4 ways kids use self-monitoring to learn

Self-monitoring is a skill we use all the time to keep track of what we’re doing. It’s a series of assessments we make along the way: How is the activity going? What’s working and what’s not? Should I make adjustments?

For example, when you make breakfast, you check to see if the butter has melted in the pan before adding the eggs. If the eggs were runny last time, you might think, What do I need to do differently this time?

That same skill applies to learning. Here are four ways kids use self-monitoring to help with learning.

1. Self-monitoring and basic learning

Kids use self-monitoring to help them learn skills like math and reading. They also use it for more basic things, like understanding directions, keeping track of due dates, and checking work.

A child with weak self-monitoring skills may not always recognize mistakes when proofreading a writing assignment or checking math for errors. Kids may also have a hard time determining whether they’re following directions correctly. This can make it difficult to know when to ask for help.

2. Self-monitoring and math

When it comes to math, kids use self-monitoring to figure out the best way to tackle a problem and determine whether their answer seems reasonable. Younger kids use it to decide which operation (or operations) to use for a word problem.

A child who struggles with this skill may have a hard time understanding clue words (such as in addition to or how much less than) or knowing whether to use the + or – sign when they write the problem.

Self-monitoring helps older kids check answers by using the reverse operation, like using multiplication to check a division problem. Self-monitoring is also the skill kids use to make sure they’ve gone through all the steps of a problem and that each piece was done correctly.

A child who struggles with self-monitoring might get a step wrong and not be able to see it. Or not realize the answer doesn’t make sense.

3. Self-monitoring and learning to read

Beginning readers use self-monitoring to determine whether the sounds they’re using for the letters make sense together to create a word they recognize — a skill known as decoding. Self-checking is what helps kids go back and rethink the word when it doesn’t sound right.

A child who struggles with self-monitoring and decodes the word boat as bow-AT may not realize it doesn’t make sense.

That child might also have trouble recognizing that a word doesn’t make sense in a sentence and figuring out another that would.

4. Self-monitoring and reading comprehension

Kids use self-monitoring to become better, more effective readers. When kids first start to read for meaning, parents and teachers may help them along to understand what they’re reading. As they become better readers, kids replace those outside monitors with self-monitoring. They can ask themselves questions like:

• Why am I reading this and what will I learn from it?

• Do I understand the way information is presented? (Such as a list, an alphabet book, or a chapter book.)

• Can I connect this to anything I already know?

• Do I understand the ideas and words? Or do I need to stop to look them up or ask for help?

The good news: There are ways to help

Having trouble with self-monitoring doesn’t mean kids won’t be able to learn. But they might need some extra support. There are accommodations teachers can make to help in the classroom. And there are strategies to use at home to make things easier.