Learning Challenges Are Like Dominoes

When you flick a domino, it causes a chain reaction that leads to all the other pieces falling. This mesmerizing effect is the basis for many games and is similar to how some learning challenges impact students: One small thing can have a large impact.

A domino is any of 28 small oblong pieces marked with 0-6 pips on each end, used to play the game of dominoes, in which players take turns placing dominoes edge to edge on a line to form a sequence of numbers whose value is determined by the number of adjacent pips. Dominoes have been around for centuries and are also used in non-game applications, such as marking trails for trains or as symbols for certain types of operations.

Lily Hevesh’s grandparents introduced her to the game of domino at age 9. Her obsession grew as she set up dominoes in straight or curved lines and watched them fall, one piece at a time. Now, she creates magnificent domino installations for TV shows, movies, and events. She’s even helped establish a Guinness World Record for the most dominoes toppled in a circle. Hevesh tests each section of her designs before assembling them into the final display. This allows her to make precise corrections when something doesn’t work as planned.

Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan opened the first franchise location in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1967 and quickly expanded to more than 200 locations by 1978. The company’s early success was tied to its focus on delivering pizza quickly, a service that resonated with people who were busy and hungry. In order to sustain this growth, however, Domino’s needed a strong leader.

Before becoming CEO, David Brandon listened to the people who worked for Domino’s and made changes to improve their lives, such as a relaxed dress code and new leadership training programs. He also began a system of directly hearing from customers through surveys and forums like the Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces survey. When Doyle took over as CEO, he continued these efforts and kept Domino’s true to its core values, including Championing Our Customers.

When a student has an undiagnosed or under-supported learning challenge, it’s like a domino effect: One small thing can cause a big problem that leads to failure in a given subject or skill. To help prevent this, teachers should be aware of common learning challenges and how to address them so that all students can succeed.

In fiction writing, the domino effect is often used to describe a scene or event that has a huge impact on what comes before or after it. It’s a good way to show the logic of a character’s action or to highlight the importance of what came before it. The trick is to make sure your readers understand the logic and not get confused or frustrated by scenes that don’t make sense. That’s why creating an outline or using a software such as Scrivener can be helpful for authors who write by the seat of their pants.