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Learn by mistakes

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Learn by mistakes

What to do with this activity?

Learning anything new involves making a lot of mistakes, and often failing repeatedly.  Remember learning to ride a bike, or getting to grips with a new language - it wasn't easy was it?

Let your child know that trying and failing is part of learning. Everytime you try, even if it doesn't work out, you will have learned something new.

Salman Khan, the founder of non-profit educational organisation the Khan Academy says:

"The brain is like a muscle; that the more you use it, the more it grows.... The best way that we can grow our intelligence is to embrace tasks where we might struggle and fail."

If you want to read more of his thoughts on the subject click here.  There's an inspirational video on the link too. You may not agree with everything he says, but it makes you think. 

The famous Irish writer Samuel Beckett put it like this: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." 

 

 

 

  • Why am I doing this?

    Children improve their language by hearing how words are used in everyday life. Chatting to your child helps build their communication skills. Getting your child to tell you stories or explain things, helps them to put ideas in the right order. This is an important skill for listening and speaking.

  • How can I do more?

    When you’re out and about with your child ask them to recall little things that happened on previous trips. For example, “Do you remember what we saw here yesterday?” This helps your child to recall, listen, speak and to become more aware of their surroundings – good skills for listening and speaking.

    But remember, to listen well, first let your child finish what they are saying. Avoid too many questions that might interrupt their train of thought. Try not to think about what you want to say next. Concentrate on what your child is saying. Check with them that you understood, for example, “So what you are saying is…”

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