Exploring the four Cs: Using future skills to unlock young learners’ potential

Annie Altamirano
Students sat together in a classroom working together
Reading time: 5 minutes

What do we mean by future skills?Ìý

The skills students will need in their future studies and careers are dramatically different from those required previously. Times are changing rapidly and educational institutions and teachers have a critical role to play in developing those skills in our young learners so that they are able to fulfill their potential and have bright futures ahead of them.Ìý

These skills are referred to as future skills. There is no common consensus on how to define these skills but, broadly speaking, they can be grouped into four categories:Ìý

1. Ways of thinking

Skills in this category include critical thinking, creativity, innovation, problem solving, metacognition and learning skills.

2. Ways of working

Here, we’re talking about the skills of communication and collaboration.

3. Tools for working

Information literacy is an important 21st-century skill, as well as ICT literacy and citizenship, both global and local.Ìý

4. Life skills

The final category covers life and career skills, and is all about personal and social responsibility.Ìý

One way you can encourage young learners to build these skills is through STEAM subjects (that’s science, technology, engineering, arts and math), which will equip them with functional skills such as organizing, planning, cognitive flexibility and self-regulation.Ìý

The four CsÌý

The four Cs refer to four important skills for young learners to master: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. These are essential, not just in an educational context, but in everyday life.Ìý

Falling into the first two categories of future skills (ways of thinking and ways of working), these can help children build confidence and self-esteem. They also encourage healthy emotional development.ÌýÌý

So let’s take a closer look at the theory behind them.

1. Communication

We usually think of communication as speaking and listening, but it’s actually much broader than that. Communication encapsulates telling stories, reading, sharing ideas and experiences, body language, facial expression, eye contact and tone. Children learn to decipher the world around them by learning and practicing these skills.

Strong communication skills, developed early, are directly related to their literacy success. These skills allow children to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively, and listen to decode meaning. Students then begin to use communication for a range of purposes, and communicate effectively in diverse environments. Furthermore, developing strong patterns of verbal and non-verbal communication also fosters self-esteem and social skills.Ìý

2. Collaboration

Collaboration is how young children begin to build friendships with others. At first, young children will watch what others do and say, before moving on to playing together. As they get older, they become aware of other children’s feelings and ideas. Friendships become motivating and they learn how to make compromises and respect each other’s perspectives and skills.Ìý

Collaboration is enhanced through group work and project-based activities, sharing time with peers. Children thrive when they feel valued by the people around them, not just adults but their peers too.Ìý

3. Creativity

Creativity is a complex concept. Many people think that creativity is being good at painting or drawing, but actually, creativity can manifest itself in a multitude of ways. Some of the key attributes of creative thinking include divergent thinking, imagination, flexibility, and the ability to tolerate ambiguity.Ìý

Children who can express themselves creatively show less frustration and develop a joy of learning. And this expression can take many forms: writing, drama, scientific exploration, and dance and other movement – to name just a few.

Part of creativity is learning to innovate. Innovation is how children test their thinking and how they interact with their world. Creative children are able to create content from their own ideas or other resources. They can use that newly created content to solve problems and participate in creative activities.Ìý

4. Critical thinking

Critical thinking refers to the higher levels of thinking that learners need to enable them to think rationally and effectively about their needs, the best way to do things, identifying links between ideas, analyzing points of view, evaluating arguments, and supporting evidence and reasoning. It’s about thinking in a non-linear, open-ended way, allowing for multiple responses and unspecified answers, and considering issues from various perspectives, challenging assumptions and exploring possible alternatives.Ìý

Critical thinking is not a natural function like sleeping or eating. Children benefit significantly from teaching methods that take the development of their thinking skills seriously. And when children start applying critical thinking skills, they’ll begin to enjoy more challenging tasks.Ìý

Five steps to the four Cs

So how can teachers plan their lessons to develop these four skills in their young learners? There are five steps that provide a framework that challenges and stimulates students:Ìý

1. Determine learning objectives and define behaviors that learners should exhibit

Think about the purpose of your lesson. What new concept or information do you want your students to absorb? And what learning behaviors do you want to elicit from them? Clarifying these aims before your lesson will help you to measure its success afterwards.Ìý

2. Model a new concept and encourage students to think critically and creatively through questioning

It’s important for the teacher to plan significant questions and give students time to respond. Follow up on those responses by asking probing questions and periodically summarizing key points of the discussion. There are various types of questions you can use in class:Ìý

  • Clarification questions, for example, What do you mean? Can you explain that more? Could you put that in another way?Ìý
  • Assumption questions, for example,ÌýWhy do you think so? Would you make this assumption?Ìý
  • Evidence questions, for example,ÌýCan you give me an example? Do you think this is true?Ìý
  • Origin or source questions, for example, Where did you get that idea? Is this your own idea or did you hear it from someone else?Ìý
  • Consequence questions, for example, What effect would that have? What would the implications be? What alternatives could there be?Ìý
  • Viewpoint questions, for example, How are these ideas different? How would different groups of people respond?Ìý

It’s important to include as many students as possible in the discussion. In this way, they are more likely to communicate with each other and discover knowledge on their own.Ìý

3. Choose activities that promote active learningÌý

One activity that typically receives a positive response is the KWL approach. Create a table with three columns:

  • K = what students knowÌý
  • W = what they want to knowÌý
  • L = what they have learned

Once the class has completed the first two columns, you can put the table aside until the end of the lesson or the topic. Then complete the final column as a way of reviewing everything that has been covered in the lesson.Ìý

Also, try think-pair-share activities. Assign students short tasks to complete individually. Just make sure that they prompt learners to come up with creative responses. Once students have had an opportunity to think critically and creatively about the concept, they can share their ideas with a partner before sharing with the whole class.Ìý

4. Prompt communication and collaboration, and give students an opportunity to review and refine their ideasÌý

Moving into larger groups, learners can share their work, accept different perspectives and defend their own point of view. Presenting to one another and answering questions will prompt them to review and refine their ideas before the final step in the process.

5. Learners present their work, getting feedback and creating an opportunity for self-assessmentÌý

Depending on the type of work you’re doing, presenting could be as simple as sharing answers to questions or giving a project presentation with a group spokesperson. Encourage the other members of the class to ask questions and provide feedback, as well as giving your own feedback. Then, encourage learners to reflect on their participation in the lesson.

Read our blog posts 'Activities to nurture creativity in the classroom' and '21st-century skills and the English language classroom'.

Learn about our courses

More blogs from ɫèAV

  • Grammar 101: insider tips and tricks to instantly improve your writing (part 4)

    By
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    Punctuation makes your writing easier to read and understand, but it can be tricky to master. As an editor and proofreader, I often notice people confusing semi-colons and colons, so we'll explore the difference between them. And because both are often used in lists, we'll also look at the humble comma – and its sometimes-controversional cousin, the Oxford comma.Ìý

    Semi-colons and colons both connect phrases in a sentence but are used in different situations.Ìý

    Understanding colons

    Colons introduce important information and explanations. They're often used before lists as a replacement for phrases like "they are" and "which is":

    • He offered me a choice of drinks: tea, coffee or hot chocolate.Ìý
    • I packed the essentials in my bag: water, pens and a magazine.Ìý
    • She speaks three languages: English, French and Portuguese.Ìý

    You can also think of a colon as a spotlight, with the phrase that comes after the colon explaining or expanding what came before it.Ìý

    • In 1903, travel was changed forever by an important event: Orville and Wilbur Wright's first successful flight.
    • He loves visiting the animals at the farm: cows are his favourite.Ìý
    • There is one rule I live by: I treat others as I wish to be treated.

    The secrets of semi-colons

    A semi-colon links two ideas that are closely related and that would be two complete sentences if you used a period instead. They give a softer transition than a period would, and they're often used instead of conjunctions like "and", "but" and "because":

    • I love eating pizza; my sister loves eating burgers.
    • I wanted to go for a swim; I couldn't find my goggles.Ìý
    • I'm going to the park; the weather is beautiful.

    Semi-colons also seperate items in long lists to make life easier for the reader and stop a sentence becoming a sea of apostrophes. For example:

    • I've got my shopping list ready: peppers, carrots and oranges from the market; toothpaste, shampoo and pain relief from the drugstore; and a newspaper, snack and drink from the newsstand. Ìý

    Standard comma or Oxford comma?

    An Oxford comma goes before "and" or "or" at the end of a list. The first example has an Oxford comma, the second doesn't.Ìý

    • Please bring me a sandwich made with cheese, lettuce, and tomato.Ìý
    • Please bring me a sandwich made with cheese, lettuce and tomato.Ìý

    American English generally favors the Oxford comma, British English typically omits it, unless needed for clarity. Compare:

    • I love my parents, Taylor Swift and Keanu Reeves.
    • I love my parents, Taylor Swift, and Keanu Reeves.Ìý

    As with many areas of punctuation, whether you choose to use the Oxford comma is a matter of personal preference. However, the most important thing is to be consistent in your usage.Ìý

  • A person in a denim jacket and striped shirt holds glasses and a notebook, standing by a window with bright daylight.

    What happens in the brain when you learn a language?

    By
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    Whether you’re picking up Spanish for travel, Mandarin for business or French just for fun, you’re not only expanding your communication skills, you’re also giving your brain a powerful workout. But what actually happens inside your brain when you learn a language?Ìý

    The brain’s language centers

    Your brain is made up of many parts and two areas are significant for language:

    • : Located in the frontal lobe, this region helps you produce speech and form sentences.
    • : Found in the temporal lobe, this area helps you understand spoken and written language.

    When you start learning a new language, these areas get busy. They work together to help you listen, speak, read and write in your new language (Friederici, 2011).

  • What’s it like to teach English in Nepal?

    By
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Anandi Vara was trained in teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal before teaching at a monastery in Pokhara. There she taught students ranging from six to 10 years of age, both in groups and individually. Here she reveals the lessons she learned during her time thereÌý– including how to avoid being perturbed by a cockroach attack.

    Whatever you do: don’t freak out

    It just makes everything worse. It’s easy for things to get overwhelming – a sense that can be made worse by the feeling of homesickness, especially if it’s your first time living abroad – but thinking rationally, and getting to the source of what’s causing the worry, usually helps. It’s important, as you don't want to share your fear in lessons because you’re the teacher and need to show confidence.

    This was, however, tested to the limit when I had a cockroach dangled in front of my face. It took all my strength to stay calm. I gave an unimpressed look, thereby establishing myself as the figure of authority, which seemed to work.

    Be aware of cultural traditions

    It is important to remember that every country has its own traditions. I was teaching in a monastery, so I made sure to wear respectful clothing, even in the face of soaring temperatures. The more I learned about the Tibetan culture, the more fascinated I became by it. The students taught me how to write my name in Tibetan and the meaning behind it. I learned about Tibetan history and Tibetan culture.

    I also found that the more I showed willingness to learn about the Tibetan culture, the more I bonded with the students, so that when it was time to teach, the students were more cooperative in lessons, engaging and participating more.

    Teaching is two-way learning

    There is so much I learned teaching abroad, both in the classroom and out. Making mistakes as you begin is only natural, but it’s whether you can learn from these mistakes that counts. No two students are ever the same so it’s a constant process of learning as you go. As a result, I learned about the environment I was in – from traditional prayer ceremonies to the Tibetan alphabetÌý– and about myself, notably organizational skills and a renewed curiosity about the English language.

    Be Flexible

    Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’ve planned your lesson down to the smallest detail – if it doesn’t take, then it doesn’t take. I was only 10 minutes into a lesson once and I could tell that I was beginning to lose the students’ attention. Not only did it show that they were uninterested, it also distracted me from what I was doing. It was at this point that I threw out my existing plan and tried a whole new lesson: I had the students up on their feet and engaging with each other and, although completely improvised, it was very successful.

    Patience is a must

    During my one-on-one mentoring session, my student seemed to have no motivation. He wasn’t learning as well as the other students and had therefore given up. No matter what I tried, he refused to cooperate, but I didn’t let it put me off. I kept trying different methods until finally finding one that he responded to. I made sentence structuring into a game. It wasn’t anything fancy and consisted of scraps of paper with words written on them.

    Although it took a lot of time to find the right angle, it was worth it because he soon realised that although it might take longer for him to pick things up, he would eventually get there and have a greater sense of accomplishment.