On my way to work yesterday, I caught part of a radio interview with astronauts Robert Thirsk and Frank de Winne. They were talking about their previous mission on the Space Shuttle Atlantis just before its scheduled lift off. The interviewer asked about 6 people living in a confined space for 6 months. Robert Thirsk advised that being respectful of each other and communicating were key to their relationships and to the success of the mission. I couldn’t help but say outloud “All I needed to know I learned in kindergarten.” It’s not so much that these skills are learned in kindergarten but, perhaps, that this is the first time there is a teaching plan, written objectives and lesson activities for learning these social skills and strategies. And what is learned in kindergarten voyages all the way to outer space–and back! We’ll continue exploring some activities that you can do at home to promote social and emotional development. What else can we learn from Atlantis?
