According to the experts, children these days are expected to think and talk like computers. Children are subjected to pressures of performing well at school and spitting out facts in seconds -- without, it seems, really understanding what they are saying. As a result, this compromises far more important aspects of raising a child, which include social interaction, relationship navigation, and compliance within the community.
A new book entitled Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children stresses this problem and offers viable solutions to this seemingly robotic way of thinking among today's children. The book was co-authored by Professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek of Temple University and long-time collaborator Roberta Golinkoff of the University of Delaware. According to Professor Hirsh-Pasek, the recent learning condition in children works like climate change. She emphasized that not getting the right attitude may force the children to endure an unlivable environment in the future.
In their book, the authors discussed the importance of the six Cs -- collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence -- in rearing today's children into successful, sociable individuals in the coming years.
Defining the six Cs that make for successful children
The authors have emphasized on the importance of putting more focus on the six Cs in order to improve parenting and simultaneously foster social relations among today's children.
- Collaboration - Professor Hirsh-Pasek defined collaboration as getting along with others or controlling one's impulses so as not to hurt others. According to the authors, collaboration remains the very core of parenting. They stressed that everything a child does in school or at home should always be based on collaborations.
- Communication - The authors placed communications next, and noted that it entails speaking, writing, reading and listening. Encouraging children to ask more and communicate more may help improve their chances of succeeding.
- Content - According to the experts, content is largely based on communication, as a child cannot learn anything without communicating.
- Critical thinking - This aspect, in turn, relies on content. The authors stressed that children will not be able to navigate through loads of information if content is not readily available.
- Creative innovation - The experts noted that this aspect requires knowledge. The authors also emphasized on the 10,000-hour rule, which states that someone must know something well enough to develop something else.
- Confidence - According to experts, parents, teachers and guardians should have the confidence to teach children to take safe risks.
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