What skills do you prioritise/consider of highest importance for your DC?

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Following a fascinating thread about learning Mandarin, there seems a divergence among parents as to what skills are imperative for our DC to master and which will have the maximum impact upon their ability to thrive.

So what do you consider the most important? And why? And how do you ensure they receive priority treatment?

Conversely, what things make you think meh?

Yes! to the poster who said -

Being willing to learn!

DD1 is perpetually mystified by children in her class who seem to take a pride in actively avoiding learning anything.

Pushed, sorry you seem to be seeing an argument here that I'm not having. Surely there are software packages that you don't need to use so much? I do plenty of presenting, emphasis on basic, straightforward slides, no effects. So I don't use power point now much more than I could when at university. Doesn't say anything about my overall it literacy I don't think.

I also have no idea what this scratch is that people talk about their primary school children use.
Why the quotes round background in programming BTW? Do you think I'm lying?

I also have no idea what this scratch is that people talk about their primary school children use.
Why the quotes round background in programming BTW? Do you think I'm lying?

I'm not arguing. My SIL is a Financial Controller at a major company and she is quite proud of the fact that she doesn't know how to program her DVD recorder.

I just find it interesting how some highly qualified people struggle to do things that a child finds relatively straighforward.

A lot of the skills I thought were essential have evaporated once I'd had a closer look at my actual children...

where did I say I struggled? I know enough about it to do way o need to do. I am aware there is a hell of a lot more to it that I don't know and ddont need to know. If I did, I'd work it out. But there are a lot of people who find out you work in software development (which I don't BTW) and expect you to know how, step by step, menu item by menu item in every software package they can name. It doesn't work like that as I'm sure you know. But they don't get the difference and that irritates me.

"Why the quotes round background in programming BTW? Do you think I'm lying?"

Why do you think that I think that you are lying?

If you said that you was a CIA spy then perhaps but being in progamming is hardly something anyone would lie about so the thought never crossed my mind ..... until now

Ok. Just I too have a "background in programming" looked odd.
Anyway, just to reiterte that I do not struggle with PowerPoint!

"where did I say I struggled?"

When you said that you 'can barely use powerpoint' ?

Never said I am a spy, I don't think, I once said dh was a fighter pilot which got another mner all excited but in that case I was lying!

Ok. Semantics. I can barely use PowerPoint because I've never had to. Same as 15 years ago I could barely use Excel, now I'd consider myself an expert user. I can see why that would be misinterpreted though. Apologies.

"I think the only reason they don't teach programming (properly) in primary schools is that anyone who understood programming well enough to teach it wouldn't be a primary teacher."

I beg to differ - know a few actual and prospective primary school teachers with PhDs, so it's certainly not out of the question that you'd get someone with high level programming skills working in a primary school.

And we seem to have derailed this thrad somewht. I would definitely like to have a list of the skills and qualities I want to encourage in dc.
Empathy
not givig up
hard work
helping
Honesty
Love of reading
Numeraxy

There mist be loads more...

Agree habb. Programming jobs I've recruited for required degree and experience so fewer quals than teaching anyway.

And they don't have to know all the intricaces of .net framework anyway, basic logic, loops, if statement, logical flow. All the "programming" id think useful at primary level could be done in Excel really.

To answer the question, though:
Critical thinking, both of others' works/ideas and your own - I think questioning your own views is really important
Kindness and also realising when to pick battles - stand up when it matters, but not just for the sake of winning.
And to value their own self-worth as people.

@pushed & stealth - I never use PowerPoint. LaTeX Beamer is far better adapted to technical presentations & fully portable across operating systems.

The point is syntax vs understanding. Once you 'get' how computers work - you have a short learning curve on any software - and it becomes largely irrelevant what you personal preferred languages and packages are.

Hence - I'll invest in teaching my kids to program - but don't care if they never use - say - MS Word.

"Once you 'get' how computers work - you have a short learning curve on any software - and it becomes largely irrelevant what you personal preferred languages and packages are."

At the risk of bumping a topic that was way, way off-topic, that was the point I was trying to make :)

I showed my 9 year old god daughter small basic on a family holiday.

After a couple of days she was putting together fun little games.

It seemed a bit rigid to me to begin with - but we had loads of fun. Started copying out the tutorial programs line by line, figuring out what every line was telling the computer to do. Then changed bits to customise the programs. Lots and lots of maths in it. Loops, logic, co-ordinates.

The main lesson is that it really isn't mysterious. Computers do what they're told. No more, no less. A lot of adults don't understand that - I'd class that as a key asset to succeed in modern life.

Confidence, self worth, independence, (just had a discussion with DD2 why she not I should get her changed after school) 'people skills' as in being polite and friendly but not following the crowd or being a pushover - and that money is finite and has to be earned and when spent is gone.
How i do it a lot of shouting and cajoling and arguments as to where they are going wrong perfect role modelling and pocket money earned through chores and no bank of mum and dad allowed, money is saved in our house not borrowed but then spent the moment it is acquired .

But Pushed, I agree with you there, and have made that point myself. So I don't see why you have been berating me for not being able to use a software package your 11 year old uses?