Pre-Academic Skills:
“Invisible” Skills of Top Learners

Can you believe that some of the MOST IMPORTANT skills your learners need to have are “invisible”, “unspoken”, and rarely thought of? Well, this is true! 

Pre-academic skills are often thought of as basic preschool skills such as the ability to sit at a desk, follow instructions from a teacher, match and sort colours, shapes, sizes etc. They are actually a lot more than that. With better understanding of our brains, pre-academic skills are increasingly being thought of as part of our cognitive skills. In fact, these skills are not only relevant for preschool students, but older students too. Many school-going children may underperform in school because their pre-academic skills were not fully or properly developed. Pre-academic skills are the brain skills such as working memory, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control which not only underlie successful academic achievement but also successful social-emotional relationships.   

If parents and educators start thinking about these skills and developing them holistically from young, the long-term benefits to our learners will be immense!