness....

The same applies to learning an instrument, in a sense... It's the process of learning that you are trying to master, whether you have the talent to make music is to some extent secondary.

Cheers,
W.

Cleat Eastwood

Stay away from dj's with jingle jangle jewellery.

spen666

Re the learning a foreign language - after several trips to the USA of late, cycling with the US Police and also travelling through several states, I'm starting to think learning US English should count as learning a foreign language

flimflam_machine

bompington wrote:

PedalPedant wrote:

I consider worthwhile the three I can do

FTFY

Ooooh burn! (Actually I was going to write exactly the same).

I hope what all these things are geared towards is teaching kids that there is no field of endeavour that you can't have a crack at, even if you aren't brilliant at it or going to make a living from it because (i) you may enjoy it and (ii) it will make you a happier, more rounded, better person. So I think it's worth showing kids at a young age that no area is shut to them, whether it be music, arts, science, physical challenges etc. etc.. Most of the suggestions seem to encourage one activity in each of these areas. The other aim is presumably to teach kids some fundamentally useful lessons like "A spirit of enquiry will allow you to learn a lot of things" (so try taking apart your dishwasher), "Authority can be challenged" (so try breaking the DMCA) and "People think differently around the world, although they're probably fundamentally the same underneath" (so try learning a language as a gateway to this).

EKE_38BPM

Flimflam gets it and so does Buns.
Its not about being brilliant at any one of the things in my list, its about having an open mind, physical and mental confidence, a healthy body etc.
Being able to swim a mile is a good thing in and of itself, but having the confidence to stretch yourself to that kind of physical challenge is also a good thing.

Coaching kids with definite targets on the horizon teaches kids that if you put in the effort, you will improve, and a prize at the end of it teaches them to take pride in the work they did to achieve it. That prize could be a ribbon sewn onto their swimming costume saying that they can swim 5 lengths, a blue belt for karate, a certificate in grade 3 piano or a Bikeability level 2 certificate.
None of those things will make the kid want to be a pro in any of those disciplines, but that confidence/pride/work ethic etc will be with them for life.

NGale

Self discipline (including how to wash and iron your own kit)
Respect for others
Personal responsiblity

above all. COMMON SENSE!!

I work with kids both in the Sea Cadets, Royal Marine Cadets and now the Army Cadets and common sense is the biggest thing lacking among kids these days. They ask questions which if they really thought about for five seconds more they would have the answer to. They have academic qualifications coming out of their ears these days and yet they cannot survive and communicate in the real world.

I have two exceptional cadets at the moment, one Marine Cadet and one Army Cadet who really make the whole thing worth it, academically the Marine Cadet isn't the brightest, but his enthuasism, common sense and tatical know how for a 17 year old is stunning. The Army Cadet again will never win the nobel prize, but his enthuasism for all things PR and journalism is wonderful to the point where ine past two weeks, in his own time, he has written so much for the detachment newsletter I have enough material to last me until after christmas!

I just wish there were more kids like these two!

flimflam_machine

NGale wrote:

Self discipline (including how to wash and iron your own kit)
Respect for others
Personal responsiblity

above all. COMMON SENSE!!

I don't really disagree with any of this, but I am confused as to how you "teach" common sense. Partly because it means different things to different people i.e., two different people can come up with totally different answers to the same questoin based on their "common" sense. But mainly because it's always seemed to me to be something that you develop from experience, rather than being told. So going out and doing lots of different stuff (like you do in cadets) is what you need.

There seems to be a vague split in this thread between fact-based advice e.g., a spirit of enquiry will help you learn (how could it not?), and idealogical advice e.g., treat others as you would like to be treated. Much of the idealogical advice (especially that bit) is sound, but it seems harder to suggest that it should be universally taught compared to fact-based advice, because you're entitled to your own idealogy but you're not entitled to your own advice (discuss).

NGale

flimflam_machine wrote:

NGale wrote:

Self discipline (including how to wash and iron your own kit)
Respect for others
Personal responsiblity

above all. COMMON SENSE!!

I don't really disagree with any of this, but I am confused as to how you "teach" common sense. Partly because it means different things to different people i.e., two different people can come up with totally different answers to the same questoin based on their "common" sense. But mainly because it's always seemed to me to be something that you develop from experience, rather than being told. So going out and doing lots of different stuff (like you do in cadets) is what you need.

There seems to be a vague split in this thread between fact-based advice e.g., a spirit of enquiry will help you learn (how could it not?), and idelogical advice e.g., treat others as you would like to be treated. Much of the idealogical advice (especially that bit) is sound, but it seems harder to suggest that it should be universally taught compared to fact-based advice, because you're entitled to your own idealogy but you're not entitled to your own advice (discuss).

I think common sense is taught to young people through the examples of their elders, we are the ones who have to show the example. But also it comes from teaching them about personal responsiblity, respect for others and self discipline, which is where groups like Scouts, Cadets etc etc do come in and have an important role to play in society.

PedalPedant

bompington wrote:

PedalPedant wrote:

I consider worthwhile the three I can do

FTFY

Hah, you got me!

PP

MonkeyMonster

make a gang hut
tie a few useful knots
make a good fire and cook on it
cook in general
fetch cold beers

rjsterry

MonkeyMonster wrote:

tie a few useful knots

Ooh, this. In particular, tying your shoes with a reef bow instead of a granny bow.

5milestogo

1. Appreciate nature and all that grows and lives with us. The toddler has tonnes of fun watching spiders, ants, digging up wigglies, collecting snails and woodlice in the garden - all to bring in to Mummy

2. Read a compass and be able to follow your nose home.

Somethings gone wrong though as today the wife heard the 4 yr old ask a school freind if she came from John Lewis like her!

aclivity

I try to teach my kids to say "they won't sell many ice creams if they go that fast" whenever a police car, fire engine or ambulance goes past with lights & sirens on.

peat

flimflam_machine wrote:

NGale wrote:

above all. COMMON SENSE!!

I don't really disagree with any of this, but I am confused as to how you "teach" common sense.
....
But mainly because it's always seemed to me to be something that you develop from experience, rather than being told. So going out and doing lots of different stuff (like you do in cadets) is what you need.

I agree wholeheartedly.

But sadly, because the media would have parents believe that there is a murderpaedo on every street corner, kids get fewer and fewer opportunities to go out and try things and end up getting reared by TV and Xbox. This of course leads to utterly useless individuals who cannot see danger/possible conflict around them and do things like cycle up the inside of buses that are indicating.