Learning from mistakes is a fundamental part of any learning process and, as with learning a sport or learning a musical instrument, children should be taught from an early age not to be ashamed of their mistakes but to see them as opportunities for learning.  The CEDRIC approach can be very helpful here (see below). 

The approach to dealing with mistakes at home and in school will be different.  A parent’s greatest challenge may be their child’s reluctance to learn from them because they are ‘not a teacher’.  The ‘Tips for learning Maths at home’ should prove helpful here.  

Teachers, on the other hand, will be working with a whole class of pupils and will need a toolkit of strategies that allow them simultaneously to support pupils with a whole range of capabilities.  Here are some of the things that have worked for us: