Everyone knows the three Rs of school Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. What many people do not know are the four Rs of Early Childhood Repetition, Reinforcement, Redirection, and Reward.
Repetition Children learn through repetition. Piaget felt that it is through repetition that children feel comfortable with their play patterns to adapt them and move into new ways to think and learn. They must master their current skills before moving on to new ones. Vygotsky held similar thoughts, but reinforced the need for us to help them move from what they have to their highest potential. He considered this the zone of proximal development. It is the time when children have the most potential for learning and growth. Over time, children will need less assistance, master those tasks, and move on to new challenges.
Like any new skill, repeating the movements, words, and activities will help to program them into a child’s memory. Many parents will complain about reading the same book dozens of times every night or playing the same game every afternoon, but this repetition is building the foundation for future learning. » Read more: The Four Rs of Early Childhood
