Essential Life Skills: Ft. Ellen Galinsky

Meet our guest

Our Guest, Ellen Galinsky, defines life long learning and is the author of the book Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. She is also the president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute, helped establish the field of work and family life at Bank Street College of Education, where she was on the faculty for twenty-five years, beginning as an EC teacher. Ellen has always had a passion for research, writing and collaborating with parents. She understands the larger system of education well and thinks of her self as an adventurer. We’re happy to go on a life skills adventure with Ellen in this episode! So many takeaways for educators and parents alike.

To learn more about Ellen and all of her wonderful books, important research and rich resources, please visit her website: Mind in the Making

““We’re giving these kids a gift for life, not if we infuse these life skills as a separate curriculum, but as just a part of our everyday activities.””

— Ellen Galinksy

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Teacher Takeaways

Essential Life Skills

1. Focus and Self-Control

   • It helps us to pay attention, think flexibly: part of everyday life.

   • Set up a goal, how to achieve it and then reflect on how it went. When kids set goals, it gives them agency.

2. Perspective Taking

   • Perspective Taking: How you feel + think and how others feel + think.

   • Critical to school success: if you have good perspective-taking skills, you’re more able to solve problems and also helps with reading readiness.

   • Promote by saying: “What do you think ____(person’s name) is thinking or feeling?”

3. Communicating

   • It’s about what you want to communicate and how it will be received.

   • Give kids a chance to express themselves in different ways.

4. Making Connections

   • Knowledge is built on making connections. Making unusual connections is the basis of creativity.

   • Promote sorting games and ask: What’s similar? What’s different?

5. Critical Thinking

   • Critical thinking: the search for valid and accurate information.

   • Promote children’s questions. Turn around and have them answer their questions by researching them.

6. Taking on Challenges

   • Children need to learn how to take on challenges to cope with stress.

   • Taking on challenges requires a growth mindset.

   • Mistakes are fundamental to learning! Talk about mistakes and how to learn from them.

7. Self-Directed, Engaged Learning

   • A culmination of all the skills.

   • Important for children to set goals that are meaningful and purposeful.

Resources

MITM's 7 Essential Life Skills

The seven essential life skills from the book Mind in the Making (MITM) are defined.

Skill Building Opportunities

Turn common behavioral issues into opportunities to promote life skills in children!

Skill Building-Book Tips

Free, downloadable resources offer tips for teachers and parents building children’s life skills based on children’s books.

Vroom

Turn any moment into a brain-building moment. Vroom is also available as an app. Download it for free at the App Store on your phone!

First Book

First Book, a partner of Mind in the Making, aims to remove barriers to quality education for all kids by making everything from high-quality, diverse books and educational resources to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, etc... – affordable to its network of educators who exclusively serve kids in need.