Let Them Make the Mistake
One of the hardest things for some children to learn is that getting something wrong is not an emergency.
Honestly, some adults still struggle with that too.
We see children erase a letter over and over because it doesn’t look exactly right. We see a child hesitate to answer a question even though they probably know the answer because they don’t want to risk being wrong. Sometimes they look at the teacher’s face before answering, almost trying to figure out whether they’re about to give the “right” response.
I never want a child to become afraid of making mistakes at school.
That doesn’t mean we don’t correct their work. Of course we do. If a letter is backward, we teach the correct formation. If an answer is incorrect, we work through it. If a child makes a poor choice with a friend, we don’t pretend it didn’t happen.
But correction and shame are two very different things.
A mistake is information.
It tells a teacher, “Okay, they don’t understand this part yet.” Now we know what to teach.
Sometimes I think we underestimate how powerful the word “yet” can be with children.
“I don’t know how to read that yet.”
“I can’t tie my shoes yet.”
“I don’t understand this math problem yet.”
That one little word leaves the door open.
When children believe they are only successful when they get everything right, they become afraid to try difficult things. But when they learn that mistakes are part of learning, they become much more willing to stretch themselves.
That is the kind of confidence I want our students to develop.
Not the confidence that says, “Everything is easy for me.” The confidence that says, “I can figure things out.”
Our faith gives us such a beautiful foundation for this too. We don’t teach children that they have to be perfect to be loved. We teach them about grace, forgiveness, correction and beginning again.
That lesson reaches far beyond a workbook.
When a child gets an answer wrong, we teach it again. When they make a poor choice, we correct it. When they spill something, we clean it up. When they hurt someone’s feelings, we help them make it right.
And then we move forward. What a wonderful thing for a child to learn early in life: I can make a mistake, learn from it, and try again.
Want to learn more? Come visit us at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Justin, TX. We’d love to welcome you and your child into our joyful, encouraging school family.