QuoteProject
Introducing a spelling test to a student by saying, 'Let's see how many words you know,' is different from saying, 'Let's see how many words you know already.' It is only one word, but the already suggests that any words the child knows are ahead of expectation and, most important, that there is nothing permanent about what is known and not known.
Peter Johnston
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The word 'already' conveys a sense of encouragement and flexibility in learning, suggesting that knowledge is not fixed.

In this quote, Peter Johnston highlights the importance of language in education, particularly how framing can influence a student's mindset. By using the term 'already' when discussing a spelling test, teachers can foster a growth mindset, implying that the child's current knowledge is just a starting point and that they have the potential to learn more. This approach encourages students to view their capabilities as expandable rather than static.

Themes

EducationGrowth MindsetLearningLanguageEncouragement

In practice

Example use cases

A teacher might use this quote during a staff meeting to emphasize the importance of encouraging language in the classroom.

Similar quotes

Wine can be a better teacher than ink, and banter is often better than books
Stephen FryRead
I think that what we need to do is say, 'Reading is going to really affect your life.' You take a black man who doesn't have a job, but you say to him, 'Look, you can make a difference in your child's life, just by reading to him for 30 minutes a day.' That's what I would like to do.
Walter Dean MyersRead
If most writers are honest with themselves, this is the difference they want to make: before, they were not noticed; now they are.
Tom WolfeRead
Schools should be diverse if we are to get past racial differences.
Ruby BridgesRead
Planning to write is not writing. Outlining, researching, talking to people about what you're doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing.
E. L. DoctorowRead
Reading to children at night, responding to their smiles with a smile, returning their vocalizations with one of your own, touching them, holding them - all of these further a child's brain development and future potential, even in the earliest months.
T. Berry BrazeltonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.