Many of us have been taught that making a mathematical error while computing or not having the "correct answer" to a math problem is being a failure at math.
In the past decade, valuable research studies on the brain and mind are showing us that making mistakes are a very good thing for our brains! According to researcher (Jason Moser et al., 2011), has found that whether we realize we've made a mistake or not will cause a spark (or synapse) in our brain. (Synapses are electrical signals that actually strengthen & grow our brain when a mistake is made). Our brains become stronger, when we make a mistake in math or real life!
What does this mean for our children? Taking time to review mistakes and understand what thinking led to the mistake helps us learn the correct way of thinking about a math problem. The same applies to correct answers as well. Double checking a child's thinking when s/he correctly answers a question helps us understand if the correct thinking led to the answer or if it was just a good guess.
Ways to help your child is simply asking questions such as: "How do you know that's the right answer?" or "What's the thinking behind your answer?" or "Can you solve this problem in a different way?" These questions help us as teachers and parents to understand a child's thinking so we can better support his/her learning. As teachers and parents, we need to challenge our children by helping them learn how to persevere and struggle a bit by applying new strategies to solving problems. Mistakes should be viewed as part of the process of creating positive learning experiences instead of feeling a sense of failure.
As we allow our children to become more comfortable in making mistakes and not focusing on the "one, correct answer," our children can become better at making connections, thinking logically and using numbers more creatively.
Here are some interesting websites to explore on this topic:
https://www.growthmindsetmaths.com
https://www.youcubed.org/
