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Science 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 level shifts and is stable at the same time.
Skill level 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 up close is often messy.
Skill building is a cycle of construction, collapse, and reconstruction. There is no straight path to mastery.
 • 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
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