Self-practice and teacher correction solve different problems. Practice builds repetition, familiarity and independence; a teacher helps the learner notice errors, understand why they occur and correct habits that are difficult to hear alone. Strong progress usually needs both in the right proportion.
What self-practice does well
Independent practice is ideal for repetition: reviewing familiar letters, rereading a passage, revising memorised material and repeating a correction already explained. It also shows whether the learner can reproduce a skill without immediate prompting.
What self-practice cannot reliably detect
A learner may repeat an inaccurate sound many times without noticing it. The same can happen with a habitual stop, a rushed vowel or a recurring articulation issue. More repetition is not automatically better if the repeated form is wrong.
What a teacher adds
A teacher can compare what the learner intended with what was actually heard, identify the most important error and give a focused correction. How We Teach explains the academy’s broader approach to guided practice and feedback without replacing the learner’s own work.
Use correction to shape the next practice session
A useful lesson should leave the learner with a small number of clear targets. After the lesson, practise those exact targets rather than opening several unrelated topics. This turns teacher feedback into independent progress.
Avoid dependence on constant prompting
If every word is corrected immediately, the learner may stop monitoring their own reading. Give space to finish a short unit, then review the most useful corrections. Personal attention matters because the amount and timing of feedback should match the learner rather than follow one rigid pattern.
A simple weekly rhythm
Use guided sessions to diagnose and reset technique. Between them, repeat the corrected material, record a short sample if useful and note where the same difficulty returns. Bring those points back to the next lesson instead of starting from zero.
Self-practice gives volume; teacher correction gives direction. The question is not which one replaces the other, but whether practice is reinforcing the right thing.
