He notes that repetition is a valuable developmental strategy that young children use to learn new things. “And when they are no longer learning from it, that repetition is no longer interesting to them and they move on.” “When children repeat something spontaneously, it is generally because they are still gaining something from that experience,” he says. While these experiences may look repetitive to adults, Goldenberg says that they play a critical developmental role. Or a child who uses the same set of wooden blocks to build increasingly intricate buildings. Think of a child who does the same puzzle over and over. When children are offered opportunities to learn that have more than one solution, such as puzzles or math games, they will play that game repeatedly. Learning that you can still solve a problem even when you feel frustrated is a big part of developing mastery motivation.” 4. “But if I had, he might not have kept trying or seen himself as capable of solving the puzzle. “I really wanted to jump in and help him,” she recalls. Then, a few moments later, he calmly picked it up and tried again. Frustrated, he threw a puzzle piece across the room. Young recalls one time when her son was struggling to solve a puzzle. “If you jump in, you are taking the challenge away from the child, and they don’t develop that sense that they can solve something hard,” says Young. And she encourages teachers and parents to resist the urge to intervene too quickly if things get difficult. Young says that teachers and parents can support this persistence by letting children work independently on activities, games, and projects that interest them. “But if I’ve hit the limit, then I’ll put my effort somewhere else.” “If I figure I am really in control, and I have a chance at solving this puzzle, then I’ll put effort into it,” he says. Perhaps that is because persistence and autonomy are related says Goldenberg. Support their independenceĬhildren who exhibit mastery motivation are able to stick with a task when it gets difficult. Then step back and let the child continue to work. A well-timed, “I wonder what would happen if you turned this…” or even just holding the puzzle board steady so they can add their piece may be enough. When asking open-ended questions does not re-engage the child, it is okay to give just enough information-and some gentle guidance-to get past the point of frustration. “These types of prompts help the child develop problem-solving strategies and a sense of competence, which is key to mastery motivation.” “Ask, what can you do next? and where do you think that piece goes? Or ask the child to show you how he did something,” says Young. While it may be tempting to provide an answer to a child who is stuck, Young says it is more effective to ask them questions. “The right game for a child is one that is easy enough to play yet just hard enough to be fun.” 2. “There’s no joy in playing a game that’s too easy,” he says. In fact, working through difficulty is part of what makes games enjoyable, says Goldenberg. “Games also allow children to try different strategies without the fear of failure, because there is usually more than one way to win.” “Math games encourage children to problem-solve,” says Young. Research also shows that children’s mastery motivation is related to their mathematics knowledge. Fun, simple games like Jumping on the Lily Pads and Two Numbers help students build basic ideas about number and order along with mathematical habits of mind, such as problem solving, puzzling, and perseverance.
Young recommends teachers and parents start with puzzles and games, including math games. Here, Young and Goldenberg present five things that all parents and teachers can do to foster this essential skill.” 1.
Sometimes they just need a little bit of support.”Īlong with EDC’s Young Mathematicians team of Paul Goldenberg and Kristen Reed, Young has been studying mastery motivation and its relation to early mathematics development in preschool classrooms. “Preschoolers are natural problem solvers. “Early childhood teachers are in a great position to encourage children to persist at challenging tasks,” she says.
But that’s ok, says EDC’s Jess Young, because this mastery orientation can be developed. She is demonstrating “ mastery motivation”-the willingness to struggle through tough problems.Īs preschool teachers know, not all children have the same inclination to persist when challenged. But while one gives up, the other tries different approaches until she gets to an answer. Two preschoolers are sitting side by side trying to solve the same math task.
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