LEARNING BY DOING

Do you remember how you learne to ride a bicycle? Perhaps you saw somebody else riding and thought you would like to do that, too. You climbed on a bike, started pedaling, and fell over. You got back on and probably fell again.

You kept at it, though, and finally figured out how to ride. Today, bicycling might seem so easy that you've forgotten it was ever difficult.

Much of learning is like that. You try something and grasp a small piece of it. You try again and understand a little more. The key is to keep at it and to learn from your successes and from your failures.

LEARNING BY TEACHING

Scouts have many opportunities to share their knowledge with others. You might show your patrol how to use a compass. Once they have the idea, give them the compass and let them try it. They might make mistakes, but that's all right. Encourage them to keep at it, and provide more guidance when they're stuck. Before long they'll have the new skill mastered, thanks to you.

Teaching is good for the teacher, too. As you share your knowledge, you'll find yourself thinking carefully about how to explain it. Helping someone else learn will increase your own understanding of what you know.