Patterns of Success

Successful students and unsuccessful students have response patterns that are very different. When a successful student meets an unknown word while reading, that student sounds it out carefully, associates it with similar words, and deduces its meaning from the surrounding words. What does an unsuccessful student do? Skips the word, of course, and hopes that the meaning of the passage will become clear without that pesky word.

When a successful student fails to understand some idea in a textbook or during classroom teaching, the student asks questions, tries different solutions if the subject is math, studies diagrams, charts, and pictures, and keeps thinking and searching until some comprehension is accomplished. What does an unsuccessful student do when a difficult idea appears? Skips it, of course, and hopes that there will never be a need for understanding it.

Sometimes students who struggle with academic learning don't even realize they haven't understood the passage or the teaching. These students need to answer plenty of questions and do numerous problems to demonstrate understanding as they are learning. That way they become more aware of their own level of comprehension.

When test time comes around the successful student knows when the test will be and what is likely to be on it. The successful student pays close attention to the material the teacher emphasizes in class, in order to focus study time on the material the teacher considers important. When the corrected test is returned this student looks carefully at the errors in order to avoid repeating them. In many cases a successful student will remember mistakes made on tests years before because much time has been spent analyzing errors.

An unsuccessful student, on the other hand, has only a vague idea of when the test will be, even if the date is posted on the chalkboard in front of the class. This student rarely plans study time well but, tends to wait until the night before and uses the adrenalin rush from the time crunch to motivate study. The unsuccessful student rarely knows what topics the teacher has emphasized, but just reads over the text and/or notes, usually without much comprehension. When the corrected test is returned the unsuccessful student glances at the grade then quickly hides or trashes the paper.

The $64,000 question for parents and teachers is, of course, how to encourage all the students to adopt successful practices. The students on the edge of failure are especially challenging because they have many bad habits, are very discouraged, and haven't any idea how to enjoy learning their weak subjects. When a student previously at the edge of failure becomes successful, the event is a triumph to be celebrated.

When teaching a struggling student it's extremely important to realize how much failure hurts. Patient understanding and encouraging words soothe the aching soul of an anxious student. In fact, the more failure the student has experienced, the more patience it takes to make success possible for that student. A gentle, accepting smile shows the student that there is hope for success in the future. Implementing doable strategies for improvement gradually brings about the longed-for success. Frowns, a loud voice, threats, and punishment, on the other hand, are very likely to raise the student's anxiety level, increase avoidance behaviors, and perpetuate the cycle of failure. The student has to believe that success is possible before the effort to succeed will come forth. If a student begins to suspect that significant adults will never be pleased, rebellion will start.

The struggling student benefits from extra vocabulary study, problems, and questions to promote long-term learning. Some of this can be done orally while carpooling or in a game format. For maximum comprehension all the material presented should be connected with the experience of the student in one way or another. A student, for example, who has participated in an experiment or a meaningful field trip is far more likely to enjoy learning science or social studies than the student who merely acquires dry verbal knowledge. It's also fun to perceive patterns, especially in math and spelling. When a student experiences the thrill of discovering patterns, success is on its way. Sometimes friends, neighbors, relatives or other adults who are especially enthusiastic about a certain subject can communicate their love of the subject to a student if opportunities are provided.

I enjoy remedial teaching more than any other kind of teaching because it's so deeply satisfying to watch previously unsuccessful students jump over all the barriers and finally achieve success. Then they grow and bloom like the most beautiful flowers in the world. There's no experience quite like that one.

Readers, please share your thoughts and experiences with me. The comments of many people make this column vibrant and relevant. Contact me at: newskill7@msn.com or call me at: 703-691-0191 (home), or 703-501-9013 (cell). I'm eager to hear from you.

Mary Sue Laing, M.Ed.
Resource Teacher, St. Ambrose School

by Mary Sue Laing, M. Ed., New Skill, Inc. Academic Tutor