Welcome to the course

Every day teachers greet and work with children from all backgrounds. Some are prepared for learning together and others are not. Some children are exposed to many more enriching experiences before they start school than others. The gap in experiences and communication skills between the most and least deprived children is now wider than ever.

Social and collaboration skills are not innate – children learn and develop them from birth. They vary depending on the child’s early experiences as a baby, toddler and young child. Some children come to school and can work in teams and communicate effectively. But in most classrooms, far too many children are not able to properly do so.

Teachers across all age ranges have a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. The responsibility of teaching children to become numerate, literate, critically creative thinkers is enormous. However, it is not their ability to teach mathematics or literacy skills which is the core of their craft – it is the ability to develop and support the progression of collaboration and social skills. The algebraic aptitude of a student or his or her poetic talents are meaningless without the skills and abilities to communicate effectively with others, to lead and follow, to reflect and plan, and to disagree and compromise in a way that is productive, meaningful and successful.

The teaching of collaboration and social skills is the hidden goal of the teacher. That is why our ambition with this course is to provide you with social learning and collaboration activities that are based on a learning through play methodology and are easy to apply in the classroom.

Welcome to the course.