| MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Katy C. Merrell, MEd. |
| MARCH 2007 Learning through Repetition, Learning through Repetition |
We have all heard the phrase, “variety is the spice of
life”. This is much more the case for adults than for
children, especially very young children. I overheard a
Mom the other day, reading the white board to her child,
”Oh, you’re doing the same song again today!” She seemed
surprised, and her unspoken question is a good one.
Children need lots of repetition in order to learn and truly
master new skills. Repetition allows them to assimilate
all the components of a skill, all the words of a song, etc. in
a way that builds each time.
Receiving, processing, storing, recalling, and reproducing
new information involves a lot of steps. This is why
children often want to hear the same story over and over,
sometimes until you can’t stand to read it again. As adults
we have gained the skills and experience over time to help
us do this quickly. It is so important that we give children
the time to make information their own! Once they have
really internalized skills, concepts, and information, then
they can act on it in new ways. This is where original
problem solving, and creativity can flourish!
Repetition also provides a feeling of comfort and safety
and helps children build a sense of belonging to a
community in which they can be actively engaged and feel
successful. We love to hear children say; “I sang the whole
song for my Mom and Dad, or I taught them a new “sign”,
etc. That is why you will see the same sign language every
day in a class as the children say “good morning” to each
other, or hear the same goodbye song in another class as
they end their day.
life”. This is much more the case for adults than for
children, especially very young children. I overheard a
Mom the other day, reading the white board to her child,
”Oh, you’re doing the same song again today!” She seemed
surprised, and her unspoken question is a good one.
Children need lots of repetition in order to learn and truly
master new skills. Repetition allows them to assimilate
all the components of a skill, all the words of a song, etc. in
a way that builds each time.
Receiving, processing, storing, recalling, and reproducing
new information involves a lot of steps. This is why
children often want to hear the same story over and over,
sometimes until you can’t stand to read it again. As adults
we have gained the skills and experience over time to help
us do this quickly. It is so important that we give children
the time to make information their own! Once they have
really internalized skills, concepts, and information, then
they can act on it in new ways. This is where original
problem solving, and creativity can flourish!
Repetition also provides a feeling of comfort and safety
and helps children build a sense of belonging to a
community in which they can be actively engaged and feel
successful. We love to hear children say; “I sang the whole
song for my Mom and Dad, or I taught them a new “sign”,
etc. That is why you will see the same sign language every
day in a class as the children say “good morning” to each
other, or hear the same goodbye song in another class as
they end their day.
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| “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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NORFOLK CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, 23 Union St., Norfolk, MA 02056 508-528-1970
Copyright 2007 Norfolk Children's School
Website Design by Karma Communications
Website Design by Karma Communications
When you come in for conferences in a couple of weeks you may even notice a project or activity
in your child’s portfolio that is similar to or even the same as one done the year before. This is
because certain activities are used as ”tools” to measure growth from year to year. The skills
required are the same so that the child’s growth is clearly apparent from one year to another.
Teachers also do this in order to add more levels of learning to a familiar activity. A good
example would be reading a book to a class of 3 year olds, then with a class of 4 year olds,
reading that same book, posing a question for the children to think about and even turning their
responses into an original book. Teachers record the children’s words and then encourage them to
illustrate their pictures! Like most things in life, a good balance of repetition and variety is the
most effective for a rich classroom environment.
Katy C. Merrell MEd.
in your child’s portfolio that is similar to or even the same as one done the year before. This is
because certain activities are used as ”tools” to measure growth from year to year. The skills
required are the same so that the child’s growth is clearly apparent from one year to another.
Teachers also do this in order to add more levels of learning to a familiar activity. A good
example would be reading a book to a class of 3 year olds, then with a class of 4 year olds,
reading that same book, posing a question for the children to think about and even turning their
responses into an original book. Teachers record the children’s words and then encourage them to
illustrate their pictures! Like most things in life, a good balance of repetition and variety is the
most effective for a rich classroom environment.
Katy C. Merrell MEd.