I’ve recently noticed parents and educators tossing around the the term “mastery-based” learning and so I thought it might be useful to give an overview of mastery-based learning:

The core elements and benefits of this teaching strategy
Why mastery-based learning works best one-on-one.
Why parents in particular are ideally suited to use mastery-based learning as a teaching tool..
Some useful tools and curriculum you can start using at home to accelerate and enrich your child’s education right away with a minimal time commitment.

So what is Mastery Learning and how is it relevant to your child’s education?

The idea of giving a child the opportunity to “dive deep” into a learning concept is intuitively appealing to many parents. When a child takes their time to fully explore a subject until they are able to understand, retain, articulate it back, even teach it to others (rather than just scratch the surface and forget it the next day), this is what we call “mastery.”

A great example of a child who has achieved mastery is your eager eight-year old neighbor who has memorized the name of every dinosaur, their eating habits, their most formidable foes - and is excited to share this information with anyone mildly curious (or patient enough) to indulge in a brief lecture on paleontology. This kid has mastered dinosaur knowledge.

What a rich reservoir of knowledge this child has attained and will likely retain for life!

The process for getting to the mastery point is often referred to as “mastery-based learning,” an educational philosophy coined by Benjamin Bloom in 1968. This term refers to giving a child the time to master each smaller step along the way before moving on to the next, and the next, and the next until the child has fully mastered the larger concept (the full stairwell as it were).

When children are given the leisure to:

learn at their own pace, a pace that is comfortable and correct for them
accelerate or slow down learning at their own rhythm without skipping important concepts along the way that are vital for future learning
move along to a more advanced concept only after they’ve mastered the one before it
and zoom ahead to the next concept just as soon as they’ve mastered the one before it

this is called “mastery-based learning” and it is an incredibly efficient way to learn

In a nutshell:

We learn to crawl before we learn to walk.
We learn to move our fingers before we learn to sew.
We learn to do addition before multiplication.

And there are thousands of small steps between each of those steps along the way.

When I was a child, I loved reading Nancy Drew mystery novels. I would read non-stop, at dinner, crossing the street, at my mom’s Buddhist meditation group. During one meditation meeting, the whole group burst out laughing as they watched me (age 8) quietly finish one Nancy Drew novel, hand it to my mom and saw her immediately reach in her bag and silently hand me the next book in the series without a beat. I had truly mastered reading!

But, what if instead of handing me the next Nancy Drew book, she handed me a book on basic phonics? Or what if she handed me a Hardy Boys Book, or the 5th book in the Nancy Drew Series that I’d already read?

It would not have made a lot of sense because learning is progressive. I had long since mastered phonics so the phonics book would bear no interest for me or have any use for my learning. The previous books books in the Nancy Drew Series held no interest for me, because I wanted to learn what was ahead!

How equally ridiculous would it have been for my mom to hand me a novel by Proust in French and expect me to engage with it in the same way as I did with my Nancy Drew mysteries? And yet, my avid love of Nancy Drew was already paving the way for developing exceptional critical reading skills, bilingualism, a future degree in French literature and career in translation. (As well as writing this article, so if you don’t like it, please be sure not to let your kids read Nancy Drew).

A learning train gets de-railed if it skips a rail on the tracks

These are obviously extreme examples, but if we view a child’s learning process as a train on a track of rails, there are thousands of rails along the way and trying to skip just one, can stall or throw the train wildly off course, sometimes even with devastating results for a child’s self-esteem and ability to realize their full potential in any given subject.

The governing principle behind mastery learning is that it doesn’t make sense to “skip steps” to stay ahead in a subject, or slow down so others can catch up. (By the way, I wonder if this is why “The Little Engine That Could.” resonates with so many kids…)

If you have experienced learning a foreign language, math or even being part of a book club as an adult - and the effects of skipping steps: missing just one class, being too timid to ask the teacher to clarify a concept you don’t understand, you’ve seen how missing just one concept can totally stall your learning. You’ve seen how dangerous it is to miss mastery of any one concept on the train tracks to full mastery.

For example, I was taking a coding lesson with a group of kids the other day and I spaced out and checked my phone. When I tuned back in 5 minutes later, I had no idea what was going on and couldn’t follow the rest of the lesson. The children zoomed ahead into future careers as software engineers leaving me in the dust.

One-on-one instruction is the most effective approach to mastery-based learning

Mastery-based learning usually works best when a child is engaged in parent-led instruction, 1-1 tutoring and/or teaching themselves a concept (self-directed learning).

While many schools are working to implement mastery-based learning as part of their model, it is challenging to integrate into a classroom setting.

“Educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom found that one-on-one tutoring using mastery learning led to a two sigma(!) improvement in student performance. The results were replicated….He asks in his paper that identified the "2 Sigma Problem": how do we achieve these results in conditions more practical (i.e., more scalable) than one-to-one tutoring?” - Patrick Collison.

When I was a private tutor, my primary job was to identify gaps in a student’s knowledge and fill them. Often these gaps occurred because the student had missed a step along the way, hadn’t had the nerve to ask a question - and the class had zoomed along without them. I wish more families called on me because their child was moving too quickly in class and needed help advancing to the next track on the train, but unfortunately, tutoring usually occurred at crisis moments.

It might be worth mentioning that the reason I became exceedingly good at tutoring is because I struggled immensely in school myself. I was a very spacey child who had difficulty concentrating in class. For this reason, I often missed vital information and then checked out altogether when I could no longer follow what was going on. I also never did my homework until about the 10th grade.

I had to train myself to concentrate and repair gaps in my own knowledge. This helped me to learn how to help others.

My job as a tutor was to identify the gap (the train track that had been missed), repair it and find tools for the student to avoid missing information moving forward For example, if a student was studying for a test in French and didn’t know how to conjugate the verb “avoir” in the present which is critical for past tense conjugation, , it wouldn’t make sense for me to start by teaching them how to conjugate verbs in the past (even if that was what the rest of the class were learning). They first needed to master the present of avoir before they could move on to past tense conjugation. And what’s more, some students didn’t even understand what verb conjugation was in the first place! It was vital to understand the idea behind verb conjugation before applying it.

I also made a point to grasp the student’s learning style and interests as quickly as possible, because that would make the learning go so much faster. For example, if a student struggled at foreign language, but excelled at math, I usually used a formulaic approach to verb conjugation. If they were stronger in literature, I might use more “literary” methods like practicing generating sentences based on relevant topics in their own life. Once I could unlock specific gaps in a student’s knowledge, they were able to catch up to the pace the class was learning and then race ahead. I should mention that mastery also builds confidence and confidence is critical to success.

I also ensured that the student understood their own learning style because that was the main understanding they needed to excel without my help. By making my students independent as quickly as possible by filling in gaps in their knowledge and helping them understand their learning style, I was able to bring students from F to straight A’s in just a few weeks (and lose a lot of great gigs in the process as I quickly made myself completely irrelevant)

What if I had tried to do this in a classroom setting?

The purpose of sharing my tutoring experience is to illustrate how difficult it is to apply mastery-based learning in a group setting, because the rates of learning, interests, learning style, attention span and gaps are so incredibly diverse.. As a tutor, I was adjusting to millions of differences in learning rates, interests, learning style, attention span and gaps in real time to optimize learning outcomes.

What if I had tried to use the same mastery-based, personalized approach as I did in a classroom with 30, 20, 10, 5 or even 2 other students?

Would each child’s learning be slower or faster?

Mastery learning is virtually impossible to achieve in a classroom setting to the same degree that we see it in 1-1 tutoring or a parent teaching a child.

A teacher has to ensure that the maximum number of students meet a certain learning standard. This means that generally when one student outpaces the rest, they have to wait until everyone else catches up to learn the next concept. When students fall behind, either the rest of the class has to wait until that student catches up, the student has to get special services to catch up or the student remains stuck behind, continually getting further and further behind the students ahead of them - and unable to catch up because they haven’t mastered the concept necessary to get to the next stage.

In school, we use 1:1 specialists to support children with “special needs” like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, autism, sensory processing disorders, speech delays. Everyone knows this is the best (and often only) way that really works to help kids catch up.

But if 1 out of 5 people have dyslexia, is it a learning disability or is it a learning style? According to the Dyslexia Center of Utah, “People with dyslexia are usually more creative and have a higher level of intelligence.”

Is a speech delay a learning disability, or is a child taking exactly the time they need with one step in mastery-based learning? We know that the child with a speech delay needs 1-1 time to master speech, but why does that make it a disability? And why can’t the child who is gushing full sentences at age 2 1/2 also get 1-1 support to accelerate their love of public speaking even faster?

Why do we so often only give one-on-one support when a child is perceived as behind, instead of giving them one-on-one support to move ahead?

In my view, one of the biggest problems of our education system today is that we are categorizing different learning styles as special needs instead of personalizing instruction to suit the inevitable plethora of different learning styles in a classroom and community.

Since every child learns different concepts at different rates in different ways, it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible for a teacher to ensure that every child is learning at the fastest rate possible for them at all times. (This problem is only more exacerbated by large class sizes, curriculum not at all geared towards mastery and progressive learning - skipping rails on the train or jumping to another track altogether before reaching the destination- as well as arbitrary state testing standards.)

It should be acknowledged that certain topics lend themselves much better to 1:1 mastery-learning than others. For example, math and reading are generally best learned by encouraging children to excel at their own pace with a parent or tutor. More collaborative areas - such as theater, speech, team-building, civic engagement, entrepreneurship and how to get along obviously can’t be learned well through 1-1 instruction.

And the importance of play-based learning and peer-to-peer role modeling for learning and encouragement is clearly a vital part of the learning process. Let’s just say I’m a big fan of recess for learners of all ages. I do not recommend you hire a “play tutor” to teach your child how to get along.

Some children are natural observers who retain information and progress faster when they are watching others learn. And these things are nuanced. One-on-one instruction can be effective for certain components of foreign language learning, like grammar and pronunciation, but there is nothing that compares to practicing speaking in a group.

And some children learn best on their own without help. Figuring out what style of teaching works best for your child in each subject is part of the beautiful of being involved in their education.

In fact, I learn almost any subject better in a group setting because I am very competitive and sensitive to peer pressure. (Stopping at the second sit-up is just too tempting when you’re with a personal trainer- I’m sorry.)

Mastery-based learning is not the only tool for learning. It is one tool in a toolbox. As a celebrity carpenter I’m sure once said “choose the right tool for the job.”

So how can you use your understanding of mastery-based learning to support your child’s development?

This idea of mastery-based learning naturally appeals to parents, perhaps because we recognize that when we were spending time cramming for tests, scrambling to remember one geometry formula so we could pass our next quiz and move on to the next, we didn’t enjoy our learning very much and we certainly didn’t remember it after the big test. More and more parents care that their children enjoy learning and become learners for life.

And the good news is that as your child’s parent, you are in an ideal position to support them in mastery-based learning.

In fact, the effectiveness of 1:1 Mastery-Based learning may at least partially explain why so much of a child’s learning is already happening outside of school whether you intended it to or not.

“A new study by researchers at the University of Leicester and University of Leeds has concluded that parents' efforts towards their child's educational achievement is crucial - playing a more significant role than that of the school or child.” - University of Leicester

It’s no wonder over 2 million US parents have chosen to educate their children at home when they see the effectiveness of 1:1 mastery-based learning. Many of these parents simply asked themselves, “why am I sending them to school when I could do a better job myself?”

And what’s more, many of these parents are only doing 1-2 hours (or less) or direct instruction per day. That’s more than enough mastery-based learning to put their children 2 or 3 grade levels above the norm (and more so in subjects they are really passionate about. The rest of the time, these kids spend playing with friends, in nature, reading books, building projects, exploring their city and encountering interesting mentors and local experts.

A typical week

One family I know whose child is thriving academically uses mastery-based learning tool to teach them reading and math 1-2 hour a week, spends 3 days a week in a forest school (where kids play outside all day with friends and learn about the natural environment), one project-based group class and takes piano and French lessons from a private tutor.

Even 30 minutes a day will make a huge difference

Finding time to teach your child can be tough, but even teaching them 1-2 hours a week, helping out with homework or 30 minutes a day can work wonders. That’s just how efficient mastery-based learning is. In fact, so much time in school is spent on classroom management and waiting for some kids to catch up with others that some researchers estimate that children only spend about 1 hour a day learning new things in school (if that).

Obviously, the more one-on-one you can do with your child, the more they’ll learn, but an hour or two a day of one-on-one instruction a day will provide more learning than they get at school in an entire day, so a little goes a long way!

In fact, once your child learns to read and do math, they may very well be able to teach themselves the rest using the wealth of resources available online.

Unfortunately, a lot of parents feel quite disempowered when it comes to teaching their kids.

My biggest advice to parents interested in getting more engaged in their child’s education would be to stop using the words “teach my child” and start using the words: “Learn with my child.”

Many parents feel intimidated by the thought of teaching their child. They view teaching as a sacred territory that they dare not enter without a degree in teaching and/or significant classroom experience. It’s unfortunate that parents feel this way, when the reality is that there is so much parents can teach their children better than anyone else, not just life skills and core values (the areas usually reserved to parents), but also academics! If you’re not sure, I would strongly recommend asking a teacher you admire and respect. A good, well-trained teacher will be the first to encourage more parent involvement in learning, because they’ve seen the phenomenal results of parent engagement.

There was a time in history when teachers needed to possess a great deal of knowledge and passed on this information to future generations. Now, with infinite access to knowledge via the internet, the role of the teacher has changed to one of a guide for finding, exploring and retaining information.

The best way to support your child’s learning is by being their guide: encourage and support them, listen and start to develop an intuitive sense of their learning style - and most importantly - learn with them. Surprise bonus: you get to learn new stuff too!

You are your child’s natural-born teacher because no one else cares as much or has the time to take to understand their learning style more than you do. No one understands your child better than you do. No one can support their learning process better than you can. And natural evolution has equipped you to be ideally suited to raise them to anticipate prepare for whatever life has in store for them - and to thrive now and then.

What’s more, any teacher worth their salt will tell you that you certainly don’t have to have a knowledge of a subject to teach it! I’ve helped students master languages I don’t know, words I never learned, tests I could never pass and math concepts that continue to defy me. (My beloved former students will be the first to confirm this and very much enjoyed knowing better than me in every way).

If you’re still not convinced your teaching skills are up to par, fear not. There are many great homeschooling curricula (easy to follow as reading a simple script) that you can use to teach your child all they need to know.

Mastery-based curricula for parent-led instruction

Certain curricula obviously lend themselves better to mastery-based learning and parent-led instruction than others. Here are a few parents have told us they love, but we encourage you to try a few out and continue to explore others beyond these. As each child learns so differently, it’s helpful to try out a few before you decide what works best for you! After you’ve jumped on the learning train, give us a holler and tell us what you like so we can share it with other parents!

All-in-one curriculum

*Khan Academy Kids (PreK-2nd
Editor’s choice

Moving Beyond the Page (PreK-10th) https://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/

Torchlight (PreK-3rd)
https://torchlightcurriculum.com/torchlight/

Time4Learning (PreK-12)
https://www.time4learning.com/

Oak Meadow (K-12)

Critical Thinking Co (Prek-12)
https://www.criticalthinking.com/

Math

*Singapore Math (PreK-5th)
Editor’s choice

Math Seeds (accompany this with Reading Eggs!) (PreK-3rd)
https://readingeggs.com/

MathUSee (K-12)
https://mathusee.com/

Math Mammoth (1st-8th)
https://www.mathmammoth.com/