Newsletter – 10 November 2023

We are all continually learning by making a hypothesis, trying this out and then making adjustments to our original thinking. For example, young children commonly believe that the length of their writing indicates how good you are as a writer. At around age seven, many children write stories that are 4-5 pages long but quickly learn that the length of the writing is less important than its quality. When children realise this, they have refined their hypothesis about writing, usually causing them to focus more on things such as vocabulary selection and sentence structure. When learners adjust their thinking, they refine their understanding and skills as they consider their new knowledge and experiences. However, if learners overly fixate on being correct and mentally tick off a concept as ‘done’, they close themselves off to new ideas, experiences and skills that can deepen and refine their understanding. This is referred to as ‘having a fixed mindset’ (Dweck). Hence, it is really important that we reinforce to children the importance of learning from mistakes or having a ‘growth mindset’, a as way to help our brains continue to grow. 

It is important to remember that it is OK to make an error, backtrack or even start a task again and that this is all a valid part of the learning process. Children need to learn that making a mistake does not mean that they are not ‘smart’. Learning from a mistake is actually an indication that they are agile learners. It is in the process of navigating the challenges that the valuable learning actually occurs. The role of teachers and parents is to help children persist in finding their pathway through these challenges. We need to help them to make adjustments, try a different way and encourage them to keep going, especially when it gets difficult.

Ways you can support your child with this:

•    – Make it visible and explicit when you have made an error. We don’t want children thinking adults get things perfect first            time, every time. Help them see that an error is not a disaster and can be overcome.
•    – Verbalise a different approach or strategy you have tried to overcome a challenge. We want kids to learn that there are             different ways to solve problems and that different strategies work for different people.
•    – Share the mini steps you take on the road to a significant goal. Assist your child to understand the effort underlying any           achievement.
•    – Expose your child to real life stories of persistence. Help your child realise that most great achievements are the result of         hard work, effort and the result of overcoming a range of setbacks. The ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ series is a great                   resource for this with titles on people as diverse as Malala Yousafzai, Albert Einstein, Serena Williams and David                       Attenborough. These books are readily available at your local or school library or at bookshops.