When players make errors

When players make errors, you can use a variety of ways to let them know (Yelon, 1996, p. 90). For example, imagine that a learner drew a card that shows eight dots in a ten frame, but says there are nine dots. Simply saying “Hold it” or “Wait a minute” may be enough to alert the learner to correct the error.

You can also give more specific feedback by saying out loud what the learner is doing: “You said this is nine dots.”

If you feel you need to, you can ask a pointed question: “What does nine look like in a ten frame?”

A last resort would be an explicit reminder or explanation: “When a ten frame is full except for two empty squares, it’s always eight.”

Next section: What if a learner says a game is too easy?

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References

Yelon, Stephen L. 1996. Powerful Principles of Instruction. White Plains, NY: Longman Publishers.

July 16, 2020