Why did you get this problem wrong?
Bongsik got a problem wrong. π₯²
"Oh, that was just a mistake..." π₯Ή
At that point, we do not simply move on to the next problem. π
We ask another question.
"What kind of mistake?" π€
In mathematics,
when a child says, "It was a calculation error,"
we go back through their working.
A closer look may reveal that they missed a condition in the question, rather than making a calculation error.
What do they need in that case? More calculation practice is not necessarily the answer.
We need to look again at how they read the question. π‘
βββ
English is similar.
"I got this wrong because I did not know the word." π’
But when we compare the answer choices with the passage,
the problem may not be vocabulary. The student may have read something into an answer choice that the passage never said.
Before simply memorising more words,
we need to revisit why they thought that option was the answer. π
An example may make this clearer. Let us take a quick look at one of our English director's lessons.
This example uses question 23 from the March 2026 mock exam for first-year high school students.
First, let us map out the passage's structure.
At INNIT, we do not begin by teaching shortcuts such as where to start reading or which sentence to jump to for a particular question. βοΈπ
ββοΈ
Our aim is to develop reading comprehension and logical thinking that can be used across subjects.
We practise reading accurately from the first sentence and following the connections between sentences to understand the passage as a whole.
Shall we follow this passage using our English director's approach?
[First sentence] The passage begins with research on conformity. Teenagers were placed in situations where they had to make choices that went against their peers' opinions, and the researchers studied the conformity that emerged.
So far, so good? The next sentence begins:
The fascinating thing about the resultsβ¦
In other words, something about the research findings is especially interesting.
Is this sentence important?
Students who have been following our lessons will probably answer straight away:
"Yes, it is!" π
Exactly.
It signals that an important finding from the research is about to follow.
And the next part says:
conformity is not spread equally across all age groups.
The tendency to conform differs between age groups.
That prompts another question:
"How does it differ?" π§π§
The next sentence gives us the answer. π‘
Thus.
In other words: therefore.
The passage explains that conformity peaks around age 14 and then begins to decline.
By ages 16β17, it says, teenagers increasingly develop the ability to disagree with peers and express their own views.
So the passage develops like this:
Research on conformity β An interesting finding β Conformity differs with age β A peak around age 14 β A decrease at ages 16β17 β A growing ability to defend one's own views
What is the answer, then? Let us return to the options.
β negative effects of social influence on teenagers
β‘ various factors that influence group decision-making
β’ changes in the tendency to follow peers across ages
β£ differences between individual choices and group decisions
β€ ways to overcome peer pressure in the early teenage years
The answer is...
...
..
.
That is rightββ’! π€©
(And why is option β not the answer? We will discuss that in class! >_< β£οΈ)
How was that?
To solve the problem,
we did not memorise rules such as "Find the topic sentence first" or "Look after However".
We read one sentence carefully, then followed its logical connection to the next. Give yourselves a round of applause!
Well done! Does that give you a little more confidence? πππ
At INNIT, understanding why a mistake happened matters more than simply recording a wrong answer.
Even when two children get the same problem wrong, they may need different kinds of help. π
We want more than a reduction in wrong answers.
We want children to recognise for themselves what they do not yet understand.
We believe that awareness helps them work independently in an exam.
That raises another question. π
Even with the same passage or problem, every child may get stuck in a different place.
How much of that can we identify when teaching several children together?
That is why we chose one-to-one lessons.
Why is one-to-one teaching so important to INNIT?
We will explain in the next instalment. See you soon! π€
