因材施教

yīncái-shījiào

idiom

Meanings

1 to teach according to the student's ability
2 to tailor instruction to the individual learner
3 differentiated teaching

Characters

aptitude; talent

to apply; to give

Examples

HSK 2

好的老师懂得因材施教。

Hǎode lǎoshī dǒngde yīncáishījiào.

A good teacher knows how to tailor teaching to each student.

HSK 4

我们要因材施教，不能一刀切。

Wǒmen yào yīncáishījiào, bùnéng yīdāoqiē.

We should teach students according to their abilities - one size does not fit all.

HSK 4

因材施教是孔子最早提出的教育原则。

Yīncáishījiào shì Kǒngzǐ zuì zǎo tíchū de jiàoyù yuánzé.

Teaching in accordance with the student's aptitude was first proposed by Confucius.

Tips

history

Traced to Zhu Xi's Song-dynasty commentary on 《论语·为政》 quoting Cheng Yi: 各因其材之高下与其所失而告之 - 'instruct each according to the level of their ability and their particular shortcomings.' The idea is pure Confucian pedagogy.

culture

A foundational concept in Chinese education philosophy, still cited today in curriculum debates. Often invoked against rigid exam-focused teaching.

Stroke Order

因 yīn

材 cái

施 shī

教 jiāo