The New Three R's of Education

This week's article summary is The New Three R's of Education.

The traditional three R’s of reading,’riting, ‘rithmetic remain the bull’s eye of school. 

Yet the new three R’s of relationships, repetitions, and routines are the vehicles through which the traditional R’s are achieved.

More and more educational research studies and subsequent articles and books highlight how vital teacher-student relationships are. Students need to know how much their teachers care and believe in them and truly see them as unique individuals of limitless potential. Similarly, students need to learn how to work and interact collaboratively with others, especially peers. Gone are the days when students worked independently at their desks on fill-in-the-blank worksheets. It’s the same for all of us adults: our personal and professional lives revolve around relationships.

As cognitive scientists continue to answer how students best learn, repetition is proving to be an effective learning tool. Most of us have known this intuitively, yet repetition too often gets associated with rote learning, which can be dull, tedious, and seemingly mindless. Still, it’s through practice that we master a skill. A few weeks ago I purchased three DIY bookcases from Ikea. I carefully followed the instructions as I constructed the first one and it took me about an hour to complete it due to a few missteps. However, by the time I got to third one, it took me only 15 minutes. I learned through repetition.

Routine in the classroom is similarly important. There is comfort for all of us within predictability. Yes, we all like the occasional unplanned day when we can spontaneously do whatever we want, but the bulk of our time is grounded in consistency. It’s why so many of many of us struggle with transition and change in our lives.

So, while reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic remain the goal of a good education, let’s extol relationships, repetition, and routines as crucial tools we need to achieve our goals!

Joe

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As parents, we all want to give our children the best possible start in life. One of the most important things we can do is to help them develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were formerly the three "R's" that were emphasized in school, but as society's expectations have shifted, so have the responsibility put on schools. 

What are the most important skills for pupils to practice in the classroom? Relationships, repetition, and routines are the new three R's of education. 

Relationships: Nurturing and responsive interactions are the foundation of early learning and healthy development. Children interact with their carers, other family members, and other adults in their lives thousands of times every day, including early education teachers. Preschoolers and toddlers frequently interact with other children. When children connect with people regularly and positively, they build relationships that benefit their brain development and learning.

Repetitions: Children benefit from numerous learning experiences. Children can learn new skills or enhance existing ones by repeatedly hearing a teacher say a phrase or having multiple opportunities to crawl toward a favorite item or person. Some children require more practice or repetition than others. Repeated learning opportunities integrated into regular activities help all children because they improve the neural connections in their brains that promote growth and learning.

Routines: Regular activities and routines should include relationships and repetitions. Routines are well-known and usually entail multiple steps. Activities can be done on their own or as part of a routine (e.g., painting at an easel with a friend). Through everyday routines and activities, children can practice existing skills or learn new ones as they see fit.

A strong foundation will allow a child to reach his or her full potential. The three R's and the fundamental idea of assisting learners in discovering how to apply their knowledge will motivate children to work enthusiastically to develop their learning capacities. Children will also develop their personalities and learn from the environment if they follow the three R's rather than from books, it will help them understand better in the future. Connecting with people who can immediately teach them how to better understand their ecosystem by watching and implementing ideas that will benefit them directly in the future.