Goldilocks tried out the Bears' porridge, chairs and beds ...but she enjoyed only those that were "just right". Like Golidlocks we all want things to feel just right. We all learn best from practice that is not too hard and not too easy.... but just right!
How do you know when practice is just right?
Practicing when accuracy is too low (i.e., under ~ 70%) feels out of control and unrewarding. If accuracy is too high (i.e., over ~90%) it can feel too easy and perhaps boring. The Goldilocks "zone" is between approximately 70% - 90% accuracy. This is somewhat similar to Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development."
Practice should be adjusted to each individual so that their accuracy is "in the zone". For example, if accuracy is stagnating at 70% or lower the Practice Plan needs adjusting. (The clinician can lower the Lexercise Level or use Word Bank filters to adjust word difficulty.) If accuracy is over 90% it may be time to move to the next Lexercise Level or to include more difficult words at the current Level. (Unusual words, words with more than one syllable and/or words with suffixes are generally more difficult.)
Are you "in the zone"?
