Learning from your mistakes

Learning to Learn · Learning to Learn · ages 8-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

The puzzle says: use the digits 0 to 9, at most one time each, to fill in the boxes so a two digit number plus a two digit number equals a two digit number. Sam wrote 76 + 53 = 129. What is Sam's mistake?
- He added the numbers wrong
- His sum has three digits but the answer box must have two
- He used the digit 6 twice
- He forgot to carry the one
You get a question wrong on a quiz. What is the best thing to do next?
- Look at the mistake to understand what went wrong
- Erase it and forget about it
- Move on to the next question right away
Looking closely at your mistakes is one of the best ways to learn.
Circle one: True False
When you study a mistake you made, what are you trying to find out?
- What you misunderstood or missed
- How many other people got it wrong
- How long the question took to answer
After Zara gets an answer wrong, her teacher explains exactly why it was wrong. How does this help her?
- It shows her the exact thing to fix next time
- It means she failed the whole test
- It only matters if she gets a grade for it
Maya's two three digit numbers added to 990, but the goal was to get as close to 1000 as possible. She says her work is useless and she must start over. Is she right?
Circle one: True False
In the puzzle of subtracting two digit numbers to make a true equation, Ravi placed a digit and the equation came out false. What is the best first move to find his mistake?
- Erase everything and start over
- Put the digit back in its box and check if the subtraction sentence is true
- Ask a friend for the answer
- Swap in the biggest digit instead
Ben spells a word wrong on a test. He copies the correct spelling three times but never looks at what he actually wrote. What is Ben missing?
- The reason he spelled it wrong in the first place
- Enough practice writing the word
- A quieter place to study
Kai and Jordan both get the same problem wrong. Kai looks back and realizes he forgot to carry a number. Jordan just erases his answer and copies a friend's. Who is more likely to solve a similar problem correctly next time?
- Kai, because he found the reason for his mistake
- Jordan, because his paper now shows the right answer
- Both the same, since both papers now show the correct answer
Which of these shows someone learning from a mistake, not just fixing the answer?
- Noah reads back his wrong step and explains why it was wrong
- Noah crosses out his answer and copies the answer key
- Noah moves on to the next question quickly

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Learning from your mistakes W1-mt_TDUpy57QVM-s1

His sum has three digits but the answer box must have two · The rule says the sum must be a two digit number. 129 has three digits, so it breaks the rule before we even check the adding.
Look at the mistake to understand what went wrong · Looking at the mistake shows you exactly what went wrong, so you can fix it next time.
True · Research on feedback shows that studying what went wrong helps you learn faster than just moving on.
What you misunderstood or missed · Finding what you missed is the whole point of looking back at a mistake.
It shows her the exact thing to fix next time · Clear feedback points to the exact fix, which is why it helps learning so much.
False · Her work is not useless. She only needs 10 more, and trading one digit can fix it. Errors that are close to the goal are clues, not trash.
Put the digit back in its box and check if the subtraction sentence is true · Checking the digit in place turns a vague worry into a clear test. You find the mistake by testing, not by guessing.
The reason he spelled it wrong in the first place · Copying the right answer without finding the reason for the mistake means Ben may make the same mistake again.
Kai, because he found the reason for his mistake · A correct answer copied from someone else does not teach you anything. Finding your own reason for the mistake does.
Noah reads back his wrong step and explains why it was wrong · Explaining why a step was wrong uses the mistake as feedback, which is what actually builds understanding.