Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle, (37) Tip #37, Notes

Post date: Nov 4, 2018 12:06:36 PM

Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle

TIP #37 TO CHOOSE THE BEST PRACTICE METHOD, USE THE R.E.P.S. GAUGE

The biggest problem in choosing a practice strategy is that there are too many. To identify the best methods, measure practice effectiveness. When given a choice between two practice methods, or when you’re inventing a new test or game, pick the one that maximizes these four qualities, the one with the most R.E.P.S. Each letter stands for a key element of deep practice:

R: Reaching and Repeating

E: Engagement

P: Purposefulness

S: Strong, Speedy Feedback.

The larger lesson here is to pay attention to the design of your practice. Small changes in method can create large increases in learning velocity. The R.E.P.S. gauge:

• • ELEMENT 1: REACHING AND REPEATING. Does the practice have you operating on the edge of your ability, reaching and repeating? The more reaches the better.

  • ELEMENT 2: ENGAGEMENT. Is the practice immersive? Does it command your attention? Does it use emotion to propel you toward a goal? Taking perfect reps is much more intensely engaging than counting the clock. Perform a skill five times in a row without making a mistake. If you mess up you go back to zero.

  • ELEMENT 3: PURPOSEFULNESS. Does the task directly connect to the skill you want to build? Practice must connect directly to the skill as it needs to be performed in competition. For example, free throws should be practiced when tired and under pressure, just like in the game.

  • ELEMENT 4: STRONG, SPEEDY FEEDBACK. Does the learner receive a stream of accurate information about his performance—where he succeeded and where he made mistakes? Direct and immediate feedback allows us to swiftly learn where we went wrong.