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.
Interpretation
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.
In practice
A teacher might use this quote during a staff meeting to emphasize the importance of encouraging language in the classroom.
We were taught to be dependable, responsible, the top of our classes at school, the most organized and efficient babysitters in town, the very miniature models of our hardworking farmer/nurse mother, a pair of junior Swiss Army knives, born to multitask.
You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
Hunger, inadequate medical care, poor housing, and inferior schools are enemies of the sense of wonder. It is easier and less expensive in the long run to prevent a loss of imagination by providing adequate nutrition, housing, medical care, and schooling than it is to try to restore that loss.
I was very lucky to have a father who read to us when we were children. And he didn't just read books - he brought them alive. We couldn't wait for the next chapter. So my love of reading started early and has stayed with me all my life.
The future must not belong to those who bully women. It must be shaped by girls who go to school and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons.
Some kids win the lottery at birth; far too many don't - and most people have a hard time catching up over the rest of their lives. Children raised in disadvantaged environments are not only much less likely to succeed in school or in society, but they are also much less likely to be healthy adults.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.