Practice (learning method)
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Behaviorism. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2008. |
Practice or practise (verb form in British English) is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving or mastering it, as in the phrase "practice makes perfect". Sports teams practice to prepare for actual games. Playing a musical instrument well takes a lot of practice. It is a method of learning and of acquiring experience.
Sessions scheduled for the purpose of rehearsing and performance improvement are called practices. They are engaged in by sports teams, bands, individuals, etc. "He went to football practice everyday after school," for example.
Common types of practice
Some common ways practice is applied:
- To learn how to play a musical instrument
- As a form of training to improve athletic or team performance
- As rehearsing for a public performance, in theatre or music
- To improve reading, writing, Interpersonal Communication, typing, grammar, and spelling
- Upon solving math problems
- To enhance or refine a newly acquired skill
- Sparring is a form of practice
- To maintain skill-level
- To advance spirituality through regular religious exercises
Effectiveness of practice
How well one improves with practice depends on several factors, such as the frequency it is engaged in. Generally, the more one practices, the faster one improves. If a student does not practice often enough, reinforcement fades, and he or she is likely to forget what was learned. Therefore, practice is often scheduled, to ensure enough of it is performed to reach one's training objectives. How much practice is required depends upon the nature of the activity, and upon each individual. Some people improve on a particular activity faster than others.
Given that practice is merely the reinforcement of actions that serve to generate an outcome or outcomes, it is believed that by improving the type of practice you do, you can in turn generate results at a faster rate.
Author Roberto Moretti has identified five key processes that make for efficient practice, namely:
- Identification - building an awareness of what you are practicing to ensure you know how to do it perfectly.
- Isolation - the selection and focusing on something that is the proper size for one's focus to process and execute with a high degree of perfection.
- Reinforcement - the action of consistently and continuously repeating the above-selected action so it becomes autonomous.
- Integration - the practicing of interrelated actions either one after each other or together to construct and train in more complex actions or sequences of actions.
- Escalation - consistently selecting new practice material congruent with one's goals in skill acquisition as previous material is mastered.
Practice as maintenance
Skills don't fade with non-use. The phenomenon is often referred to as being "out of practice". Practice is therefore performed (on a regular basis) to keep skills and abilities honed.