Rehearsal and Self-Talk Strategies
In our view, rehearsal means saying something over to yourself to keep it in mind. Self-talk means the words a child says to themselves while working. Studies we hold taught self-talk to children with behavior problems. Their behavior often got better, but results varied. We could read only the summaries of these studies.
TL;DR
- In our view, rehearsal means saying something over to yourself to keep it in mind. Self-talk means the words a child says to themselves while working. Our position is that both can be taught.
- Studies we hold taught self-talk to children with behavior problems. Their behavior often got better, but results varied. These studies do not show that self-talk alone raises schoolwork. We could read only the summaries of these studies.
- One trial taught memory strategies to children with reading disabilities (Swanson and colleagues, 2010). They did better on memory tasks after the teaching. The study measured memory tasks, not reading. We could read only its summary. Self-talk and memory strategies sit alongside your child's teaching, not in place of it.
- Our suggestion: say an instruction once, clearly. Ask your child to say it back in their own words. Give one step at a time. These steps are our own practice, not a tested method.
In our view, rehearsal means saying something over to yourself to keep it in mind. Self-talk means the words a child says to themselves while working.
”RehearsalWhat rehearsal and self-talk mean
In our view, rehearsal means saying something over to yourself to keep it in mind. You say "shoes, coat, bag." Your child says it again on the way to the door.
Self-talk means the words a child says to themselves while working. "First I read the question. Then I find the numbers." It can be out loud or quiet.
In our view, the two often go together. A child says the steps, then talks through each one.
Our position is that both can be taught. In our view, they are ways to go about a task, not a test of cleverness.
Why we teach it inside the real task
Our position is that memory strategies are learnable. In our view, memory strategies work best taught inside the real task, like a step in a math problem.
So practice on real jobs. A real instruction at home. A real spelling word. A real step in a math problem.
In our view, practice reaches the thing it is practice at. Saying the steps of getting ready is practice at getting ready.
Self-talk and memory strategies sit alongside your child's teaching, not in place of it.
How to teach it at home
This part is our suggestion. It is how we would start with a family.
Say it once, clearly. Get your child's attention first. Keep the instruction short.
Ask for it back. Your child says it back in their own words. That shows you what they heard.
One step at a time. Give the next step when the first one is done.
Write it down too. A short list lets your child check rather than remember.
Give a short line for starting. For example: "First I get my book, then I find the page." Your child says it as they start.
Practice when calm. Try it on easy, everyday jobs first. Not in the middle of a hard moment.
Prompt less over time. Once your child uses the line on their own, step back.
These steps are our own practice, not a tested method.
Our page on a child who forgets everything you say has more. Our page on auditory memory covers holding what was just said. Our page on talking to a struggling child covers self-talk.
What the research we hold says, and where it stops
Nothing in the studies on this page tested a Learning Success program.
Self-talk
One review pooled 48 studies of children with serious behavior problems (Dush and colleagues, 1989). They were taught to change what they say to themselves. On average, their behavior improved more than with no help or pretend help. Results varied from study to study. We could read only its summary.
Another review pooled 23 school studies (Robinson and colleagues, 1999). Children with impulsive or aggressive behavior were taught to calm it with self-talk. In most studies, their behavior improved more than that of untaught children. We could read only its summary.
These studies were mostly of children with behavior problems. Therapists or schools ran the training. These reviews do not show that self-talk on its own raises schoolwork.
Memory strategies
One trial taught memory strategies to children with reading disabilities (Swanson and colleagues, 2010). Children were put in groups at random. The children who were taught did better on memory tasks. They still did less well than children without reading trouble. Swanson's study measured memory tasks, not reading. We could read only its summary.
Saying instructions back
We hold no study that tested a child repeating instructions to remember them at home. That is a gap in what we hold, not a finding that it does not help.
If your child has lost a skill
Some children could do something and now cannot. That is different from a child who has not built the skill yet. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Schoolwork well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about learning.
- Extreme upset about schoolwork.
- Complete avoidance of school or learning.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
If no skill has gone, start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
Before a task starts, ask a child to say the steps back. Notice what changes.
Two sentences for an email home: "We are practicing saying instructions back before starting. Could you try it with one job at home this week?"
Put the steps on the board as well as saying them.
Key Takeaways
In our view, rehearsal means saying something over to yourself to keep it in mind. Self-talk means the words a child says to themselves while working.
Studies we hold taught self-talk to children with behavior problems. Their behavior often got better, but results varied. These studies do not show that self-talk alone raises schoolwork. We could read only the summaries of these studies.
One trial taught memory strategies to children with reading disabilities (Swanson and colleagues, 2010). They did better on memory tasks. The study measured memory tasks, not reading. We could read only its summary. Self-talk and memory strategies sit alongside your child's teaching, not in place of it.
At home, say it once and ask for it back. Give one step at a time. These steps are our own practice, not a tested method.
Tonight, give your child one short instruction. Ask them to say it back in their own words. Notice what they kept and what they lost. This is practice, not a test.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
An overview of processing skills. Our work on each runs alongside reading, spelling or math instruction, not in place of it.
Common questions from parents
What is rehearsal?
In our view, rehearsal means saying something over to yourself to keep it in mind. A child hears three things to fetch and says them again on the way. Our position is that it can be taught. In our view, it works best taught on real tasks. Self-talk and memory strategies sit alongside your child's teaching, not in place of it.
What did the self-talk studies find?
Studies we hold taught self-talk to children with behavior problems. Their behavior often got better, but results varied. Therapists or schools ran the training. These studies do not show that self-talk alone raises schoolwork. We could read only the summaries of these studies. Self-talk and memory strategies sit alongside your child's teaching, not in place of it.
Should I ask my child to repeat instructions back?
In our view, it is worth trying. Hearing it back shows you what your child kept. We hold no study that tested a child repeating instructions to remember them at home. That is a gap in what we hold, not a finding that it does not help. If no skill has gone and instructions keep going wrong, start with the teacher.
Can memory games help with schoolwork?
Practice reaches the thing it is practice at. A checklist used on the homework builds checklist-and-homework. A memory game played instead has not been shown to reach the reading or the math. Melby-Lervåg, Redick and Hulme (2016) pooled the working-memory training studies. They found that people got better at working-memory tasks. Against a treated control, they found no convincing carry-over to word reading, reading comprehension or arithmetic. Researchers still argue about whether some limited carry-over happens. So it is still an open question. Self-talk and memory strategies sit alongside your child's teaching, not in place of it.