Embracing Productive Struggle: Why It’s Essential for Literacy Learning

I sat in my teacher's room, a not often repeated routine of grabbing my mail and turning to leave, when I heard it, like nails on the chalkboard from the murmur of the large table in the middle of the room: “What is the deal with productive struggle? I hear struggle, and I don't want that for my kids." I swallowed any sense of wanting in on this conversation and decided I'd approach this at a later time. But, what is the deal with productive struggle?

Let me break it down.

As teachers, it’s in our nature to help our students, especially when we see them struggling. We want to swoop in and save the day. It’s kind of in the job description, right? But what if I told you that letting them struggle a little—just the right amount—can actually be the key to deeper, more meaningful learning? This is what we call productive struggle. It’s not about letting kids fail; it’s about giving them the chance to wrestle with a challenge, learn from it, and come out stronger - a term John C. Maxwells coined as failing forward. Failure feels like a destination, "You failed." Failing forward meaning you'll keep moving towards figuring it out, there's action.

What is Productive Struggle?

Productive struggle happens when students face a challenge that’s just tough enough to make them think, but not so hard that they shut down. It’s that sweet spot where learning happens. In a literacy classroom, this might look like a student working through a tricky text or figuring out how to decode a tough word. Sure, it’s not always comfortable, but that’s where the magic happens—when they push through the discomfort and find the solution on their own.

The Brain Science Behind Productive Struggle

Here’s where it gets really cool: brain science actually backs this up.

1. Building Stronger Neural Pathways

When students engage in productive struggle, their brains are creating and strengthening neural pathways. These pathways are like little highways for information in the brain. The more a student struggles (in a healthy way) and overcomes challenges, the stronger these pathways become. This process is called neuroplasticity, and it’s how our brains grow and adapt. Every time a student figures out a difficult word or deciphers a confusing sentence, their brain is making those connections stronger, which leads to better retention and understanding in the long run.

2. Engaging Working Memory

Productive struggle also taps into working memory—the part of the brain responsible for holding and processing information on the spot. When students are faced with a literacy task that’s just beyond their comfort zone, they’re forced to pull from what they already know, apply that knowledge, and then make sense of the new information. It’s like mental juggling. And the more they juggle, the better their working memory becomes. So, yes, that tricky word or sentence structure is actually helping their brains get stronger!

3. The Dopamine Reward

And here’s a fun fact: overcoming a challenge releases dopamine in the brain. This is the same feel-good chemical we get from things like eating chocolate or checking off a to-do list. When students push through a struggle and succeed, their brain gets a little hit of dopamine, making them feel good about their accomplishment. It’s a natural motivator that encourages them to keep going when they face tough tasks in the future. Who knew reading could be so rewarding?

4. Encoding for Long-Term Learning

Finally, when students struggle productively, their brains work harder to encode that information into long-term memory. This means they’re more likely to remember what they’ve learned, not just for the test, but for life. In literacy, that could mean better vocabulary retention, stronger comprehension skills, or a deeper understanding of how language works.

Why is Productive Struggle So Important in Literacy Learning?

Let’s be real—literacy can be tough. There’s a lot to juggle between decoding, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. But when students are allowed to struggle productively, they build skills that go beyond just reading and writing.

1. It Builds Resilience

When kids experience productive struggle, they learn that it’s okay to make mistakes. They start to see challenges as opportunities, not roadblocks. In literacy, this translates to a willingness to take on tougher texts or tackle unfamiliar words. They become problem-solvers, learning how to approach tricky material on their own without waiting for someone to step in and do it for them.

2. It Deepens Understanding

Struggling through a literacy task forces students to engage with the material on a deeper level. Instead of skimming through and looking for the quick answer, they’re actively working to understand. This kind of deep engagement leads to better comprehension, more critical thinking, and the ability to make connections between texts and ideas.

3. It Encourages a Growth Mindset

When students learn to embrace struggle, they start to adopt a growth mindset—the belief that their abilities can grow with effort. In literacy, this means they don’t get discouraged by a hard word or a tough text. Instead, they see it as a chance to grow. They know that with persistence, they’ll get better, and they stop viewing reading challenges as signs of failure.

4. It Promotes Retention

Finally, productive struggle leads to long-term retention. When students work hard to understand something, their brains hold onto that information much longer. It’s not just about cramming for a quiz—it’s about truly mastering a concept or skill that they can use again and again.

So, How Do We Create Productive Struggle in the Classroom?

Here’s the big question—how do we foster this in a way that feels supportive rather than overwhelming?

1. Set Up Just-Right Challenges

The key is finding that sweet spot where the challenge is tough, but not too tough. In literacy, that might mean choosing a text that’s slightly above a student’s reading level or asking them to write in more complex sentences. It’s not about making the task impossible—it’s about making it just hard enough to push them.

2. Make Mistakes Normal

Students need to know that mistakes are part of the process. In fact, mistakes are where the learning happens! Create a classroom culture where errors aren’t something to be ashamed of, but something to be celebrated. In literacy, that could look like celebrating revisions in writing or recognizing when a student corrects their own reading mistake.

3. Ask the Right Questions

Instead of giving answers right away, ask guiding questions that help students think through the problem themselves. Questions like “What could you try next?” or “What part of the word do you recognize?” get them thinking, which is exactly what we want.

4. Be a Model of Perseverance

Finally, show students what it looks like to stick with something. Whether it’s working through a challenging text alongside them or sharing a personal story of your own struggle with a literacy task, modeling perseverance goes a long way in encouraging students to keep going.

Wrapping It Up: Why We Need to Embrace Struggle

At the end of the day, productive struggle isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s a crucial part of learning that helps our students grow, not just as readers and writers, but as thinkers and problem-solvers. So next time you hear the word “struggle,” don’t shy away from it. Embrace it. Encourage it. After all that’s where the real learning begins.