The first 15 years of your child’s life determine the next 50 years. That’s why we believe that your child’s future depends on establishing the right educational foundations and setting a long- term strategic plan.
After all, education is a family decision. You, as parents, want the best for your children’s future in terms of their happiness and success. We are also sure that you would want your children to pass on the values of hard work, dedication, and determination to the next generation. That is why it is so important to take the long-term perspective when laying the academic foundations that will benefit your children for the rest of their lives.
We have a saying that we share with all of our students and their families: the difference between those who are successful and those who are unsuccessful is preparation. The more you prepare your children, the better you set them up for success.
Children’s early years are the most crucial. Just some of the things they will need to learn include phonics, sight word reading and writing, language and literacy, and numbers and math, all the while being socially emotionally prepared. As they grow, children will need to show that they have a willingness to learn. Are they willing to learn unfamiliar concepts? Can they use previous learning experiences in an attempt to problem solve or does they give up easily? Children also need to demonstrate that they have the ability to listen and follow instructions. Does they act appropriately and know when and how to listen, or does they lack this essential skill? When given instructions, are they able to follow accordingly?
As children grow up, they will face increasingly complex situations from pure academic work to social relationships to being much more involved in their own planning for their futures. The reality is that the world is becoming increasingly more competitive. It is simply not just universities that are harder to get into, but also private schools and now even early childhood programs. The workforce has also become much more competitive with many more applicants applying to so few positions. Young people, especially teenagers, will need to develop the qualities and characteristics that will ensure they can thrive in this world. We call these characteristics the Six Cs [keep English wording for the Six Cs]: curiosity, creativity, critical and strategic thinking, collaboration, confidence, and character.
Life is not a series of separate events or milestones, or rather you should not treat it as such. To be really successful takes a lot of planning so that your children are put into the right programs and are exposed to the right environments. We teach our students to set goals but then also to develop their strategies for achieving each of these goals. Think of it like creating blueprints to build a house. The end goal is to create a beautiful home, but in order to do so one must draw up the blueprints and then follow them correctly. You can follow your children’s lives, or you can be proactive and help them create their life-long plans.
About the Authors
Bryan Ide graduated from St. George’s School and holds a BA from Cornell University and an MA from Columbia University. He is a past admissions and scholarship interviewer for St. George’s School and the past chair of Cornell University’s alumni admissions committee for British Columbia. Amy Fisher graduated from Havergal College in Toronto and received her BCom from McGill University. For three years, she worked in the admissions office of Upper Canada College.