Turns out Mom was actually helping you learn when she asked, “What did you learn in school today?” Research from Vanderbilt University indicates that four- and five-year-olds learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mother. Previous research indicated that kids learn well with their mothers or a peer, but what was less well understood was whether learning was enhanced because kids were getting feedback and help.
“In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance,” notes the study’s author, Bethany Rittle-Johnson, an assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt. “We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn,” says Rittle-Johnson, who believes the study shows parents can assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves.
“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” she said. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations.”
