Slow but Steady: Learning Paces for Students
I have a secret. You have to promise not to tell anybody, okay?
Alright, here it is:
Not everybody is the same.
I know, I know. Try not to freak out.
Obviously, everybody knows that humans are not all carbon copies. Everybody has a different personality, experience, internal monologue, and many other circumstances that create who they are. This is no different for our Math and English students at Best Brains Algonquin. When every single individual person is so incredibly different from the next, how can anybody expect one person to learn the exact same way as somebody else? Oftentimes, these expectations cause students to feel overwhelmed and unintelligent, which is something that no student deserves to feel during the vulnerability of learning. One of the most common aspects of learning that makes students feel this way is… learning pace. If one student takes even just a few minutes longer to learn a topic compared to their peers, it can result in feelings of inadequacy. This feeling can be incredibly isolating, especially in a large classroom setting. However, learning at a slower pace is not an inherently bad thing!
Here are some of the benefits of taking a bit of a slower route when it comes to education:
- It has been proven that working quickly without stopping results in less retention as opposed to taking it slow. Working quickly develops a sense of being rushed, which takes away from concentration.
- Giving students the space to take their time allows them the opportunity to ensure full understanding of the problems/questions before moving forward. If they got something wrong, they don’t feel the frustration of the incorrect answer putting them behind. Instead, they feel more inclined to take the time to determine how they got the incorrect answer and how to move forward in order to find the correct one.
- A racing mind can lead to anxiety. Allowing students to work slowly encourages a more positive relationship with education.
- A student who takes their time is more likely to catch small mistakes. If moving too quickly, it’s easy to allow simple errors to go undetected.
For these reasons, Best Brains Learning Center Algonquin actively works to ensure that our learning environment allows space for every individual learner! We know that everybody is unique. What works for one student may not work at all for the next student. Our teachers tutor students to listen to their minds and bodies by taking brain breaks when they need it, working at the pace that best serves them, and making learning a positive experience.
Learn more about our tutoring program at Best Brains Learning Center Algonquin by scheduling a free placement test today!