Research tells us that mastery of complex tasks is achieved through practice and not through innate talent. There is a growing body of evidence which shows that those who excel in their specialism - athletes, musicians, chess champions - put in more than 10,000 hours of practice before they become experts. As they do all this practice, some of the skills they are using become implicit rather than explicit i.e. they don't have to think about them. When a skill has become implicit, the brain is freed up to think about something else allowing the proficient performer to become even better.
This challenges the idea that it is talent that enables high achievers to succeed and suggests that it is in fact practice that holds the key to success.
It is also important to remember that the quality of practice is vital. It is not about repeating what you are already good at, but practicing purposefully and striving for what is just out of reach.
Psychologists such as Carol Dweck, have demonstrated that we are more likely to succeed if our parents, teachers and mentors praise our efforts rather than our attainment and encourage us to develop the belief that making a mistake is not a failure but an opportunity to learn, develop or adapt.
At Hook Junior School, we are always looking for new ways to improve children's learning and therefore recommend the following tips for helping your child learn, based on the evidence of neuroscientists, psychologists and other eminent thinkers and scholars.
Twelve tips for helping your child learn
Praise your child’s effort rather than their attainment
A child who is praised for effort is more likely keep on trying and remember - practice holds the key to success. Children who are constantly being told how good they are at something can feel under pressure to live up to the label and this can be very demotivating.
Encourage the belief that making a mistake is not a failure
Making a mistake is an opportunity to learn, develop or adapt through experience. Children who strive only to get all the right answers can feel discouraged by getting it wrong and simply miss out on opportunities to learn.
Encourage your child to strive for achievements that are just out of reach
If a child does something easily, try offering additional challenge by saying something like 'that was too easy, now let's do something you can really learn from'. It is often easy for a child to repeat what they can already do, so challenge them to strive for a goal that is just out of reach.
Encourage your child to read as many books as possible
Reading helps broaden a child's vocabulary. In the case of factual books, reading expands a child's understanding of the world around them and in the case of fiction stretches their imagination and creative abilities. Reading can form part of the '10,000 hours of practice' that are needed to reach expert level.
Encourage your child to write focused comments in their Reading Diary
Demonstrating that they have read and understood a text encourages a child to think about their reading and to share their interpretation of this. Discussing a piece of text with a child will help them vocalise their understanding before writing a diary entry to show that they have really understood the text. Try to stretch their thinking with your questioning. Remember that purposeful practice is very important.
Emphasise how ability can be transformed through application
The length of time that a child is able to stay focused on a specific goal may be less than an adult, but with practice their ability to sustain focus will improve. With this focus comes the application of the skills they already possess in order to master another. This is further example of the practical application of '10,000 hours of practice'.
Make learning fun
Learning can be an enjoyable experience and for young children; enjoying their learning experience is critical to maintaining their enthusiasm and effort. Play educational games with children that encourage or deliver learning without them knowing it!
Moderate pressure
Excessive pressure to perform can result in stress for a child. This can also discourage children from learning by associating the negative feeling resulting from stress with the learning process. Even experts in their field fail to perform when there is too much pressure on them. Take a moderate approach to learning activities, offering frequent breaks and plenty of variety.
Encourage your child to persevere and bounce back if they experience a setback
Resilience is a key skill for life and building resilience can start when children are young. Acknowledge mistakes and encourage children to learn from these, persisting with their learning and rewarding even small progressive steps with vocal praise. Talk about the things that have gone well and don't dwell on the negatives. Reward charts can also help with motivation and focus if they struggle to overcome challenges or setbacks as they learn.
Encourage your child to try out new things
People who are good learners are open minded and willing to take measured risks. They will also be open to learning (and un-learning) as they develop new and existing skills through new experiences.
New experiences can be encountered at home and at school - try a new club or after school activity, read a different genre of book, try a new musical instrument, do a creative activity, learn a new skill.
Help your child to set goals
Discuss the targets that they are working on in school. We refer to their targets as 'learning objectives' in school - talk to your child about their learning objectives and what are they doing to try to achieve them. Set them an additional goal. How many books can they read this term? Can they master the recital of a new piece of music? Can they beat a sporting personal best?
Encourage your child to participate in the wider life of the school
Children will learn better if they feel part of something, as if they belong. Supporting them to take part in all aspects of school life will promote a sense of wellbeing.
The suggestions included here have been informed by the following literature:
- 'Mind over Machine' (1986) H.L and S.E. Dreyfus
- 'Mindset' (2010) Carol Dweck
- 'Bounce' (2010) Matthew Syed
Title image based on a piece by Moyan Brenn, used under Creative Commons license.