Palme School: useful articles about teaching children the Russian language

Situation of success: What it is and how it affects the child

You have brilliantly completed a work project. Your colleagues are thrilled, your boss in a meeting recognized your contribution to the company and gave you a bonus. How will you feel? Will you have the excitement inside, the desire to work even more effectively? Of course it will. This is how a success situation works.

It works the same way with children. If a child understands a school topic, gets an excellent grade after several bad ones, hears a teacher's approval, sees admiration of classmates - all this spurs him to do something even better, brighter, more difficult.

What is a situation of success?


Success is when the outcome we seek meets or exceeds our expectations. A situation of success is a combination of conditions that ensure success.

A child who finds himself or herself in a situation of success, feels elated and has wings behind his or her back. It means that further actions he will perform with more ease and interest.

What happens if a child fails at something for a long time?

The situation of failure is the flip side. Lack of success upsets the child, makes him/her sad, and makes him/her stop believing in himself/herself. Children consider themselves losers and give up trying to do anything. Even the simplest action that was easy to do before becomes more difficult. Without a sense of success, the child loses interest in lessons.

Once in a situation of failure, it is difficult for a child to get out of it. And here the support of parents is very necessary.

How to help your child be in a situation of success?


If your child has been failing at something for a long time, lower the bar. Give an activity that is easier, perhaps even too easy.
Sincerely praise for small victories. Allow the child to be in a situation where no one is demanding more from him or her (yet!).
Express confidence that the child is sure to do well. "I know you can do it, because you've done it before" or "It'll work, I have no doubt" are magic phrases.
Tell me where to start and what to do. Just don't give a clear instruction, but express a wish. Let the child make a good decision on his own. This will encourage him.
Remind him or her of his or her motives, why he or she is doing it and what the result will be.
Show the child's exceptionalism, for example, "You're one of the best who could do it."
Evaluate the specific detail of the task. For example, "The thing I liked most about you was how confident you were."

The famous American scientist, psychologist, psychotherapist and educator W. Glasser is convinced that if a child is successful in cognitive activities, then he has every chance of success in life.