We understand the rhythm of learning as the time each person needs to integrate new learning. Therefore, each individual’s rhythm is different.
Respect the rhythm of learning of each child
Many authors talk about children with slow, moderate, or fast learning. This depends on the abilities or skills they have developed or depending on the standards of formal education proposed and used to evaluate them.
We do not all learn at the same pace. There are many factors that can be of influence such as environment, child stimulation, family, genetics, illnesses, and traumas. Despite all of this, we are evaluated equally and there are very narrow margins with respect to those children who need more time. It is still difficult to take learning differences into account in schools, as well as the potential of each student or their learning pace.
There are education methods or programs that try to evaluate children based on the speed in which they learn in almost all stages. It is especially important to respect the early childhood education stage which establishes the neurological bases for the learning that follows. In this initial stage, it is highly recommended that each individual matures sufficiently in each phase of development before they move on to the next.
Moving faster is not an advantage
Based on neurodidactics, we know the importance of respecting the different stages of development very well, the windows of learning (or critical periods). It is also important to respect the time that each child takes during these stages in order to consolidate things well and without skipping any important basic processes. “You have to walk before you can run.” “You have to crawl before you can walk.”
It is important to have individual experiences to improve self-esteem
Excessive acceleration of certain areas of learning, like literacy which is increasingly present at every stage of childhood education, can be a negative experience for many children. Especially in those cases where they are unable to achieve certain skills and experience their first failures in life. This affects their self-esteem and the image that they are constructing of themselves, ”I don’t know”, ”I’m not that smart.” They feel like they don’t have the ability to meet the expectations proposed to them. Additionally, they become competitive with their classmates, constantly comparing themselves, which encourages self-criticism, frustration and certain labels imposed for not respecting the learning pace.
There are education methods that do not force learning to read or write until the student at least 6 years old, or until the educators believe that they have acquired the necessary skills. This does not affect the conditions of learning to read later but sometimes improves them.
The ideal situation is when children are given challenges and enjoy getting them. A childhood where the adults also respect their time and help them but from a distance. The child feels that his parents are supportive but do not dictate or solve the problem. They respect their way of doing things. In this way, they will achieve things in their own way, take responsibility for them, and take pride in themselves. They will also learn to create their own happiness.
Learning should not be accompanied by anxiety
It is not a competition between students, teachers, or schools to see who gets the best grades at whatever price.
Learning should be accompanied by curiosity. The power of discovery in intrinsic motivation is essential to activate curiosity and maintain a desire for learning forever. Free from judgments. Just the pleasure of discovering without anyone to tell you no or that something doesn’t serve a purpose.
At Smartick each child learns at their own pace because our method is individualized and adapted to the level of each one. And thanks to artificial intelligence, it works for both gifted and special needs children. For children who are a bit behind at school and need to catch up to the class, and for those students who are ahead. In order to respect the rhythm of each student, Smartick does not follow an academic curriculum. Instead, it adapts exercise by exercise, to the performance of each student.
References:
Learn More:
- Foundations of the Singapore Method in Math Instruction
- The Five Stages of Deliberate Practice
- The Use of Money in Childhood – Allowance, yes or no?
- The Importance of Immediate Feedback in Learning
- The Importance of Playing in Childhood
Master’s in International Education from the Universidad de Alcalá– Instituto Franklin.
She has worked as a teacher in three different countries and is now a Translator on the Content Creation Team at Smartick and helps to adapt content for blog posts.
As a native Rhode Islander she loves any activity on the water and when she’s not working you can find her traveling, kickboxing, or trying out a new recipe.
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