Your Kids

Educating The Whole Child

Posted: 7/6/2011

A new initiative challenges teachers to be creative and prepare young people for careers that have not yet been invented.

(NAPSI)—Every person, from classroom teachers to lawmakers, has a responsibility to ensure that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged. An effort to support this idea is being led by ASCD, formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The effort, called ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, promotes an education system where:

• Each student enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.

• Each student learns in an intellectually challenging environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.

• Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community.

• Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults.

• Each graduate has been challenged academically and is prepared for success in college or further study and for employment in a global environment.

ASCD is calling on educators, policymakers, business leaders, families and community members to work together to institute a “whole child” approach to education.

ASCD is considered a global leader in providing programs, products and services for educators that they can use to improve student achievement.

According to Dr. Gene Carter, executive director of the organization and former school superintendent, today’s educational system needs to prepare each young person to work in careers that have not yet been invented; to think both critically and creatively; and to evaluate massive amounts of information, solve complex problems and communicate well.

The organization believes that research, practice and common sense confirm that a “whole child” approach to education will develop and prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

In addition to informing education practices, ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative encourages parents and school staff to work together to ensure that each child in each classroom is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged.

Its website offers a Grade Your School survey, action alerts, newsletters and podcasts to provide parents the tools they need to encourage the “whole child” approach in their local schools. To learn more, visit www.ascd.org/wholechild.

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