WHAT ARE “LIFE SKILLS”?

After observing thousands of children, we at KUMON believe that “life skills” refer to the ability to live life happily and to the fullest, with dreams and goals, with a willingness to face challenges and to continue trying new things proactively and enthusiastically. To achieve that, qualities such as “superior basic academic ability”, “a sense of self-affirmation” which is the feeling that you have when you recognise and enjoy what you have accomplished and “the ability to learn independently” are essential.

Children experience a sense of accomplishment many times over when they have the satisfaction of saying “I did it!” On such occasions, their sparkling eyes and happy faces – unmistakably show their sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Children’s daily experience of knowing that “I did it!” cultivates self-confidence in their abilities and they begin to believe that “I can do it, if I try!”

Self-confidence means believing in oneself. This comes from self-affirmation. Through the process of persevering in study, children develop a sense of self-affirmation and emerge feeling positive about themselves. On the other hand, when children start with the premise of “I can’t do it…” they will not be able to develop a challenging spirit, nor will they be able to achieve much. It is only when they believe “I can do it, if I try” that they will strive forth and face up to the challenges. This sense of self-affirmation becomes the driving force behind developing the enthusiasm to attempt something more difficult or something they have not been taught before.

It is also what sets them off in setting goals and having dreams for the future. But, if children do not have a sense of self-affirmation and they are constantly thinking “I can’t possibly do it…” then, they will not be able to see their own future. Only those who confidently feel “I can do it, if I try” will be able to hold on to their dreams for the future.

And, it is during this process of pursuing goals and dreams that self-learning skill is developed. Self-learning skill is the ability to set goals and solve unfamiliar and challenging tasks independently. In concrete terms, it is a synthesis of abilities such as concentrating, processing, challenging and persevering.

A person is unable to progress if he keeps thinking of getting others to help him out, be it in getting information or developing skills. When a person wants to find out more about things or develop his own skills set, he must be proactive. Instead of waiting for others to help, one must be willing and motivated to try new things and face up to new challenges. Only then can one broaden his or her horizons. In short, in wanting to hold onto one’s dreams and aspirations and striving to pursue them with one’s own abilities, having a positive and proactive attitude towards learning is truly vital!