Try, Try Again: Practice and the Brain

"Practice makes perfect" or does it? If we practice without knowledge of what is necessary for improvement, no matter how much we practice, we may not ever get better. Have no fear! There are things you can do to make practice well worth the time and the energy you put into it.

Did You Know?

According to international educational consultant David Sousa, in order for practice to change our performance, three criteria must be met:

1. We must have all the knowledge necessary to understand the options available in applying the new knowledge or skill.
2. We must understand the steps in the process of applying the knowledge to deal with a particular situation.
3. We must be able to analyze the results of that application and know what variables need to be manipulated to improve performance in the future.

Practice improves a skill or helps individuals learn a concept only if it's monitored and feedback is provided. This kind of practice over time increases recall. According to research, we have only a ten percent chance of remembering something done once in thirty days, and a ninety percent chance of remembering something done six times in thirty days! That's why practicing is such an essential part of learning!

Here are some ideas for activities and tips that help build brain power with practice:

1. Offer information in small doses and increase the amount as your child shows understanding. For example, when learning to create patterns, introduce horizontal patterns created using two elements, such as buttons and crayons. Then move to more complex patterns by increasing the number of attributes and directions of patterns.
2. As your child gains confidence in school, try arranging for your child to be a tutor as she gets older. This will not only benefit the child she is tutoring, but it was also help her practice and stay comfortable with things she has already learned. On that same note, you can also utilize peer teaching. Often children will more readily provide clear feedback to each other than adults. Children speak the same language and share perspectives.
3. Teach the value of persistence and determination. Read “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” with your child. It's a great example of try, try again. Many skills are mastered only after repeated failures and lots of trying again!
4. Ask your child to explain her thinking when she is working on a project or how she is attempting to accomplish an activity. This provides insight for feedback. Specific, supporting feedback helps perfect performance. If you ask your child to explain her work to you, you will know what she understands and, therefore, what feedback can be specific and supportive.
5. Reflection is critical to improvement. We all need time to reflect in order to evaluate and contemplate where we are and what’s needed to become better at what we’re doing. So after your done with an activity, take a break!

These activities work great for first graders but these concepts are relevant for people of all ages.

Some Books to Check Out:

Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

Itsy Bitsy Spider by Tracy Moncure, Pam Schiller (eds.)

Want to Read More?

Sousa, David. 1995. How the Brain Learns. Reston, VA: The National Association of Secondary School Principals.