Schools tend to measure success in a fairly consistent way. Academic results. Sporting achievements. Maybe the occasional diligence award at prize giving. These things matter and they definitely deserve to be celebrated.
But what we pay attention to shapes what children learn to value about themselves. And that's worth thinking about carefully. Because the skills that tend to get measured at school are only part of what a child actually needs to do well in life.
At Growing Minds Hub we track eight skills alongside everything else. Not as soft extras, but as genuine measures of how a child is growing.
The eight skills
These aren't fixed personality traits. They're skills. They develop, they respond to the right conditions and relationships, and they can be tracked and celebrated just like any academic milestone.
Connection is the ability to build and maintain genuine relationships. Not just getting along with people, but knowing how to show up for them and let them show up for you.
Confidence is a belief in your own capability that doesn't depend on performance or praise. The kind that stays with you when things get hard.
Curiosity is what keeps learning alive. The drive to ask questions, explore, and stay open even when something is difficult or unfamiliar.
Creativity is the capacity to imagine, make, and think in ways that aren't just about finding the right answer.
Self-regulation is knowing what's happening in your own body and having strategies to manage it before it manages you.
Motivation is engaging with things because they genuinely matter, not because someone is watching or a grade is on the line.
Empathy is being able to notice how others feel and let that actually influence how you act.
Resilience is the ability to try again after things go wrong. Not pretending it didn't hurt. Getting back up anyway.
The tools to back yourself
These eight skills give children something to stand on when life gets hard. The confidence to try. The resilience to get back up. The self-awareness to know what they need. The empathy to stay connected to others even when it's difficult.
Research consistently shows that skills like these are among the strongest predictors of long-term wellbeing, academic success, and life outcomes. They're foundations.
Why measuring them matters
You don't need a framework to start paying attention to these skills.
Notice when your child shows curiosity and name it. Point out moments of resilience, not just achievement. Ask about their friendships, not just their schoolwork. When things go wrong, ask what they learned rather than rushing to fix it.
Every time you do, you're telling them something important: who you are becoming matters just as much as what you can produce. And the skills you're building right now will carry you further than any grade ever could.
Growing Minds Hub is here to support children, families, and educators in Rotorua, through a one-day-a-week learning programme, individualised educational psychology support, and workshops for parents and teachers. Find out more about our services here.
Want to read more? Angela Duckworth's Grit makes a compelling case for why character and perseverance predict outcomes more reliably than talent or IQ. Find it here.
References
Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner.
Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Heckman, J.J., & Kautz, T. (2012). Hard evidence on soft skills. Labour Economics, 19(4), 451–464.
Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Moffitt, T.E., et al. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 2693–2698.
