Siman 432

(3.) He said: "The fact that teachers press a child too much — through this the child does not learn at all. Rather one must be a great expert in teaching the child gradually — without much threatening and without too much pressure. And through this the child will absorb more easily." For he said: "The teacher goes over it with the child saying 'remember, remember'" [in Yiddish: "gedenk zhe, gedenk zhe"]. If he had gone over it with the child a little gently — he would certainly have absorbed the matter well... But afterward he goes over it with him so much, saying to him several times "remember, remember," until afterward, when the child is asked the interpretation of that verse, it can happen that the child answers that its interpretation is "gedenk zhe" [remember]. For the child thinks that these words are the translation of the verse. For by pressing the child so much, one confuses him entirely — and this cannot be explained; it is clear to the discerning, and it is very necessary for teachers, and likewise for several matters. For this is a great general rule: not to press oneself too much over anything — only by degrees and with deliberateness. And it is impossible to explain all this at all. And an incident that happened: a child was brought by his father to Rabbainu o.b.m., and [the father] taught him all the way — so that when they would give him something to drink, he should say "Savri maranan veRabbanan, etc." — and he went over it with him very, very many times, so that it should be remembered well and not confused. Afterward, when the child came to Rabbainu o.b.m. and began to say "Savri," he could not say it at all and became very confused. Rabbainu o.b.m. answered and said to his father: "You certainly studied with him much and pressed upon him very much, that he should remember to say 'Savri, etc.' in order — and because of this he can say nothing now. Had you not gone over it with him so much, he could certainly have said it properly." And then Rabbainu o.b.m. spoke the aforementioned matter of the conversation: