We, as humans, learn from our mistakes[1,2]
Research suggests that when children (and adults) get confused about what something is or how to approach something, they learn from their errors.[1]
For example, your toddler might run with a drink in their hand, and it spills all over the floor. When they learn that walking with a drink will help them spill less, they may try and walk with their drink (probably still spilling some though!).
Their brain learns from information received and becomes aware when errors and mistakes are made.[3] So when they understand that running is not such a great idea, their brain will send a message to walk instead.
Your toddler also learns about the world through making categories formed and enriched from their own experiences of play, books, TV and other people.[4,5]
Categories can be things like, shape, fruit, animals or how many legs something has.
These categories start off at a very basic level and are built upon with experience.
Psychologist Jean Piaget suggests that children process information based on what they already know.[3]
He suggested that sometimes children fit what they know about categories into their play or speech. If new information about a category occurs, they may choose not to include it because it doesn’t fit in with their existing knowledge.
This means that there'll be times when your toddler gets their categories a bit confused.
If your toddler thinks a car is a car because it has four wheels and a body, then they may think a bus, quad bike or mobility scooter would all be cars.
If they are told that a bus is a bus and not a car, they may choose to ignore what they’ve been told as they still think a bus is a car. Piaget would call this ‘assimilation’, and we might say they've mistaken a bus for a car.
Piaget also suggests that children can adapt their categories using new knowledge and understanding and include new information to expand their existing perceptions and categories.[3]
Piaget calls this ‘accommodation’. In the car scenario, if it’s explained that buses are bigger than cars, they carry lots of people and you need a ticket to travel on one, they would adapt their thinking to accommodate the knowledge that some four-wheeled vehicles are buses.
So, when your toddler makes mistakes in play, they are actually learning! Whether this be through something they do, think or say, mistakes can help them to take their knowledge and understanding a step further.
References:
[1] K, Overbye., R, Bøen,. R.J. Huster., C.K. Tamnes. (2020) Learning From Mistakes: How Does the Brain Handle Errors? Frontiers for Young Minds.
[2] How to Help Kids Learn From Mistakes. Harvard.
[3] C, Nickerson. (2021) Accommodation and Assimilation in Psychology. Simply Psychology.
[4] J, Oates., A, Grayson. (2004) Cognitive and Language Development in Children. Blackwell Publishing.
[5] U, Goswami. (2015) Childrens Cognitive Development and Learning. Cambridge Primary Review Trust.