What is most important for your child to learn?

[PrimaryTeacher2018]

The school I am working in is looking at redesigning what we are about. We don't want our children to be drilled with Maths and English, to miss out on the other important, and somewhat more creative, subjects and skills. However, we would love to make these decisions by considering what parents/carers/relatives think would make the biggest impact on children.

What is the most important thing a child can learn in school? What things would hold them back most in life if they haven't been exposed them in school?

Thinking to a primary school you are currently engaged with: what are the children missing out on? If you could suggest one or two things for the school to implement what would they be?

Thanks!

I think a 'love of learning' is the most important thing to develop in children. This I think is encouraged by a 'broad and balanced' curriculum giving all children an opportunity to find things they enjoy and to shine in.

Learn to enjoy reading.
I'm working hard to get him reading after 3 years of being bored senseless with Biff and Chip

Resilience is the most important skill. Learning to keep going after a bad mark or lots of mistakes or not 'getting' a subject. It's the key to success later.
Next to that: love of reading; independent study; group co-operation and very solid times tables. Also, the basics of a modern language. So few UK people take one up anymore.

How to be a decent human being. Sod the rest of it- what does it matter if you know whether 'after' is being used as a preposition or a conjunction if you don't know how not to be an arse?

Emotional intelligence, lots of music, lots of reading, lots of history/geography/understanding the world.

I’m not a parent but had these ideas from seeing a range of children of friends/relatives

• That it’s ok to make a mistake and have another go

• Love of learning

One specific one Age appropriate first aid (call ambulance/what to do in an emergency. It’s ok to be scared doing this, it is scary when something bad happens, but you are doing your best to make it better.

Independent learning and banning sitting children on tables according to ability. My dd has learning disabilities. She had one lower school teacher in year 3 who did the above. She learnt so much from that one year of not being treated as a problem or "knowing her place". As said inspirational teacher said "every child brings something to the table." In that year she genuinely learnt resilience and that her hard work would pay off.

It depends on the age but i think the ability to communicate with others (be it speaking, writing, sign language, drawing) is a huge life skill.

The first thing I thought was to communicate well. Both speaking and in writing. I might add in sign language and both in an additional language as well as through creative activities.

A few more that came to mind emotional, social, moral, and technical competency (technical could maybe wait until secondary), understanding of themselves (all of themselves, to a developmentally appropriate level - body science, mindset understanding, discussion of capabilities, limits, and how to improve.) and wider world, things to be proud of in the past in themselves and their wider community and things to do in the future - how they can help solve problems and make things better.

grit and resilience for sure. so many studies show that students can overcome so many other disadvantages if they have developed grit.

Following curiosity. Time is so tight that a child might read a book that mentions somehere they've not heard of, lets say texas, but theres no time to invesitgate and just go off on a different tangent than planned and seeing where you end up.

Learning to cope with making mistakes and trying again a different way.

How to be kind to each other. Not in a "be a doormat and take whatever someone throws at you" way. But how to look out for and support each other , dont tease for clothing or book or activity choices kind of way.

That learning is fun and that everyone can learn.

I would say reading, then loving it, then loving finding things out.

To know that it’s okay to have emotional intelligence and it’s okay to show it.

To enjoy and appreciate the joy of reading.

The kids in the primary school I work in need basic life skills and social skills. They are often disturbed from their home lives so need school to offer them safety and an opportunity to widen their outlook on life. It is frustrating that a lot of them are too wound up to be ready to learn and the ones that are ready are prevented from learning well due to the behaviour of the other ones! This is a school in a mostly middle class area.

Reading reading and more reading.

My son is only in reception but to me he doesn't seem to get enough access to music making or performing arts like dance. I supplement this at home, but I'm sure including this type of activity is not only beneficial for all, but also gives more opportunity for non academic children to shine.

Maths & English.
Kindness & Resilience.
Critical Thinking, Science & ICT
Humanities, Arts, PE.

That's my order of importance, but in 7byears of primary there's no reason why that can't all be covered.

Social skills,
confidence,
physical development- lots of physical play, den building, climbing frames etc.
Enjoying exploration- learning, stories, interesting stuff. No need to learn it, just to hear it and engage with it.

Reading
Maths
Having an interest in the world we live in and exploring that world in whichever direction they want to.

In no particular order:

loving learning
interest in reading
that career doesn't need to be limited by background/sex
being able to explore different subjects

Grit, determination and resilience, effective communication and above all, just how to be a decent, fair and kind human being. Not enough of it about and needed now more than ever. Half the rubbish schools teach to me is completely pointless. Teach vocational subjects for those not academically inclined from year 7. Teach kids about tax and income, budgeting, more on effective CV drafting and college / university personal statement preparation.

Take a look at the Early Years Characteristics of Effective Learning - that is all you need as the learning ethos and can be used to underpin learning across all age ranges. It is written to support young children's learning, but sums up much of what has been said above.
Good learners are good learners whether 3 or 103,

The thing is, children are in school for 6 hours for 190 days of the year.
To my mind a lot of the stuff that is listed is parenting or at minimum can be done along side other stuff.