Time to Review

For next week’s session, I plan to do a review of what we have covered so far. We’re at a transition point between units and I’d like to be able to reinforce some of the important concepts that we’ve covered so far.

The Finding God Catechist Guide that I’m using comes with Blackline Masters that include unit tests. The program I teach in does not do testing per se (except for an assessment at the end of the program) so I plan to use the tests from units 1 and 2 as a review.

Repetition is very important in any form of education. Education experts tell us that it is rare for people to effectively learn something new with only one exposure. Research shows that repetition is crucial to the “wiring” of the brain. In other words, it is through repetition that the forming of connections (synapses) between brain cells takes place.

Centuries ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola understood the importance of repetition in learning. In fact, repetition is considered a hallmark of Jesuit education. In 1599, the Jesuits published a handbook, Ratio Studiorum, to help teachers and administrators in Jesuit schools. The Ratio identifies repetition as key to Jesuit methodology. Here’s how one Jesuit website describes the role of repetition:

Repetition is the time afforded to reviewing a subject. Repetition, however, is not simply review or rehashing already learned material. Repetition always carries with it the idea of deeper appropriation and understanding of the material already learned.

I know that many of us catechists feel pressure to “move on to the next topic” so that we can be sure we’ve “covered it all.” However, it does little good to cover it all if none of it has sunk in. Take a pause occasionally to review – to do some repetition – so that new learnings are reinforced.

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