Child’s Play by Dustin Salomon

Dustin Solomon asked interesting questions about learning.  His questions focused on adults learning to become competent shooters with firearms.  His book, Building Shooters, is written for instructors.  He explains what our students can learn today..and what our students can’t learn yet.  Dustin had to dive into the neurology of learning to explain what he saw in class and on the firing line.  I found it fascinating and extremely valuable.  An essential point is that more instruction can be counter productive.  Sometimes less is more.

I asked Dustin a question after I’d observed small children at play.  Children aren’t learning in the same style we use with adults.  Far from it, yet the child’s time isn’t wasted when they play in a sandbox for hours.  Here is the article Dustin wrote after our exchange.  Thank you, sir, for taking my questions seriously.

Dustin explains the difference between immersive discovery and episodic instruction of a new skill.  He also talks about putting consolidated skills together in new ways.  Yes, you can walk and chew gum at the same time..but only after you’ve mastered walking and chewing.  Not before.

Give Dustin a read.  RM

Child’s Play: The key to optimizing learning potential isn’t a single technique or method. It is understanding what we are doing and why, at each point of a student’s development.

Source: Child’s Play