Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time: if corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language those around him use. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, children learning to do all the other things: they learn to do without being taught to walk, run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle, compare their own performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes and correct them for himself. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct it unless he was made to. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.

If it is a matter of right answer, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(常规) work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can’t find the way to get the right answer. Let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn, how to measure their own understanding, and how to know what they know or do not know.

1.According to the passage, the best way for children to learn things is by ________.

A. listening to skilled people’s advice

B. asking older people many questions

C. making mistakes and having them corrected

D. doing what other people do

2.Which of the following does the writer think teachers should NOT do?

A. Give children correct answers.

B. Allow children to make mistakes.

C. Point out children’s mistakes to them.

D. Let children mark their own work.

3.According to the writer, teachers in school should ________.

A. allow children to learn from each other

B. point out children’s mistakes whenever found

C. give children more book knowledge

D. correct children’s mistakes as soon as possible

4.The passage suggests that learning to speak and learning to ride a bicycle are ________.

A. different from learning other skills

B. the same as learning skills

C. more important than other skills

D. not really important skills