According to attribution theory, people seek to make sense of their environment through ascribing causality to their behavior and the behavior of others and these attributions impact future behavior (Jones et al., 1972). In essence, people seek to answer and understand why. This fundamental concept associated with attribution theory is important for equipping developmental education faculty and practitioners to influence student behavior and learning in order to help students succeed academically. This paper presents a general overview of attribution theory and how factors associated with attribution can equip teachers to make sense of student behavior and learning. Suggestions for assigning causality to identify and establish accurate attributions to help students succeed are included.