Why Mistakes are an Essential Part of Learning

Many children have been taught, directly or indirectly, that mistakes are bad. However, I firmly believe that mistakes aren't failures but opportunities for growth and progress.

As adults, we often don't try something new because it can feel uncomfortable, and we prepare ourselves for setbacks. This is why it's so important to put ourselves in children's shoes, who are spending a lot of their time learning new skills. Every time a child is learning something new, they are taking a risk that it won't go quite right. Mistakes demonstrate that children are stretching themselves and giving it a try; something we adults should probably be trying more frequently!

When a child makes a mistake, they are also learning to build resilience. Over time, recovering from small setbacks teaches children perseverance and how to emotionally regulate when something doesn't go their way. These are skills that go way beyond academics and will be with a person for life. Therefore, we don't need to pretend that we are perfect as adults and know everything! It is important to model what to do when a mistake happens so children can learn how to handle them.

Finally, mistakes help children to deepen their understanding. When children reflect on what went wrong, their experience becomes richer and more flexible. If a child is helped to work through a mistake, rather than just being told the right answer or told to leave the room when a glass breaks, they know that their mistakes are safe to explore, not something to fear or feel ashamed of. This builds trust, resilience, and a mindset that’s ready to learn.

Top Tips to Take Away:

• Model mistake-making yourself (“Oops, I made a mistake... how can I fix this?”)

• Praise persistence, not just correct answers

• Normalise mistakes as part of every learning journey

  
  

Confidence isn’t about getting it right the first time; it’s about children trusting themselves to keep going. If you’d like to explore how I support children to build resilience and confidence through learning, feel free to get in touch.