Simple Learning Techniques for Children
A Friendly Guide for Parents, Teachers, Caregivers and the Trusted Adults Who Help Children Learn
Every child learns differently.
Some children understand new information quickly. Others may need to see it, hear it, practise it, discuss it, draw it, physically interact with it or revisit it several times before it begins to make sense.
Learning is not a race.
For children who experience learning difficulties, everyday educational tasks can sometimes become frustrating or overwhelming. A page filled with writing might feel enormous. A mathematics problem can seem impossible before the child has even started. An instruction containing several steps may be difficult to remember.
When this happens, the answer isn't always to tell a child to try harder.
Sometimes a much more useful question is:
How can we make this easier to understand?
The aim of this guide is not to find one perfect teaching method. There isn't one. Instead, it offers practical ways parents, teachers, caregivers and other trusted adults can make learning more accessible, encouraging and enjoyable.
Ultimately, our goal is bigger than completing today's worksheet. We want children to gradually develop confidence, curiosity, independence, persistence, problem-solving skills and an understanding of how they learn best.
Understanding Learning Difficulties
Learning difficulties can affect the way a child understands, remembers, processes, organises or communicates information.
A child may experience challenges involving:
- reading and comprehension;
- writing and spelling;
- mathematics;
- concentration and attention;
- memory;
- organisation and planning;
- following instructions; or
- communicating what they know.
However, difficulty in one area doesn't tell us everything about a child.
A child who struggles to write a paragraph might be a wonderful storyteller. A child who finds mental arithmetic challenging might have excellent visual or creative abilities. A child who takes longer to answer a question may produce a thoughtful response when given enough processing time.
This is why it's important to look at the whole child.
Instead of only asking, What can't this child do?, we can also ask:
What can they do? What interests them? What are their strengths? What helps them understand?
There Is No "Average" Learner
One useful approach is Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST that recognises learner variability.
In simple terms, UDL encourages us to think about different ways children can:
Engage with learning → Receive information → Demonstrate what they know
If a child encounters a barrier, we don't necessarily have to immediately change the learning goal. Sometimes we can change the pathway to reaching it.
Maybe the instructions could be shorter.
Maybe a diagram would help.
Maybe the child needs to hear the question instead of only reading it.
Maybe they understand the concept perfectly well but struggle to communicate their answer through writing.
Small changes can sometimes make a significant difference.
1. Break Large Tasks Into Smaller Steps
Large assignments can feel overwhelming when a child doesn't know where to begin.
Consider the instruction:
"Write a story."
That sounds like one task, but it actually contains many smaller tasks:
Choose a topic → Create characters → Choose a setting → Develop a problem → Plan events → Decide on an ending → Organise sentences → Write → Check the work.
Instead of presenting the entire mountain, make the mountain smaller.
You could start with:
"Let's just choose our character."
Once that's done:
"Great. Now where does our character live?"
This technique works outside the classroom too.
Instead of saying, "Clean your room," break it down:
Clothes in the basket → Books on the shelf → Toys away → Rubbish in the bin → Make the bed.
Large problems often become much more manageable when children can identify the next small step.
2. Use Visual Learning
Words are only one way of communicating information.
Pictures, diagrams, maps, charts, flashcards, timelines, symbols, demonstrations, worked examples and drawings can provide additional pathways to understanding.
For example, rather than teaching the water cycle entirely through written text, you might draw:
Ocean → Evaporation → Clouds → Rain → Ocean
Then invite the child to create their own version.
Visual supports can also be useful for routines.
A morning checklist could contain pictures representing:
Get dressed → Eat breakfast → Brush teeth → Pack bag → Shoes on → Leave
The information hasn't necessarily changed. You've simply changed how the information is presented.
3. Make Learning Hands-On
Learning doesn't always need to happen while sitting at a desk.
Children can learn by touching, building, measuring, arranging, experimenting, moving and creating.
For mathematics, try:
coins, blocks, counters, LEGO pieces, measuring cups or food portions.
For spelling, try:
magnetic letters, letter tiles or writing words in sand.
For science:
grow a plant, conduct a simple experiment or build a model.
For reading:
use puppets or toys to recreate parts of a story.
For writing:
allow the child to tell their story aloud before trying to put it onto paper.
Hands-on learning isn't simply "playing instead of learning." Carefully chosen practical activities can provide meaningful opportunities to explore and practise concepts.
4. Allow Enough Processing Time
Children don't all process information at exactly the same speed.
Some need additional time to:
understand a question, retrieve information from memory, organise their thoughts, decide what they want to say or translate their thoughts into words.
Silence after asking a question doesn't automatically mean:
"I don't know."
Sometimes it simply means:
"I'm thinking."
A helpful response can be:
"Take your time. I'm interested in what you think."
Whenever possible, focus on whether the child understands the concept rather than only measuring how quickly they complete the activity.
5. Encourage Effort, Strategy and Progress
Children pay attention to how adults respond to success, difficulty and mistakes.
Rather than praise being limited to outcomes such as:
"You're so smart!"
Try noticing the process:
"You kept going even when that became difficult."
"You tried a different strategy."
"You noticed your mistake and corrected it."
"You've improved since the last time we practised this."
Psychologist Carol Dweck's work on growth mindset has helped popularise the idea that abilities can develop through learning, strategies, practice, feedback and support.
However, growth mindset shouldn't simply become another way of telling children to try harder.
When effort isn't working, we can ask:
"That strategy isn't helping yet. What else could we try?"
6. Connect Learning to a Child's Interests
Interest can be a powerful doorway into learning.
Suppose a child loves dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs can appear in reading, creative writing, mathematics, science, history and art.
A child who loves cooking can practise:
reading, sequencing, measurement, fractions, multiplication, time management and planning through recipes.
A child fascinated by space who dislikes multiplication might find this problem more interesting:
Five spaceships are carrying eight astronauts each. How many astronauts are travelling altogether?
The mathematical skill hasn't changed.
The context has.
Children's interests can become bridges into subjects they otherwise find challenging.
7. Provide Different Ways to Participate
A written worksheet doesn't always reveal everything a child knows.
Imagine a child who understands volcanoes extremely well but experiences significant difficulty with writing.
If their only assessment is a long written essay, we may end up measuring their writing difficulty more strongly than their understanding of volcanoes.
Depending on the learning goal, children might demonstrate knowledge by:
speaking, drawing, writing, building, demonstrating, presenting, recording audio, creating a video, arranging information visually or using appropriate assistive technology.
A useful question for adults is:
What are we actually trying to measure?
If the goal is understanding, there may sometimes be several appropriate ways for a child to demonstrate that understanding.
8. Create Predictable Learning Routines
Predictability can make learning easier to manage.
A simple learning routine might look like:
Welcome → Review → Activity → Break → Activity → Reflection → Finish
Children who experience difficulties with concentration may also benefit from useful breaks.
A break could involve stretching, walking, drinking water, eating a snack, moving the body or spending a few minutes somewhere quieter.
Over time, children can begin learning an important self-management skill:
"What helps my brain become ready to learn again?"
The longer-term goal isn't simply for adults to manage the child's learning. It's to gradually help the child understand and manage their own learning needs.
9. Turn Mistakes Into Learning Opportunities
Mistakes are a normal part of learning.
Unfortunately, children can become frightened of mistakes when they repeatedly experience embarrassment, criticism or comparison.
Instead of:
"Wrong."
Try:
"Let's see what happened."
Instead of:
"You should know this."
Try:
"This part hasn't clicked yet. Let's try another way."
Treat mistakes as information.
Ask:
What did we expect?
What actually happened?
Where did things change?
What could we try next?
Adults can model this behaviour too.
"Oops, I got that wrong. Let me check it again."
Children benefit from seeing capable adults make mistakes, correct them and continue.
10. Celebrate Small Achievements
Progress doesn't always arrive dramatically.
Sometimes progress looks like:
reading one unfamiliar word independently;
remembering an instruction;
asking for help instead of giving up;
correcting one spelling mistake;
trying something for a second time;
or completing one part of an activity independently.
Consider creating a simple progress journal.
At the end of the week, ask:
Something I learned this week: _______
Something I found difficult: _______
Something I kept trying: _______
Something I'm proud of: _______
Something I want to practise next: _______
Over time, children can begin to recognise their own growth.
Creating an Emotionally Supportive Learning Environment
Learning techniques are important, but so is the emotional environment surrounding learning.
Children are more likely to experiment when they feel safe enough to make mistakes.
They're more likely to ask questions when they don't expect to be embarrassed for not knowing something.
A supportive learning environment communicates:
You don't have to know everything yet.
Questions are welcome here.
Mistakes can teach us something.
We can try another way.
Your ideas matter.
You are more than your grades.
When a Child Says "I Can't Do It"
Adults naturally want to respond:
"Yes, you can!"
Although encouraging, that response can sometimes miss useful information.
The child may genuinely feel unable to continue.
Instead, ask:
"Which part feels hardest?"
Perhaps they don't understand how to begin.
Maybe there are too many words on the page.
Maybe they're frightened of getting the answer wrong.
Perhaps writing is difficult.
Or they may simply be tired.
"I can't" can contain useful information.
Our job is to gently discover what it means.
Helpful Language for Adults
Small changes in language can make learning conversations feel more supportive.
Instead of "This is easy," try "We'll work through it together."
Instead of "You're not concentrating," try "What would help you focus right now?"
Instead of "You already learned this," try "Let's remind ourselves how we did this last time."
Instead of "Wrong," try "Let's look at your thinking."
Instead of "Try harder," try "Let's try another strategy."
Instead of "Everyone else has finished," try "Focus on your own next step."
Instead of "Why can't you remember?", try "What could help us remember this?"
Expert Spotlight: Universal Design for Learning
CAST's Universal Design for Learning framework considers three broad areas:
Engagement
Why am I learning this?
Representation
How am I receiving this information?
Action and Expression
How can I demonstrate what I know?
This framework is valuable because it expects learner variability.
That doesn't mean children should never experience difficulty. Appropriate challenge is an important part of learning.
The goal is to distinguish between productive challenge and unnecessary barriers.
Expert Spotlight: Carol Dweck and Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck's work on mindset examines how beliefs about ability can influence responses to learning and challenge.
A fixed statement might sound like:
"I'm terrible at maths."
A more growth-oriented statement might be:
"I don't understand this type of maths yet."
The word yet doesn't magically solve the problem.
Instead, it leaves the door open to useful questions:
What don't I understand?
What have I already tried?
Could somebody explain it differently?
What could I practise?
Who could help me?
Growth isn't about pretending something isn't difficult. It's about recognising that difficulty doesn't necessarily have to be the end of learning.
Expert Spotlight: Ross Greene and Collaborative Problem-Solving
Clinical psychologist Ross Greene's work encourages adults to become curious about the unsolved problems or lagging skills that may sit underneath challenging behaviour.
For example, imagine homework repeatedly ends in an argument.
Rather than only responding to the argument, adults can investigate what happens immediately beforehand.
Perhaps:
the assignment feels too long;
the instructions aren't understood;
writing is difficult;
the child is exhausted;
transitions are challenging;
or the child is worried about failing.
Once we better understand the barrier, we have something more useful to work with.
Confidence Comes From More Than Praise
Confidence isn't simply hearing:
"You're amazing!"
Children also build confidence through experiences such as:
"I couldn't do that before, but now I can."
"I got stuck and found another strategy."
"I made a mistake and recovered."
"I asked someone for help."
"I know what helps me learn."
Eventually, children can begin advocating for themselves:
"Could you show me an example?"
"Can I have a little more time?"
"Could I draw this first?"
"Can you repeat the instruction?"
"Can we break this into smaller steps?"
These aren't weaknesses.
They're valuable learning skills.
Learning Happens Outside the Classroom Too
Parents and caregivers don't need to turn their homes into classrooms.
Everyday life contains countless opportunities for learning.
Cooking teaches measurement, sequencing and time.
Shopping introduces money, budgeting and decision-making.
Board games can encourage counting, strategy and turn-taking.
Reading together develops language and comprehension.
Gardening introduces children to science and nature.
Creative play encourages imagination and problem-solving.
Sometimes the most valuable question at the dinner table isn't:
"What grade did you get?"
It might simply be:
"What did you discover today?"
A Note for Teachers
A child's difficulty completing an activity doesn't necessarily explain why the activity is difficult.
Consider asking:
Is the learning goal clear?
Does the child understand the instructions?
Could the information be presented differently?
Is there an unnecessary barrier?
Does the child have an appropriate way to demonstrate their understanding?
Would scaffolding help now, with support gradually reduced as confidence and competence increase?
Supporting access doesn't mean abandoning meaningful expectations.
Good support can help children work towards those expectations.
Parents, Teachers and Children Working Together
Different adults may notice different things.
A parent might discover that a child remembers information better when drawing.
A teacher might notice that mathematics becomes clearer when physical objects are used.
The child might explain:
"I can't concentrate when everyone is talking."
Each observation gives us another piece of information.
Most importantly, children themselves should gradually become part of conversations about what helps them learn.
Where appropriate, qualified educational, developmental, learning or health professionals can also provide individual assessment and guidance.
This article provides general educational information and isn't a substitute for individual professional assessment or advice when that is needed.
Create a Simple Learning Plan
Try completing these questions with the child rather than only completing them about the child.
Things I'm Good At
Things I Enjoy
Things I Find Difficult
Things That Help Me Understand
Things That Make Learning Harder
When I'm Stuck, I Can
People I Can Ask for Help
Something I'd Like to Learn
Keep the plan somewhere accessible and revisit it occasionally. Children's abilities, interests and learning preferences can change as they grow.
Recommended Reading for Adults
Mindset — Carol S. Dweck
An accessible introduction to growth mindset and beliefs surrounding ability, effort and challenge.
Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice — Anne Meyer, David H. Rose and David Gordon
A deeper exploration of designing learning environments that anticipate differences between learners.
The Explosive Child — Ross W. Greene
Explores collaborative approaches to understanding children who struggle with behavioural and emotional demands.
Lost at School — Ross W. Greene
Explores collaborative problem-solving within school environments.
Adults interested in going further may also investigate scaffolding, metacognition, executive-function support, assistive technology and inclusive education.
10 Ideas to Remember
- Make the task smaller.
- Show the information another way.
- Make learning practical when appropriate.
- Give children enough processing time.
- Notice strategies, effort and improvement.
- Connect learning with meaningful interests.
- Provide appropriate ways to demonstrate knowledge.
- Create predictable routines and useful breaks.
- Treat mistakes as information.
- Notice and celebrate small achievements.
And perhaps most importantly:
Stay curious about the child.
Final Thoughts
There is no single learning technique that will work perfectly for every child.
Human beings are different.
A strategy that transforms learning for one child may make very little difference for another. That's why adults need to observe, listen, experiment, adjust and continue learning about the learner.
A child should never be defined entirely by the things they find difficult.
Every child brings strengths, interests, ideas, experiences and possibilities into their learning environment.
Ultimately, our goal isn't simply to help a child finish today's schoolwork.
We want children to gradually become able to say:
I know learning can sometimes be difficult.
I know mistakes don't mean I've failed.
I know there is often another way to approach a problem.
I know what helps me learn.
I know how to ask for help.
And I know I am capable of growing.
That is a kind of confidence children can carry far beyond the classroom.
