How Do Young Children Respond to Mistakes?

Taking risks, trying new things, and receiving feedback are important to a child’s development. From an early age, the error climate and peer culture in classrooms shape student attitudes toward mistakes. This exploratory qualitative study investigates young children’s responses to mistakes during classroom instruction. Elementary students (n = 25) were observed and video-recorded during lessons in 1st-grade and 5th-grade classrooms. Detailed fieldnotes documented children’s words and actions during mistake instances, as well as relevant class events and interactions with teachers and peers. A thematic analysis of these occurrences facilitated the identification of mistake responses observed among the children. For each theme reported in the results, brief narrative examples illustrate how children reacted in real time. Through close examination, this study provides insights into young children’s experiences with mistakes and feedback. The findings make clear the need for more study of children’s perspectives on mistakes and underscore the value of thoughtful feedback and setting of norms by teachers.