BONUS: Coaching, Teaching, & Classroom Management Strategies Sparked From My Conversation with Stephanie Leavell (❤️Olivia Wahl)

In this bonus episode of Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, I explore the fascinating science and power of repetition in learning. Following my conversation with Stephanie Leavell, creator of Music for Kiddos, I dive into how repetition impacts brain development, memory retention, and skill mastery across all age groups.

Drawing from multiple research sources, I break down key concepts like active recall, the spacing effect, and spaced repetition learning. I share a compelling classroom observation of how repetition helped both a teacher and his students build confidence through multiple presentation practices. The episode also covers how repetition benefits early childhood development, the importance of repeated read-alouds for young children, and why we find repetition in music so appealing.

Whether you're an educator, caregiver, or lifelong learner, this episode offers practical insights into how strategic repetition can enhance learning outcomes and why "practice makes perfect" is more than just a saying – it's backed by neuroscience. I conclude the episode with valuable tips for implementing repetitive practice effectively in both classroom and home environments.

Episode Mentions: 

➡️S4 E15: Music Therapy in Schools: Strategies for Teachers and Child Development with Stephanie Leavell, Creator of Music for Kiddos

➡️Unlock the power of repetition: A groundbreaking learning method - Traverse 10/2023

➡️Eva Keiffenheim’s The Feynman Technique Can Help You Remember Everything You Read  

➡️9 Benefits of Repetition for Learning - Iris Reading

➡️The Power of Repetition - Queensland Government - Department of Early Childhood Education and Care 8/2023 

➡️Repeated Read Alouds May Lead to Reading Success for Young Children by Timothy Rasinski

➡️Why we love repetition in music - TED-Ed by Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis

➡️Hot Chocolate song reel

#TeacherResources #TeacherTips #TeachingStrategies #EducationPodcast #TeacherLife #EduTalk #EducatorResources #K12Education #LearningScience #BrainDevelopment #CognitiveScience #SpacedRepetition #ActiveRecall #LearningStrategies #StudyTips #MemoryTechniques #BrainScience #LearningProcess #EarlyChildhood #EarlyLearning #ReadAloud #EarlyLiteracy #ChildDevelopment #EarlyEducation #PreschoolActivities #KidsLearning #ParentingTips #EarlyYears #MusicEducation #MusicTherapy #MusicAndLearning #ArtsEducation #MusicInSchools #ChildrensMusic #MusicForKids #MusicTeacher #MusicClassroom #MusicLearning

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Olivia: Hi there. I'm so happy you're here. Your time is precious. And because of that, I want to let you know right away what you'll gain by listening to the very last second of this episode. My conversation with Stephanie Leavell, the creator of Music for Kiddos, was about the multifaceted impact of music in education and child development.

[00:00:23] Olivia: In this bonus episode, I offer my insights about how repetition is a scientifically proven learning tool that enhances memory retention, brain development, and skill mastery across all ages, from infants to adults. I speak to why the spacing effect in repetition learning is more effective than cramming, why for young children, ages 0 to 5, repetition is crucial for brain development, and how the power of repetition extends beyond memorization, whether in music, learning new skills, or classroom teaching.

[00:01:00] Olivia: Stay with me. I am so happy to have you as a listener today.

[00:01:07] Olivia: This is Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, the podcast that extends education beyond the classroom. A show that offers educators and caregivers strategies to try right away and ensure every student receives the inspiration and support they need to thrive. I am Olivia Wahl, and this is a Friday bonus episode.

[00:01:30] Olivia: If you have not already listened to my Season 4, Episode 15 conversation with the wonderful Stephanie Leavell, pause right now. Go back and listen to that conversation. Stephanie is the creator of Music for Kiddos, and she shares a myriad of strategies for teachers and caregivers alike around music therapy in schools, child development, and just the joy of teaching music and how it benefits our children in so many different ways.

[00:02:01] Olivia: A huge part of my thinking after leaving the conversation with Stephanie was around the concept of repetition. And that's what I'm going to focus this episode around today. But, you know, it's also, I think, important for families, for caregivers to understand the benefits of repetition. So the research sources I'm going to lean on today will really offer insight for not just educators within the walls of a school building, but more so for the caregivers that have children and even teenagers at home to understand the power of repetition.

[00:02:44] Olivia: I'm going to start out with a piece from Traverse and the reason I am leaning on it, they do a really nice job of explaining the science behind repetition learning. They're a company; in their words, they've “set out to build the best app for self-learning anything.” And the way that they do that is by “taking the most powerful insights from cognitive science and turning them into an easy to use app.”

[00:03:08] Olivia: So in this piece, it's called Unlock the Power of Repetition: A Groundbreaking Learning Method It is from October of 2023. And they have a really nice graphic, I'll include a link to this in the show notes. And the graphic is called Science of Repetition Learning. I want to just speak to that idea of the science behind it.

[00:03:27] Olivia: And right now in our house we have a tween and a teenager that is soon on his way to college. And this speaks so much to why cramming for exams Often leads to forgetting everything right after, and there's a reason for that. And so in this link, they go on to explain “it's because our brains are wired for repetition learning.”

[00:03:55] Olivia: And then they explain what the role of active recall is in repetition learning. So I'm going to read right from their piece. “Active recall is the beating heart of repetition learning. It's the process of retrieving knowledge from your memory. A form of mental gymnastics that strengthens our memory muscles.

[00:04:15] Olivia: Unlike passive review, where information is simply presented, active recall demands the brain to work harder. This difference can be likened to watching a workout video versus actually doing the exercises. Just as physical exercise strengthens muscles, active recall strengthens neural pathways.” What I found profound is.

[00:04:41] Olivia: The piece goes on to speak to something called the spacing effect, the phenomenon behind spaced repetition. And I'm excited to have you learn about this if you don't already know, because I think if you're a teacher, you can use this technique with your students. If you're a caregiver, you can try it yourself to remember more, or you can also share it with your children.

[00:05:03] Olivia: So this is what the spacing effect is, they say, “The spacing effect is a memory phenomenon that forms the foundation of spaced repetition. It states that learning is more effective when study sessions are spread out over time. The intervals between study sessions are crucial in determining the effectiveness of your learning.

[00:05:27] Olivia: Reviewing material too soon might be a waste of time, while waiting too long could mean having to relearn forgotten information. The optimal time intervals for spaced repetition are influenced by several factors, including the complexity of the information, your familiarity with the material, and how long until you need to have the information fully memorized.

[00:05:52] Olivia: The intervals generally start short, gradually increasing as your mastery of the subject grows.” I find this fascinating because it also connects to something I spoke about around the Feynman Technique and how our brain actually remembers and retains information. And then here is the piece that you have to share with students that are in your care to help them understand the why behind they are either forgetting information and they're studying a lot or they're retaining information.

[00:06:27] Olivia: How repetition facilitates knowledge transfer. “At the core of repetition learning is the process of transferring information from the conscious to the deeper levels of our memory. This process is crucial in ensuring that the knowledge we acquire doesn't just vanish after a short period of time by repeatedly encountering the material, We are reinforcing the neural pathways in our brain, making the information more accessible and easier to remember.

[00:06:51] Olivia: This concept is known as the consolidation of memories, and it is the foundation of long-lasting learning.” And I have to share, today I was facilitating day one of a learning lab with a social studies teacher and his class, and he put so much care and thought into the success of his students.

[00:07:22] Olivia: And his risk is trying a new way for students to engage and show what they know. And in the past, he's done presentations like so many of us have done as teachers where a student gets up in the front of the class, and presents, and we hope the rest of the kids are engaged and we really have no way of knowing that.

[00:07:45] Olivia: Um, and so he switched and he decided to do a gallery walk with the support of his coach. And they worked for a couple of weeks in cycles, talking through and brainstorming different think sheets that the kids would use. And today his classroom was highly engaged. 

[00:08:10] Olivia: Every student listening to presentations and the biggest difference and I think what made a huge impact was that she planned this task, he planned this project in a way that allowed him to try it with three other sections before he tried it with this group today, and so he was a little bit ahead. And this offered him repetitive practice that he was able to hone and say, okay, so after this period, I noticed the kids needed this.

[00:08:44] Olivia: After this period, kids needed this. So each period, trying this task and trying this project, he was able to make it richer and deeper for each group of kids. And then, the strand of parallel practice came through today, and it was beautiful. Today, he did the exact same thing for his students, that we were all in his classroom, ten grown-ups, taking notes, what are kids doing, what's the teacher doing, and how is it backed by research?

[00:09:18] Olivia: And he gave his students the same four opportunities of repetitive practice. And as they were presenting their charts about a person that they studied from history, each time they presented to the rotation of other students that were their audience members, they stood up a little straighter. They honed their presentation, and by the fourth time, the fourth group that circled around, they had internalized the information in a way that they were highlighting, they were facing their peers, they were facing the grownups that were in the classroom with confidence, and we had to name that, you know, it, he had that opportunity to practice and build his confidence and attach new learning.

[00:10:09] Olivia: And there was a point where there were a group of students as audience members, and they asked the presenters, if one of the individuals and subjects was smart, even though he didn't attend school. And the students presenting paused because that was included in their presentation, outside of that he didn't go to school, and the student responded and said, well, you know, he lived to a pretty old age and so he must have been smart and he must have had some pretty incredible survival skills.

[00:10:40] Olivia: And that's what this does. The art of repetition allows us to practice and build confidence and grow our knowledge beyond the research that we've done, transferring it to the world around us. So that story, you know, today really hit and it was amazing to see not only the teacher's confidence, but that confidence pour into his students and his belief in them that they could do what they did today.

[00:11:10] Olivia: And now I hope you can see why I am as excited about spaced repetition and learning as I am. It's important to know that, the piece quotes, “a meta-analysis of 29 studies found that spaced practice, a key component of spaced repetition, outperforms cramming, also known as massed practice, by a staggering 74 percent.

[00:11:34] Olivia: This demonstrates the power of spaced repetition in boosting learning efficiency.” And here, if, if you're not convinced, this will get you. “Moreover, spaced repetition doesn't just target the short term memory, it enhances long term memorization as well. By actively rehearsing the material in your mind, rather than passively consuming it, you're allowing your brain to build strong, long-lasting memories.

[00:12:02] Olivia: This method facilitates the consolidation of new information with related knowledge that's already stored in long-term memory, making it easier to retrieve and recall the information at a later date.” So again, I will put a link to this in the show notes. But I think this is incredibly helpful, no matter what age you are, in helping you retain information, helping you study for tests.

[00:12:27] Olivia: So I think that idea of the cognitive science principle that makes learning so effective, it's important to start there. And then I'm shifting to a piece, it's by Iris Reading, and it's called Nine Benefits of Repetition for Learning. And, uh, it again restates “repetition is a crucial learning tool because it facilitates knowledge transfer.”

[00:12:48] Olivia: (There it is again), from conscious to intuitive or deeper recollection levels.” And there are nine different benefits listed. One of the benefits that it, you know, I've said over and over at this point is that repetition fosters learning. And that idea that again, it's enhancing the connections in the brain.

[00:13:10] Olivia: And holds the information of content longer because it goes into long-term memory. And then, the idea of repeated tasks becoming second nature, and that actually strengthens the brain. And the piece quotes, “Aristotle once said that repeating things makes them second to nature. They become things you do without much thought.

[00:13:33] Olivia: And when you do something, like play tennis, the neurons involved in that action send out electrical signals called action potentials. These action potentials make a network of active cells. As you do the action repeatedly, myelin builds up around the network, and that means that the brain processes cell signals faster and more efficiently, leading to better performance.

[00:13:58] Olivia: That's because repetition helps to reinforce neural connections associated with that information.” So I guess that saying practice makes perfect, it's true. It also builds confidence, reduces stress, improves focus, and repetition can double your learning speed. The idea of repeating concepts or activities, it can quickly also teach you new information or a new skill.

[00:14:27] Olivia: How do you do this? Spaced out repetition.” Yes, there it is again. But this is what I found interesting, simply rereading text is not as effective as spaced-out repetition. So it's that idea of quizzing yourself, because then you're forcing the brain to remember what you read. And then you go over your answers to see if you remembered correctly.

[00:14:48] Olivia: So it's that idea of being intentional and strategic when you're applying the repetition for learning. And repetition helps you get to the level of teaching a skill. We always say in education, when you can teach what you're trying to learn, then you know you've got it, um, and this piece says it perfectly.

[00:15:09] Olivia: “All educators and experts were once students, bakers, chefs, and professors didn't get to their positions by chance. Professors repeatedly went over books to understand concepts and apply them, and bakers and chefs went over recipes, tweaking them to their style or their clients' needs.” Repetition in life.

[00:15:30] Olivia: How do we practice and hone our skill set to enhance what the end product is, and also to retain the information in deeper and richer ways? And then let's shift to how repetition can benefit our youngest children with brain development. The Queensland Government has a beautiful website. I will put a link in the show notes.

[00:15:55] Olivia: Their Early Childhood Education and Care put a piece out that's called The Power of Repetition. It was last updated August of 2023. They speak so beautifully in their words, “as your child's brain develops in the first five years, they will need to use and reuse connections between ideas to build strong foundations for lifelong learning.

[00:16:19] Olivia: A baby is born with a brain ready to learn. Their brain cells reach out and make neural connections with each new experience stimulated by their environment. The connections are called synapses. As these synapses are stimulated over and over, these connections become hard-wired. During early childhood, the brain undergoes extensive growth.

[00:16:42] Olivia: Connections that are regularly used will be kept, and those that are not will be pruned. Children are learning each day through every experience, forming the foundational brain development for all learning later in life. As a caregiver, your interactions and support in the early years have a great impact on your child's development.”

[00:17:04] Olivia: And they offer wonderful ways to practice repetition with your children. Repeating words, it's a concept or a skill that allows your children to form an understanding and even attempt to imitate it. Children can repeat new words back to you as they learn them, and they'll learn letters and words by repeatedly seeing them written down.

[00:17:26] Olivia: Also, physical skills, mathematical concepts, social skills, these all need repeated practice.” And please, as they emphasize, when your children ask why, “it's such a beautiful opportunity to introduce new concepts or find answers together through that inquiry stance.” And we cannot forget the power of reading aloud to our children.

[00:17:52] Olivia: Timothy Rasinski is one of my go-to researchers and experts when it comes to developing fluency. And one of his blogs that I adore is called Repeated Read Alouds May Lead to Reading Success for Young Children. And I'm just going to read an excerpt from this because I've lived this as a caregiver, and I know teachers in classrooms live this as well.

[00:18:18] Olivia: Timothy says, “As a person interested in reading fluency, a foundational reading competency according to the state standards, I have learned that rereadings or repeated readings of text can lead to significant and generalized improvements in students’ word recognition, fluency, and comprehension. Indeed, repeated rereadings has become a mainstay of many reading fluency instructional programs.”

[00:18:44] Olivia: Here's the piece that applies directly to what we do in our homes with our children. “Does the repeated readings that parents often engage in with their young children also have a beneficial effect on children's early reading development? I think it does. As parents repeatedly read a text chosen as special by the child, the child eventually comes to the point where he or she has the oral text memorized.”

[00:19:13] Olivia: How many of you have experienced this? Your child walks over to their bookshelf, they pull the same three books every night. And in your mind you may groan and say, Oh, I have to read this again. But in their mind, it's magical. Because, as Timothy explains, “during most read aloud experiences, the child sits next to their parents so they can actually view the text itself and the pictures as the parents read.

[00:19:42] Olivia: And through the repeated readings and viewings, the child begins to map the words that he or she hears with the words that he or she sees in the text. The sight and sound of the words eventually get locked into the child's brain. This is the beginning of sight vocabulary and reading itself. More of these repeated experiences at home will lead to the development of large sight vocabulary and thorough analysis of the learned sight words.

[00:20:13] Olivia: The child will begin to make generalizations about phonics in particular and reading in general.” So let's pause there. That power from the age of zero to five before the child even enters kindergarten. If our caregivers are reading aloud to our children, those repeated reads of their favorite stories and the child is memorizing the text in a way because there's that automaticity, they can enter kindergarten with an awareness of how print moves across the pages from left to right.

[00:20:49] Olivia: And it's just giving them such an advantage of broad vocabulary that they've started to build for themselves, thanks to their caregivers. So read aloud often to your children, and not just your young children. Read aloud to your older children. They love it just as much. And then I will wrap with a wonderful TED-Ed talk.

[00:21:10] Olivia: It's actually a video. I'll put a link in the show notes. It's called Why We Love Repetition in Music. And it's a talk by Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis. And, uh, I'm just going to read an excerpt from the transcript, but you have to watch the whole video. It's wonderful. “Repetition connects each bit of music irresistibly to the next bit of music that follows it.

[00:21:32] Olivia: So, when you hear a few notes, you're already imagining what's coming next. Your mind is unconsciously singing along, and without noticing, you might start humming out loud. Recent studies have shown that when people hear a segment of music repeated, they're more likely to move or tap along to it.

[00:21:54] Olivia: Repetition invites us into music as imagined participants, rather than passive listeners. Research has also shown that listeners shift their attention across musical repetitions, focusing on different aspects of the sound on each new listen.” Stephanie spoke to this a bit with her Hot Chocolate song. And she laid out beautifully how children process a song over time.

[00:22:19] Olivia: And it could take as long as two weeks for all children to really be excited and have a handle on all of the aspects of what it takes to make a song a song. I hope this has been helpful. I tried to find research and resources that can support you and working with children that are newborn all the way to yourself as a learner.

[00:22:44] Olivia: I also think of how Stephanie spoke to not giving up, you know, she offered insight with her Hot Chocolate song, and it's a beloved song by so many children, but she shared about when she first brought the song to children to introduce it, it didn't hit, it wasn't a big hit. And it took about two weeks, and so that idea of repeated practice and letting the mind process information over time is critical as far as I'm concerned.

[00:23:16] Olivia: It's also really important when you're introducing new concepts in the classroom, whether you're a teacher or a coach, give different concepts time, give different new structures time. If something doesn't work well the first time, don't throw it out. Don't give up. Try and ask yourself, what worked well?

[00:23:34] Olivia: And then what needs adjusting? Maybe you did too much too quickly. So try to do a little bit less and see how that goes. Slowly over time, children are incredible and they're resilient and they start to figure out the routine and expectation so they can add more into that. So that idea of repetition has great power if we are patient and if we think about how we're implementing the repetitive practice.

[00:23:57] Olivia:  I can't wait to see you next week. Take care. Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies is created, produced, and edited by me, Olivia Wahl. Thank you to my older son, Benjamin, who created the music playing in the background.

[00:24:22] Olivia: You can follow and listen to Schoolutions wherever you get your podcasts. or subscribe to never miss an episode and watch on YouTube. Now, I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com. Let me know what you learned about repetition from this episode and what you're excited to try next.

[00:24:43] Olivia: Tune in every Monday for the best research-backed coaching and teaching strategies you can apply right away to better the lives of the children in your care. And stay tuned for my bonus episode every Friday. where I'll share how I applied what I learned from the guests in schools that week. See you then!