ADDENDUM G - LIFE SKILLS

Life skills can be defined as "basic learned abilities and attitudes that enrich the lives of people and increase their potential for success as individuals and group members.

life skills empower people to:

Perceive and respond constructively to significant life events.
Apply knowledge to life problems.
Participate in an interdependent society
Be self-directing and productive.
Lead a rewarding life.
Contribute to society.
Function effectively in a diverse and changing world, "¹

Many lists of "life skill" categories have been developed. These have ranged from three to as many as 36. Many of the lists, and categories of skills have not met two basic tests of a classification scheme: 1). Categories must be mutually exclusive, and 2) categories must be collectively comprehensive. Lists developed in the past 10 -15 years include:

Gobeli (1989)

Understanding Self
Communicating and Relating with Others
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Acquiring, Analyzing, and Using Information
Managing Resources
Working with Others

Weatherford & Weatherford(1987)

Competency
Coping
Contributory

Maryland 4-H (1993)

Acquiring Knowledge
Responsibility
Creative Thinking
Communicating
Understanding Self
Getting Along with Others

Minnesota School System (1993)

Feel
Think
Relate
Express
Produce

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Basic Skills
Self-Conceptualization
Understanding Others
Using Accumulated Knowledge to Interpret the World
Continuous Learning
Mental and Physical Well- Being
Participation in the Economic World of Production and Consumption
Responsible Societal Membership
Creativity
Coping with Change

U.S. Department of Labor. Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills.(SCANS. 1992).

Foundation Skills include:

Basic Skills (reading, writing, arithmetic/mathematics, listening, and speaking);
Thinking Skills (creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, visualizing, learning, and reasoning);
Personal Qualities (responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity/honesty).

Competencies include:

Resources (managing: time, money, materials/facilities, and human resources);
Interpersonal (teamwork, teaches others, serves clients, exercises leadership, negotiates, works with diversity);
Information: (acquiring/evaluating; organizing/maintaining; interpreting/communicating; & using computers to process information);
Systems (how they work, monitoring & correcting performance on system operations, and improving or designing systems); and
Technology (selecting, applying to tasks, and maintaining & troubleshooting equipment)

There are many similarities among the lists and no doubt there are other skills and abilities which would be considered essential in different settings. Life skills should be considered and included in intended outcome statements and in planned activities. However, do not try to include too many in one lesson or session, one or two will provide the focus needed. Then use a variety of learning experiences to reinforce practicing the skill and acquiring mastery.