Hard and Soft

Hard and Soft

(We are still dipping into Daniel Coyle's book - The Little Book of Talent for this week's tip.)
  

When it comes to mastering any skill, we encounter the need to learn hard and soft skills.  It is important to understand the difference and learn techniques for developing both. 

Hard Skills - are about repeatable precision and tend to be found in specialized pursuits, particularly physical ones.

-A pianist or violinist playing a specific chord

-Proper finger positions

-A child performing basic math

-A young reader translating letter shapes into sounds and words

Hard skills are about ABC: 

   Always

      Being

         Consistent

Soft Skills - are those that have many paths to a good result, not just one.  These skills are intuitive and emotionally based.  A soft skill is all about being able to instantly recognize patterns as they unfold.

Soft skills are found in broader, less-specialized pursuits, especially those involving communication:

-A singer or instrumentalist subtly interpreting the music to highlight emotion

-A soccer player sensing a weakness in the defense and deciding to attack

-A novelist instinctively shaping the twists of a complicated plot

Soft skills are about:

   Reading

      Recognizing

         Reacting

Children need our help in understanding these concepts.  Go slowly, speak simply, and show and tell.

Order Little Book of Talent by Clicking Here

Carolyn Biggs

Steps and Skips

Tips for the Developing Student