The key to success is… SUCCESS!!
We've all been there. It's five minutes before you need to leave the house, and your child hasn't put their shoes on yet. Of course, we want them to learn to be independent and figure out how to tie their own shoes, but there just isn't time. And when you do have time, it often still ends in frustration, and the child says, "I can't."
How do we teach our children new skills, and how can we support them until they have
successfully mastered these? What if I told you the key to success was, in fact, success itself!
An important treatment principle used in occupational therapy, and many other therapeutic fields, is "The Just Right Challenge." The just-right challenge is met in that magical moment where an activity is complex enough to promote learning while still being enjoyable and achievable.
These activities match the child’s developmental skills and interests while providing a reasonable challenge that requires focused effort for the task to be accomplished. When the just-right challenge is met, a child is more likely to be motivated to engage in the activity and can thus improve their capabilities
By analyzing a child’s strengths and weaknesses, we can identify areas where support might be needed to help them meet the just right challenge. This support is sometimes known as scaffolding – “intentional and graded adult feedback to promote skill development.”
If your child is struggling to learn a new activity such as tying their shoes or setting the dinner table, try out one of these scaffolding techniques to ensure success and promote learning:
Backwards Chaining : The adult performs most of the task while the child performs the last step of the activity. This gives the child the chance to experience the feeling of success at completing the activity. As they get better at the task, have them complete more and more of the task working backwards – completing the last two steps, then the last three steps, etc., until they are completing the entire task. Be sure to give lots of positive reinforcement at the end of the activity like “Well done! You set the table!”
Forwards Chaining: Similar to backwards chaining, the adult will still perform most of the task, but instead, the child will complete the first step, like crossing their shoelaces and making the first pull. As they get better at the task, they will complete more and more steps starting with the second step, third step, and so on.
Modeling: Just as it sounds, an important way to teach a new skill is by modeling, or showing, the child how to do the task. Don’t be afraid to model mistakes or failures as well to help your child learn what to do when things go wrong.
Cues and Clues: Use a variety of prompts to help your child figure out what to do at each step of the activity. You can use direct cues such as telling them or showing them what comes next, or indirect cues such as placing what they will need close by. Cues can be verbal/non-verbal (using words, gestures, or sounds), visual (like pictures), or physical (physically guiding them through the activity).
While we want our children to become competent, it's important to remember that this will only come from a feeling of accomplishment after effort, so be careful not to jump in and do the activity for them. Wait, watch, listen, and see what they do. It can be helpful to use prompts such as “I wonder what we can do next” or “you can…” to encourage them to try while giving them the freedom to explore.
When we give our children the guidance they need to achieve success, it increases the likelihood of advancement the next time they attempt the activity. So… take a deep breath, find what works best for your child, and rest assured they will continue to flourish!
