Teaching Life Skills within the Curriculum

Practical ideas to promote life skills within the curriculum.

The diagram above highlights the life skills which the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Curricula seek to develop through both the explicit curriculum and implicit or hidden curriculum within children and young people so that they can be more independent and successful individuals.

Supporting Students with Asperger’s Syndrome in General Education

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Curriculum places a lot of emphasis upon the development of Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities which is inherent throughout all subject areas. Below is a list of subjects and topic areas which can help in the acquisition of life skills.

Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities posters (including symbols for pupils with Special Educational Needs)

Curriculum Subject	Topic/ Area of Study
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Foundation: Personal Development & Mutual Understanding Key Stage 1&2: Personal Development & Mutual Understanding SEN & Inclusion: Personal Development Personal safety skills for children with special education needs	Feelings and emotions Health and Safety Relationships “Teaching life skills in the classroom has been shown to substantially reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. However, to ensure children really understand and can use life skills they must be anchored by connections to the other protective concepts.” Personal Development and Mutual Understanding for Key Stages 1 & 2
Learning for Life and Work (LLW) Personal Development Citizenship Employability Key Stage 3: Learning for Life and Work Key Stage 4: Learning for Life and Work SEN & Inclusion: Learning for Life and Work	Emotional and mental health Personal safety Drugs and alcohol Learning for Life and Work for Key Stage 3 “The Personal Development curriculum delivers important protective factors to young people through teaching life skills such as decision-making, assertiveness, resilience and communication. These life skills help pupils develop the positive social skills necessary for making healthy choices, developing positive relationships and preparing them to cope with life’s many challenges.” Diversity and Inclusion Human rights Active participation in a democracy e.g. voting Career planning Practice of entrepreneurial skills Employability seeks to “prepare for adult life, independent living and work” Learning for Work and Life for Key Stage 3
Mathematics and Numeracy Key Stage 1&2: Mathematics and Numeracy Key Stage 3: Mathematics and Numeracy Key Stage 4: Mathematics and Numeracy Financial Capability	Understanding value for money Personal Money Skills Time Planning journeys using public transport Road safety
Language and Literacy/ English Foundation: Language and Literacy Key Stage 1&2: Language and Literacy Key Stage 3: Language and Literacy Key Stage 4: Language and Literacy SEN & Inclusion: Language and Literacy	Functional reading for example TV listings, cinema listings, bus and train timetables and information leaflets. Functional writing for example letters and emails. Talking and Listening activities to develop communication and interpersonal skills.
Home Economics Key Stage 3: Home Economics GCSE Home Economics Financial Capability	Nutritional information Kitchen appliances and utensils Money management Shopping skills Safety in the kitchen Reading and following recipes Practical cooking skills
Science Key Stage 3: Science and Technology Key Stage 4: Science and Technology	Nutritional information Healthy body and mind Safety in the lab Risks at home

Curriculum Subject

Topic/ Area of Study

Personal Development and Mutual Understanding

Feelings and emotions
Health and Safety
Relationships

“Teaching life skills in the classroom has been shown to substantially reduce tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. However, to ensure children really understand and can use life skills they must be anchored by connections to the other protective concepts.” Personal Development and Mutual Understanding for Key Stages 1 & 2

Learning for Life and Work (LLW)

Personal Development
Citizenship
Employability
Key Stage 3:
Learning for Life and Work
Key Stage 4:
Learning for Life and Work
SEN &
Inclusion: Learning for Life and Work

Emotional and mental health
Personal safety
Drugs and alcohol Learning for Life and Work for Key Stage 3

“The Personal Development curriculum delivers important protective factors to young people through teaching life skills such as decision-making, assertiveness, resilience and communication. These life skills help pupils develop the positive social skills necessary for making healthy choices,

developing positive relationships and preparing them to cope with life’s many challenges.”

Diversity and Inclusion
Human rights
Active participation in a democracy e.g. voting
Career planning
Practice of entrepreneurial skills

Employability seeks to “prepare for adult life, independent living and work” Learning for Work and Life for Key Stage 3

Mathematics and Numeracy

Understanding value for money
Personal Money Skills
Time
Planning journeys using public transport
Road safety

Language and Literacy/ English

Functional reading for example TV listings, cinema listings, bus and train timetables and information leaflets.
Functional writing for example letters and emails.
Talking and Listening activities to develop communication and interpersonal skills.

Home Economics

Nutritional information
Kitchen appliances and utensils
Money management
Shopping skills
Safety in the kitchen
Reading and following recipes
Practical cooking skills

Science

Nutritional information
Healthy body and mind
Safety in the lab
Risks at home

The following link provides useful lesson plans and resources for teaching older pupils key skills in maths and English using practical examples such as the hairdresser and a mechanics garage etc. BBC Skillswise

Useful teaching resources:

Mannix, D., 2009. Life skills activities for secondary students with special needs. John Wiley & Sons.

Myles, B.S., Trautman, M.L. and Schelvan, R.L., (2004). The hidden curriculum: Practical solutions for understanding unstated rules in social situations. AAPC Publishing.

Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland (Junior Cycle) curriculum seeks to provide students with the opportunity to develop eight key skills to “help learners develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to face the many challenges in today’s world”. Junior Cycle: Key Skills

Curriculum Subject	Topic/ Area of Study
Social, Personal and Health Education Primary: Social Personal and Health Education Curriculum Junior Cycle: Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Looking at key safety risks in the kitchen in Home Economics Creating a personal care plan	Taking care of my body Growing and changing Personal safety Feelings and emotions
Mathematics Primary: Mathematics Junior Cycle: Mathematics Senior Cycle: Mathematics Using shopping receipts to carry out calculations in mathematics	Time Money
Literacy (English) Primary: Language Junior Cycle: English Senior Cycle: English An integrated approach to using PLUs	Functional reading for example TV listings, cinema listings, bus and train timetables and information leaflets. Functional writing for example letters and emails. Oral activities to develop communication and interpersonal skills.
Home Economics Junior Cycle: Home Economics Senior Cycle: Home Economics Looking at the benefits of exercise in P.E.	Healthy eating Food hygiene Food preparation and storage Budgeting Health hazards Safety in the home First aid
http://ncse.ie/ Children with Special Educational Needs: Information Booklet for Parents	Guidance for students with Special Educational Needs

Click here to read: Stokes, M.A., Thomson, M., MacMillian, C., Pecora, L., Dymond, S.R. and Donaldson, E., (2016). Principals’ and Teachers’ Reports of Successful Teaching Strategies with Children with High – Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, pp. 1 – 17.

Useful teaching resource: Mannix, D., 2009. Life skills activities for secondary students with special needs. John Wiley & Sons.

Read previous: ← Task Oriented Approach vs. Process Oriented Approach

Read next: The Hidden Curriculum →