Three Essential Components to a Life Skill Curriculum
Posted: Friday, January 29, 2010
by Vince Shorb
National Youth Financial Educators Council
There are a lot of things in life that are learned on one's own. There are also a lot of things that should be taught because the risk of learning from the school of hard knocks is too great. Life and financial literacy skills are two such skills where the risk is too high to send your students or children out on their own without proper guidance.
What are some of the key concepts a life skills curriculum should teach?
1) The first set of skills that a good life skills curriculum should teach are social skills. It is essential that people learn how to competently communicate with others. Communication can be in the form of verbal, written, or body language. Regardless of how it is done the bottom line is that people need to know how to get along with each other.
Financial literacy skills are also extremely important. In today's age it is vital we prepare this generation with practical financial literacy skills before they leave home. Money is a necessary and significant part of life, so by learning these skills young people are better prepared to enter adult life. If people don't know to manage their finances they probably will experience a lot of issues later in life. You should focus on a practical financial literacy skill sets that they will use. Teaching financial literacy skills as a part of life skills curriculum is a vital component that affects many areas of their lives. Helping them achieve a level of financial comfort will help them be healthier, happier, have better relationship and be more involved in the community. The very core of a life skills curriculum should be the teaching of practical money management strategies.
3) Another important skill set in an effective life skills curriculum is relationships. The ability to form and maintain relationships affect every aspect of our life from business to personal. Some people pick these skills up along the way, but the increase in divorces indicates communication must be taught. In this day and age, we must share with the younger generation the traits that people in successful relationships have in common. People should be aware of these for there is only one chance for them to learn before they permanently hurt themselves or others.
It is essential that a life skills curriculum contain all three of the steps mentioned above. You also want to make sure it is engaging and entertaining so the students or your children remember and internalize the information taught. This can be one of the most important subjects you provide today's youth since it will have both a long lasting and positive impact on their lives and the lives of those they love.
--------
Visit http://www.FinancialEducatorsCouncil.org for free guides and videos that will show you the important financial lesions your child cannot live without. Vince Shorb, the recognized leader in the youth financial literacy field, provides today's young adults and parents the financial lessons needed to make it in the 21st century.
This Article has been viewed 542 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.