The Importance of Measuring Progress

There are many different ways to evaluate your child’s performance - you can grade them based on how many answers they got right or wrong on a test, you can rank them on a curve compared to their peers, and you can even compare them to other students all across the globe! But when it comes to a child with a learning difficulty, the most effective way to evaluate their cognitive abilities (like reasoning, perception, motor skills, language skills, or social skills) is to measure their personal progress.

Measuring Progress

Measuring personal progress means letting the usual criteria for evaluation fall away; we no longer care so much about acing a test or ranking in a high percentile, and we focus instead on noticing, naming, and acknowledging improvements compared to your child’s previous abilities. It’s crucial to recognize when they get better, faster, and more consistent at doing something they previously couldn’t do.

First and foremost, this type of recognition dissociates the process of learning from the failure and frustration that initially comes with a learning disability. Experiencing progress toward their goals sets off pleasure receptors in the brain, associating learning with a sense of accomplishment rather than failure. Your child will gradually learn not to fear or avoid spelling, math, or reasoning problems.

Building Confidence

Measuring progress also builds confidence by demonstrating that change is possible. If your child has struggled with a learning disability for years, chances are that they may have begun to lose faith that they can achieve the life they want. Measuring progress shows them that, even though certain tasks may be difficult or impossible now, those tasks can be improved in the future. Confidence comes from knowing that success is not only possible, but also attainable, with the right type of support system.

Tracking Progress

If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability, make an effort to track their progress in a measurable way. What can they do that they previously could not do? What can they do better than before? If your child is enrolled in school, ask their teachers to provide this kind of feedback in addition to traditional grades and scores. You can also enroll your child in special programs like those in Eaton Arrowsmith School, which are designed to increase the brain’s ability to learn and track exactly this type of progress.

Measuring progress dispels fear. It builds confidence. But more than that, it creates the hope necessary to persevere and succeed with a learning disability.