We must have heard of the three types of learners, namely Kinetic, Audio and Visual. Whichever type of learner your kids may be, repetition is seen as the key activity for ensuring that any newly acquired knowledge sinks in and is remembered for a long time. Being an after-school program India, Kumon will help you explore the key elements such as what is repetition, why it is important and its essence in education.
What is repetition?
We all must be aware of the phrase “practice makes perfect” and that essentially, is what repetition learning comprises of. It is about repeating the learning concept or process that kids wish to undertake, for allowing their brain or body to retain the information. Whether it be learning a Maths formula until it is memorised or kicking a football at a goal until the technique is perfected.
Repetition learning works best if students space it out over time, which is also called spaced repetition. If your kid is trying to learn or memorise something, ask them to repeat the information throughout the day, at increasing intervals. For instance, they might first, look at a word on a flashcard and repeat it in their head a few times. Then looking at it one minute later, then five minutes later, then ten and so on.
What is the importance of repetition learning?
Though it sounds simple enough, repetition requires a high level of patience. When motivation is merged with repetition, things and concepts are remembered better and retained for a longer time. Studies have shown that our brain forms unique pathways when a task is repeated often and in that way, optimising the performance of the skill. Even the nerves, muscles and bones may grow and adapt when challenged with repeated patterns of usage.
In the same way, young kids learn to speak, walk, eat and do other things. Repetition and imitation are one of the oldest methods used to teach essential skills to children. Verbal repetition is the repetitive phrasing of a word after hearing it, which is important for language acquisition, both developmentally and in learning a second language. It also has various applications in language rehabilitation, too.
How is repetition used in the early years of childhood development?
If you are a new parent, it’s important to know about the importance of repetition for kids in their early years. The first step is to understand what repetition matters to a newborn. For adults, repeated experiences can be boring as it is reliving the same thing over and over again. But it is completely opposite in the case of children, as they don’t find repetition boring because each time they do it they are experiencing it in a new way.
When a kid is first exposed to something new, they are often just taking in the experience. It’s difficult for them to actually learn from it the first time. By repeating the process, they go from experiencing to anticipating, from understanding the fundamental concepts to exploring the activity to its fullest extent.
In most early childhood education programs such as Kumon, repetition forms the basis of learning and skill development. Think about when a child first learns to walk, they begin by crawling, then repeating the action of standing and tottering, before they master the ability to walk. They must first learn the fundamental skills before they can acquire speed, increased confidence and mastery. It is through repetition that chances become abilities.
Wrapping It Up
Strengthen the positive impacts of repetition by asking your kid about what they enjoyed doing at their preschool or school throughout the day. On the next day, remind them about what they enjoyed the most on the previous day. This will motivate them to self-reflect, which will help them in learning things more completely and quickly. Repetition is one of the most important fundamentals in the development of a kid. It is exactly what they need to learn and succeed academically, as well as in their life.
We hope this article on repetition and its essence in education was helpful. Kumon is among the leading learning programs for kids in India. We believe that repetition is the secret behind mastery and therefore, we emphasise a lot over repetitive learning. If you want to enrol your child on Kumon or know more about us, visit our website.
