Challenges that arise during homework time can quickly become a threat to a highly sensitive child or adolescent. She perceives that she is not equipped to address the demands of the assignment. But her perceptions are not necessarily true. She has to learn how capable she is, and perceptions don’t always see the outcome. There’s a tug between the top-down processes and bottom-up processes in her mind-body. [1] Her thoughts of incapability create physical discomfort and emotional turbulence. Her brain begins to shift from higher-level thinking skills into an activated sympathetic state. What is downshifting? It is a psychophysiological response to threat, a term originally coined by Geoffrey and Renate Nummela Caine in the 1990s. [2] How do we help this child, and many like her, upshift to relaxed alertness for learning? [3] Today’s tips can help you create the environment for putting a spotlight on errors so that kids can see them and correct them with ease.
- Reduce overwhelm with sincere validation of effort. Children and adolescents need to know their effort is worth the input. Living in a society that values speed and flawlessness over slower paces and blemishes puts pressure on young people in more way than we know. If your child is not receptive to your validation in the moment, simply sit next to him with your vibrant presence and attentiveness. Don’t take anything personally. Learning and growing can be tough. If your child does not prefer you to sit next to them due to their emotional state (which I have seen), give them space and grace.
- Tell your child you want them to show you where an error was made. The child may or may not know where they have made an error. You can assist your child in detecting the error as you would a treasure hunt. For every error they find, you can give them a non-food or non-screen-related treat. This can be very motivating. If the young person is working through a multistep mathematical problem or a science and engineering experiment, she may need to work backwards to detect the error. Thinking and speaking aloud in the reverse is extremely helpful for cognitive flexibility and problem solving. When the error is found, simply state with light-heartedness, “Oh, you can fix that!” Have a no-biggie (no big deal) response.
- Watch your child make corrections with calmness and peace. Your emotional state can be felt. If you see another error, ask your child him if he sees any more errors. If he doesn’t see them, let him work through the problem towards the solution. Do not quickly point out the error because in doing so you are removing the opportunity for your child to detect errors and correct them. If your child learns at a different rate or in a different way, encourage your child to slow down so the error can be detected. Use the strategies you have that best support their learning.
When spotlighting the slipups, treat them lightly. After all, they are part of the learning process. Highlighting errors can be daunting. Nevertheless, it is very brave and essential to personal and academic growth. You can prepare your child for a “spotlight slipup” by telling them ahead of homework time that you will help them spotlight their errors to sharpen their skillsets. Spotlighting the slipup not only increases emotional agility but improves mastery. [4, 5]
Sources:
- Mattson, M. P. (2014) Superior pattern processing is the essence of the evolved human brain. Frontiers in Neuroscience Doi: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00265
- Caine, R. N., Caine, G., McClintic, C., and Klimek, K. J. (2015) 12 Brain/Mind Learning Principles in Action. Corwin 2015.
- Hammond, Z. (2014) Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor. Corwin.
- Baniel, A. (2012) Kids Beyond Limits: Breakthrough results for children with autism, Asperger’s, brain damage, ADHD, and undiagnosed developmental delays. Penguin Group USA.
- Knapp-Ines, K. S. (2024) Executive Functioning: Helping Children Learn Skills for Life. https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/executive-functioning-helping-children-learn-skills-life
Ashley M. Blanco 