In the room
They compare themselves to everyone
Industry vs. inferiority, live on the playground.
What is actually happening
Peer ranking comes online with school. If adults join the ranking, the story hardens. If adults narrate personal bests and multiple intelligences, the child has more than one way to be proud.
Do
- Redirect to their yesterday: 'Last month this was impossible'
- Name non-test intelligences out loud
- Stop talking about other children's scores in front of them
Don't
- 'Why can't you be more like…'
What to say
- You're noticing Maya reads faster. You're also the one who noticed Sam was left out. That's a real kind of smart.
The scaffold
A private progress page. Only their line on the graph.