Feeling of not understanding
Notice the feeling of not understanding: recognise when something is confusing rather than reading or listening past it
What a learner can do afterwards
- comprehension monitoring research
- Flavell metacognitive monitoring
1 · Read
Sometimes when you are reading or listening, a part does not make sense. That mixed-up feeling has a name: not understanding. Good learners notice this feeling right away, instead of reading or listening past it.
Zara is listening to directions for a game. Halfway through, she thinks, 'Wait, I don't get how the second part works.' She notices the confused feeling and stops to think about it, instead of just nodding along.
One clue that you don't understand: you cannot say the idea back in your own words. If you cannot picture it or explain it simply, that is your signal to pay closer attention.
Theo is reading a story. One sentence feels like a jumble of words. Instead of skipping past it and hoping it will make sense later, he notices, 'That sentence confused me,' and rereads it.
The confused feeling is not bad, it is useful. Noticing it is the first step to understanding.
More to read
How to Stay Awake and Ask When You Are Lost
Sometimes when we read or listen in class, our eyes keep moving but our brain has stopped following. That feeling means we do not understand. That is okay. Everyone feels it sometimes.
Good learners are not the ones who never feel confused. Good learners are the ones who notice the feeling fast. They stop and say, wait, I am lost.
Your brain gives you little signals. You might read a page and not remember any of it. You might nod along while a teacher talks, but inside you are thinking about lunch. You might feel stuck on one hard word. Those signals mean, slow down, something is confusing.
When you notice the feeling, do something about it. Raise your hand and ask for help. Say, can you explain that again? You can also reread the hard part, or ask a friend, or look at a picture that goes with it.
The worst thing is to keep going and pretend you understand. If you skip past the confusing part, the next part will be even harder. So be brave. Feeling confused just means your brain is ready to grow. Ask the question.
2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
Optional connections
Where this leads
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.