Skills such as critical thinking, persistence, and self-control—which are often called noncognitive skills or social and emotional skills—are vitally important to children's development. In a new report, EPI's Emma García and Elaine Weiss
outline why and how nurturing these skills should be incorporated into the goals and components of public education. García and Weiss argue that since these skills are linked to academic achievement, productivity and collegiality at work, positive health indicators, and civic participation, they should be an explicit goal of public education.