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How does making mistakes help us learn?

When we make a mistake, our brain remembers that moment, and next time we learn to do it better.

Making a mistake isn't really a bad thing. When you do something wrong, your brain pays close attention and says 'something's not right here.' This is a very valuable moment for your brain to learn from.

For example, when you're learning to ride a bike, you fall down. Each fall shows you how you lost your balance. Next time you try, you fix that mistake and go a little further.

Scientists make mistakes a lot too, when they do experiments. If an experiment doesn't turn out the way they expected, the scientist learns 'so this method doesn't work' and tries another way. That's how they make big discoveries.

The important thing is not to give up after a mistake. Noticing your mistake and trying to fix it makes you a little stronger and smarter each time.

Quick facts

When our brain makes a mistake, it learns by building new connections.
Thomas Edison made thousands of failed tries before inventing the light bulb.
Trial and error is a learning method that scientists use a lot.
Fixing a question you got wrong helps you remember that topic better.
Not giving up after a mistake makes your learning stronger.

Check what you remember

3 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.

1. What happens in our brain when we make a mistake?

2. What did Thomas Edison fail at thousands of times before he invented it?

3. Which learning method do scientists often use?

Where this comes from

1 tr.wikipedia.org 75/100
Thomas Edison - Wikipedia
A page about how Edison learned through his failed tries.
2 tr.wikipedia.org 65/100
Brain - Wikipedia
A general page showing how our brain works and learns.

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How does the brain learn?

The nerve cells in our brain make new connections with each other every time we have a new experience. When we make a mistake, these connections get stronger because the brain tries not to forget that moment.

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Famous mistakes

Thomas Edison, who invented the light bulb, failed thousands of times. He didn't see these tries as mistakes — he saw them as 'finding ways that don't work.'

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The trial-and-error method

To find something new, scientists try first, and if they make a mistake, they change their method. This is called trial and error, and it's the base of science.

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Making mistakes on a test

When you get a question wrong and fix it afterward, you remember that topic much better. That's why looking closely at your mistakes is so helpful.

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