Source:Tracking Student Progress: 6 Questions for District Leaders | Learning Sciences International
Education has never been just about learning academic subjects. It is also about character development: teaching children how to communicate, cooperate and think critically. Yet, compared to academic subjects like maths and science, this type of growth can be hard to assess and track. Thankfully, new techniques have emerged to help parents and educators measure and monitor the growth of these ‘transferable soft skills’. In this blog post, we will explore what these skills are, why they matter and various techniques parents and educators can use to evaluate and track their child’s progress.
First, let’s define what we mean by transferable soft skills. These are skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and adaptability. They are not tied to any particular subject or profession but are applicable across all areas of life. For example, communication skills will help your child in their future career in marketing or in a group project with classmates. Teamwork skills will be beneficial for any group project, whether it is for school, work or in a volunteer setting. These skills apply across all areas of life and play a significant role in your child’s success.
Why do these skills matter? Research shows that transferable soft skills are just as important, if not more so than academic skills. Employers today seek candidates with the right attitude, adaptability and the ability to work well with others over just those who excel in academic subjects. Studies suggest that students who develop these skills are more likely to succeed academically, attend college or university and secure employment after graduation.
So, how do you assess and track your child’s growth in these essential skills over time? Here are a few techniques and ideas to help you get started:
Rubrics and Criteria:
Rubrics can be an effective tool for assessing your child’s progress in areas such as communication, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership. Rubrics break these broader skills into specific and measurable components. Creating clear criteria can allow ongoing assessment of individual and group performance throughout the year, during projects or in peer evaluations.
Self and Peer Assessment:
Encourage children to reflect on and evaluate their performance in different contexts such as group work or class presentations. Feedback can be solicited from other students or volunteers, creating an opportunity to discuss improvements, areas of strength and new goals for their skills.
Interviews and Reflections:
Video recordings of your child’s group work or the classroom can be used to assess their performance in communication or presentation skills. Parents/educators can observe recordings to see their child’s interactions to understand how other group members performed. This will help guide discussions of the child’s strengths and needs for improvement.
Collaborative Growth Plans:
Make a collaborative growth plan with your child, outlining particular skill areas of focus and tracking progress over time. Involve peers, parents and teachers as collaborators or coaches to assist as needed.
Real-World Application:
Encourage regular opportunities in your child’s life that allow them to develop and practise their transferable soft skills. Activities like team sports, volunteering in the community or participating in extracurricular activities offer a unique opportunity to practise and develop these skills in real-world situations, while educational environments can still primarily focus on and develop the academic provisions.
Having strong transferable soft skills is essential for success in today’s world. By using these techniques and being attentive to your child’s development, you can ensure that they develop the skills they need to excel both academically and personally. Rubrics and criteria, self and peer assessment, video interviews, collaborative growth plans and real-world application activities are all ways to help your child develop these skills. Parents, educators and students can begin to prioritise these skills, creating a supportive environment to encourage growth and development, even when traditional grading criteria tend to emphasise academic subjects over interpersonal skills. Embrace student growth over education alone, and watch your child grow into an all-round motivated and well-rounded individual in whatever path the future may offer.
