We’re Not Afraid of Mistakes in Slovak Lessons

In our Slovak lessons, we’re not afraid of mistakes – on the contrary, we know they’re a natural and important part of learning. Every mistake is an opportunity to understand, practice, and remember something new.

When correcting spelling, I use a method that encourages students to be independent and aware of their own errors. Instead of crossing out words in red, I highlight correctly written words in green. This way, students can immediately see that the unhighlighted words contain mistakes.

To help them even more, I add as many dots next to a word as there are mistakes in it. The students’ task is then to find and correct them. This approach helps them think about what exactly is wrong and why, instead of just passively accepting the teacher’s corrections.

The goal is to develop responsibility for their own learning and to teach children that making mistakes is okay. What matters is that they learn from them and avoid repeating them in the future.