--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If children are apparently unable to…" description: "\"If children are apparently unable to learn, we should assume that we have not as yet found the right way to teach them.\" — Marie Clay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png" --- # If children are apparently unable to learn, we should… ![“If children are apparently unable to learn, we should assume that we have not as yet found the right way to teach them.” quote by Marie Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png) > “If children are apparently unable to learn, we should assume that we have not as yet found the right way to teach them.” Marie Clay ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When children struggle to learn, it often reflects ineffective teaching methods rather than their ability. **In simple terms:** Learning problems often stem from teaching, not the child. Key Takeaway Reevaluate and adapt teaching strategies. Themes education learning teaching adaptability Mood reflective empathetic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - classroom instruction - special education - curriculum design - teacher training Key Concepts Pedagogy growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How can teachers identify mismatched methods? - What alternative approaches could engage reluctant learners? A Different Perspective Assuming children are incapable can lead to low expectations and missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-teacher/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-learning/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Right way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-way/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teaching children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching-children/) ## Related quotes > [Getting married, having children, and staying together long after all love has died, saying that it's for the good of the children (who are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/getting-married-having-children-and-staying-together-long-after-all/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When reading a book, be very certain that you never go past a word you do not fully understand. The only reason a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/when-reading-a-book-be-very-certain-that-you-never-go-past-a-word-you/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [I am defeated, and know it, if I meet any human being from whom I find myself unable to learn anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert-palmer/i-am-defeated-and-know-it-if-i-meet-any-human-being-from-whom-i-find/) George Herbert Palmer > [I think that the only way to teach is by example, as children will more easily follow what they see you do than what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/i-think-that-the-only-way-to-teach-is-by-example-as-children-will/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [ I think there's no way they should have to teach \[math\] now. We have computers. We no longer need to know why 3x = 2y/4. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/i-think-there-s-no-way-they-should-have-to-teach-math-now-we-have/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [The way I see it, we teach our children through modeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-way-i-see-it-we-teach-our-children-through-modeling/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The best way to teach somebody something is to have them think they're learning something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/the-best-way-to-teach-somebody-something-is-to-have-them-think-they/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [Why don't we teach sex the way we teach math or history? 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It is the only way to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/example-is-not-one-of-the-best-ways-to-teach-it-is-the-only-way-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The best way to learn is to do; the worst way to teach is to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-halmos/the-best-way-to-learn-is-to-do-the-worst-way-to-teach-is-to-talk/) [Paul Halmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-halmos/) ## More by Marie Clay > [Teaching...can be likened to a conversation in which you listen to the speaker carefully before you reply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-clay/teaching-can-be-likened-to-a-conversation-in-which-you-listen-to-the/) Marie Clay > [As the child approaches a new text he is entitled to an introduction so that when he reads, the gist of the... story can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-clay/as-the-child-approaches-a-new-text-he-is-entitled-to-an-introduction/) Marie Clay > [“Running records capture what young readers say and do while reading continuous text, usually short stories or books. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If children are apparently unable to learn, we should assume that we have not as yet found the right way to teach them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marie Clay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-clay/if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-learn-we-should-assume-that-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-clay/if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-learn-we-should-assume-that-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/marie-clay-67110_assuming_if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-lea_1911766.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If children are apparently unable to learn, we should assume that we have not as yet found the right way to…” — Marie Clay", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marie Clay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-clay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If children are apparently unable to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-clay/if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-learn-we-should-assume-that-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-clay/if-children-are-apparently-unable-to-learn-we-should-assume-that-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```