Learned helplessness: Are we setting children up for failure?

Feeling helpless and lacking control in your own learning and wider life seems to be a common attribute being noticed in children and young people currently. It is important to begin unpicking this from early childhood…Dr Sue Allingham reflects on how the EYFS Characteristics of effective teaching and learning are supporting children to be resilient and build a growth mindset…yet what goes wrong the minute they step into a school?

Read Sue's article:

Learned helplessness: Are we setting children up for failure? –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/learned-helplessness/

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Episode break down:

00:00 – What is 'learned helplessness?'
05:45 – Characteristics of effective teaching and learning
06:45 – What goes wrong the minute they step into a school?
07:20 – Preconceived curricula
08:40 – Sustained shared thinking
09:15 – Are we setting children up for failure?
09:35 – The opposite of learned helplessness
11:50 – A societal slide towards learned helplessness
12:10 – What is this like in university? – Is it a 'Covid thing?'
17:35 – The impact of mental health
20:15 – Equipping children with skills to deal with emotions
24:10 – Maths and learned helplessness
27:00 – Are we limiting children's capabilities?
29:00 – Age related expectations
31:30 – Developing life skills
33:20 – Pushing children to progress without breaking them!
40:45 – Development before progress…
42:25 – Is it easier to follow a scheme than set your own planning?
48:10 – Problematising learned helplessness further
51:20 – Admitting that we as adults are wrong
55:45 – Skills for school or skills for life?
57:55 – Developmentally appropriate vs informed practice
59:35 – Further listening and reading linked to this topic
01:02:20 – A space for shared reflection…

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com