Behaving Requires Thinking

02/24/2023

What can you do so a child feels they belong in the classroom? Rather than focus on how to make the child fit in to the classroom culture, we need to create a culture that fits all children.
Mike Huber, Inclusion Includes US

Offering an overview of the thinking skills related to behavior, Stuart Ablon of Think:Kids writes,

As kids and adults, whether at home, school or in the workplace, we all rely on certain skills to manage our behavior. These thinking skills help us do things like tolerate frustration, be flexible, and problem-solve when needed. Research has shown that these types of thinking skills fall into five core areas.

Social Thinking
Cognitive Flexibility
Attention & Working Memory
Language & Communication
Emotion & Self-Regulation

When we examine our skills in these areas, we each have relative strengths and weaknesses. Our strengths help us navigate situations successfully, and our weaknesses explain why we might exhibit some challenges when faced with situations that require those skills.

Identifying strengths and weaknesses might help explain why you or someone you know excels in certain areas and struggles in others. The good news is that skills can be built! Identifying weaker skills is the first step towards working on developing them.

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