Why Children Need to Feel Successful
Children spend a lot of time learning new things.
They learn letters, sounds, words, numbers, handwriting, reading and many other skills.
Some of these skills come easily, while others take much more time and practice.
Feeling successful can help children recognise that their effort is making a difference.
Success Does Not Mean Getting Everything Right
Success in learning is not always about getting every answer correct.
A child may successfully write one letter correctly, remember a sound, read a new word or complete one maths problem independently.
These small achievements are still important.
Learning is built from many small steps.
Small Successes Can Build Confidence
When children experience success, they can begin to see that they are capable of learning new things.
A skill that once felt difficult may start to feel more familiar after repeated practice.
Each small improvement gives children another reason to keep trying.
Success can help children see progress rather than only noticing what they cannot do yet.
Give Children Achievable Steps
A task can sometimes feel too large when children look at everything they need to do at once.
Breaking a task into smaller steps can make it easier to manage.
For example, instead of practising a large group of words, begin with a small number of words.
Instead of completing a whole page, work through a few questions at a time.
This gives children more opportunities to experience success along the way.
Let Children Know What They Have Done Well
Children do not always notice their own progress.
Pointing out something specific can help them recognise what they have achieved.
You might say:
- “You remembered that sound.”
- “You formed that letter carefully.”
- “You worked that one out yourself.”
- “You remembered more words this time.”
- “You kept going when it was tricky.”
Specific comments can help children understand what they are doing successfully.
Success Can Encourage More Practice
Practice is easier to continue when children can see that their effort is helping.
If a child notices that they can now do something that was difficult before, they may feel more willing to practise it again.
Over time, repeated practice can help a skill become more familiar.
That is why small successes can be valuable during learning.
Do Not Make Learning a Competition
Children learn at different speeds.
One child may master a skill quickly, while another child may need many more opportunities to practise.
Comparing children can make learning feel like a competition.
Instead, help your child notice their own progress.
The most useful comparison is often between what a child can do now and what they could do before.
Success Can Come From Trying
Sometimes the successful part of learning is not the final answer.
A child may successfully stay with a difficult activity, try a different strategy or correct a mistake.
These are useful learning behaviours too.
Recognising them can help children understand that learning involves more than simply being right.
Allow Children to Make Mistakes
Mistakes are a normal part of learning.
If children believe they must always be correct, they may become reluctant to attempt something difficult.
Allowing children to make mistakes gives them opportunities to discover what they need to practise next.
When they correct a mistake and try again, that can become another small success.
Keep Practice Manageable
Children do not need to complete long practice sessions to make progress.
Short activities can give them opportunities to work on a particular skill without becoming overwhelmed.
Choose an amount of practice that is manageable for your child.
Give them time to think and encourage them when they are working through something difficult.
Notice Progress Over Time
Progress can be difficult to notice from one day to the next.
However, looking back over several weeks can sometimes show how much a child has learned.
A child may now be able to write letters more accurately, recognise more sounds, read more words or complete tasks with less help.
These changes show that learning can happen gradually.
Give Children Opportunities to Succeed
Children benefit from activities that are challenging enough to help them learn but manageable enough for them to experience progress.
This does not mean making every activity easy.
It means giving children opportunities to work at a level where they can practise a skill and gradually build on what they already know.
Australian Educational Resources for Children
Children benefit from practical opportunities to practise important skills in a calm and supportive way.
Our Australian educational resources give families practical ways to support learning at home, including handwriting, phonics, spelling, maths and other early learning skills.
Resources are available across Australian state and territory handwriting styles, helping families choose educational resources that match the handwriting style used at school.
Help Your Child Notice Their Success
Children do not need to master a whole skill before they can feel successful.
Small achievements, improvements and efforts are all part of learning.
Give your child manageable opportunities to practise, encourage them when something is difficult and help them notice what they can do.
Small successes can help children see that their effort matters and give them another reason to keep learning.
