Take a walk into any classroom and watch what happens during math class. Some kids finish their problems in record time, looking disinterested and bored. Others are obviously struggling to keep up; confused, frustrated looks on their faces abound. A handful sits in the middle, making do, but not showing notable interest, either. This happens millions of times a day, and therein lies the problem.
The one-size-fits-all approach suggests that all students of similar ages learn at the same pace, need the same amount of repetitive effort to master a concept and respond equally to teaching methods. Yet anyone who works with children knows that this is patently not true.
Every Child Learns Differently
For example, some students are visual learners who need to see diagrams and illustrations to conceptualize what they’re doing. Some are auditory learners who need to hear explanations or vocally discuss problems to grasp ideas. Others are kinesthetic learners, meaning they require movement or tactile manipulation to fully process information.
Children’s various learning styles emerge most frequently in challenging subjects. For instance, a child who learns best through movements may be penalized for being an “imperfect math student” when they’re asked to sit still and memorize formulas without any hands-on applications or interpolations.
The Speed Issue
Furthermore, traditional education assumes curriculum will progress all at the same speed through requisite material, regardless of readiness. This creates two issues: those who need advanced material find themselves bored and waiting around while others catch up, while those who cannot keep up find themselves lost without foundational skills.
Those who do not grasp requisite tools fall behind in future attempts; it’s impossible to understand fractions without a solid sense of number value or to begin algebraic equations without mastering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Many families discover that working with qualified math tutors who can assess individual learning gaps and provide targeted instruction makes a dramatic difference in their children’s academic progress and confidence. Personalized tutoring allows students to work at their own pace and focus on areas where they need the most support.
Why Struggling Students Get Left Behind
This is what happens in the traditional classroom. When a student struggles with a concept, they learn it once, and the class moves on. There might be time for a small review—if it’s related to a test—but there’s rarely an opportunity for ample relearning within the classroom context.
Thus students acquire new work without having mastered old work, creating a disconnect that’s compounded by future failures since there is no progression of learning that allows them to catch up over time.
These students inevitably acquire learned helplessness, assuming they’re just “not math people” when in reality, they just have knowledge gaps that—with some identification and effort—can be overcome for maximum success.
Advanced Students Need More Than This Too
The same goes for advanced students; one-size-fits-all does not apply since if gifted students complete their work consistently ahead of schedule without appropriate challenge levels, they end up with poor study habits.
They skate through elementary and middle school never having had to exert effort or brain power they’ve never needed until academics become hard in high school.
Confidence Issues
Academic confidence matters for student success more than personalized approaches can provide when students constantly have work that’s too advanced for them or out of their purview.
Success breeds success; when students personalize work to their levels, they grow accustomed to accomplishing goals. When students are given options too advanced for them, they’re bred for failure from the start.
The Personalized Tech Approach
Consider 21st-century advancements with technology; adaptive learning software makes personalized approaches easier than ever through automatic assessments and leveled skill sets that make sure students work on options that challenge—but do not frustrate—them.
Yet technology isn’t enough; the best personalized approaches come from trained professionals or substitute teachers who’ve got time on their hands to engage with any necessary questions or explore deeper motivation and skill strategies.
The Long-Term Effects
Finally, students who participate in truly personalized learning grow more aware of their learning patterns; they recognize when they need help, when they’ve mastered strategies for optimal use, and when they need help advocating for continued support.
The goal of personalized learning is not to make students’ lives easier; rather it’s to recognize natural human differences that will make their education more successful if properly harnessed instead of placed under the one-size-fits-all regimented classroom mold.