Unconstrained Kids

Unconstrained Kids

Home
The Big Idea
Hard Data
Principles of Skill Building
Solutions
Archive
About

Principles of Skill Building

Principle 14: Skill building involves small-scale changes in specific contexts and large-scale changes across multiple contexts.
Skills are simultaneously built in the short-term (seconds, minutes, hours, days) and long-term (months, years).
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 13: Skills in specific contexts gradually transfer and generalize to new contexts.
In most cases, applying skills learned in one context to another is time-intensive. It requires intentional effort to build generalized skills.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 12: Skill building can occur along multiple pathways.
The messy reality is there is no single pathway for building skills.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 11: Skill building is varied and stable at the same time.
Skill building looks stable and predictable with high support. Without this support, it can vary from one moment to the next.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 10: Skill building is construction, collapse, and reconstruction.
There is not a straight path to becoming proficient. Even experts experience drops in ability when learning new skills.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 9: Skill level varies across a developmental range.
Proficiency comes from developing skills with and without social support in different contexts.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 8: Skills are built through social interaction.
We don’t acquire skills and knowledge entirely on our own. Support from others is critical to skill building.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 7: Skill building without motivation is impossible.
Motivation arguably matters more than cognition for academic success. Without it, even the most capable expert will fail.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 6: Emotion is the fuel for skill building.
To foster learning, start with emotion.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 5: Knowledge is essential to skill building.
Children’s knowledge about the world around them (“knowledge that”) is an essential part of skill building (“knowledge to”).
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 4: Skills are built through action.
Kids develop skills and knowledge from goal-oriented activities.
 • 
Munro Richardson
Principle 3: Skills are built in specific contexts. Change the context, change the skill.
We can intentionally design learning environments and experiences to help children grow new, more complex skills.
 • 
Munro Richardson
© 2025 Munro Richardson
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture