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Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better
Rules for developing talent with disciplined, deliberate, intelligent practice
We live in a competition loving culture. We love the performance, the big win, the ticking seconds of the clock as the game comes down to the wire. We watch games and cheer, sometimes to the point of obsession, but if we really wanted to see greatness--wanted to cheer for it, see it happen, understand what made it happen--we'd spend our time watching, obsessing on, and maybe even cheering the practices instead. This book puts practice on the front burner of all who seek to instill talent and achievement in others as well as in themselves. This is a journey to understand that practice, not games, makes champions.
In this book, the authors engage the dream of better, both in fields and endeavors where participants know they should practice and also in those where many do not yet recognize the transformative power of practice. And it's not just whether you practice. How you practice may be a true competitive advantage. Deliberately engineered and designed practice can revolutionize our most important endeavors. The clear set of rules presented in Practice Perfect will make us better in virtually every performance of life. The "how-to" rules of practice cover such topics as rethinking practice, modeling excellent practice, using feedback, creating a culture of practice, making new skills stick, and hiring for practice.
Discover new ways to think about practice. Learn how to design successful practice. Apply practice across a wide range of realms, both personal and professional The authors include specific activities to jump-start practice Doug Lemov is the best-selling author of Teach Like a Champion
A hands-on resource to practice, the rules within will help to create positive outliers and world-changing reservoirs of talent.
We live in a competition loving culture. We love the performance, the big win, the ticking seconds of the clock as the game comes down to the wire. We watch games and cheer, sometimes to the point of obsession, but if we really wanted to see greatness--wanted to cheer for it, see it happen, understand what made it happen--we'd spend our time watching, obsessing on, and maybe even cheering the practices instead. This book puts practice on the front burner of all who seek to instill talent and achievement in others as well as in themselves. This is a journey to understand that practice, not games, makes champions.
In this book, the authors engage the dream of better, both in fields and endeavors where participants know they should practice and also in those where many do not yet recognize the transformative power of practice. And it's not just whether you practice. How you practice may be a true competitive advantage. Deliberately engineered and designed practice can revolutionize our most important endeavors. The clear set of rules presented in Practice Perfect will make us better in virtually every performance of life. The "how-to" rules of practice cover such topics as rethinking practice, modeling excellent practice, using feedback, creating a culture of practice, making new skills stick, and hiring for practice.
Discover new ways to think about practice. Learn how to design successful practice. Apply practice across a wide range of realms, both personal and professional The authors include specific activities to jump-start practice Doug Lemov is the best-selling author of Teach Like a Champion
A hands-on resource to practice, the rules within will help to create positive outliers and world-changing reservoirs of talent.
263 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
311 people are currently reading
3682 people want to read
About the author
Doug Lemov
41 books112 followersDoug Lemov is an American educator and author. He is currently Managing Director of Uncommon Schools, a non-profit charter management organisation that manages 42 charter schools across New York, New Jersey and Boston.
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September 25, 2015
9 Things I Learned from Perfect Practice: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better
By Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway and Katie Yezzi
1 - Practice Makes Permanent
We are fond of saying “practice makes perfect,” and indeed the title of this book plays on the connection between practice and perfection. But it is more accurate to say that practice makes permanent. In practice you can master a skill thoroughly or not at all, and what you master can be the correct method or one where your knees are locked. Either way, what you do is likely to become encoded—it will be instilled in muscle memory or mental circuitry and become habit—for better or worse. Practice all the wrong moves and your team will execute the wrong moves when it’s time to perform. Practice without intentionality and you will perform without much intentionality. A critical goal of practice, then, should be ensuring that participants encode success—that they practice getting it right—whatever “it” might be.
2 - Go Slow. Get it Right.
As a rule of thumb, we use the following goal for practice: you want your participants to complete the fastest possible right version of the activity. If they aren’t able to do it right, slow down and work back up to the original task. If activities don’t result in reliable success, simplify temporarily so that participants start successful; then add complexity.
3 - 80/20 Principle (also features strongly in Tim Ferriss' DiSSS method)
Identify the 20 percent of things you could practice that will deliver 80 percent of the value. Practice the highest-priority things more than everything else combined. Keep practicing them: the value of practice begins at mastery! Your goal with these 20 percent skills is excellence, not mere proficiency. Keep going so that what you develop is automaticity, fluidity, and even, as we’ll discuss later, creativity.
And because I love football (soccer):
Being great at the most important things is more important than being good at more things that are merely useful. Xavi Hernandez, one of the top soccer midfielders in the world, makes this point in an interview in England’s Guardian. Xavi describes a single practice activity that characterizes Spanish soccer and explains its dominance. “It’s all about rondos,” he says, referring to a game in which four or five players pass a ball rapidly around the outside of a square and one or two players pursue the ball. “Rondo, rondo, rondo. Every. Single. Day. It’s the best exercise there is. You learn responsibility and not to lose the ball. If you lose the ball, you go in the middle. Pum-pum-pum-pum, always one touch.” The drill is so useful that players do it over and over—at the expense of something new. The value of the drill doesn’t decrease as they get better at it; it increases. And in the end the fact that the Spanish have a specific name for this drill expresses its importance—and, incidentally, the usefulness of naming drills to allow participants to discuss them more efficiently. To be, like the Spanish, the best in the world and to develop a competitive advantage, be alert for the times, when participants learn something in an especially valuable type of practice, when it would be more productive to say, “Good, let’s keep practicing this until we’re truly great.”
4 - Automaticity Frees Your Mind to Create
Stress learning skills all the way to automaticity so that participants can use them automatically—and before they consciously decide to.
Consider hitting a baseball. It takes about 0.4 seconds for a serious fastball to reach the plate. “Conscious awareness takes longer than that: about half a second,” writes Eagleman, so most batters are not consciously aware of the ball’s flight. The entire process happens before the batter becomes aware of it. Success is based on habits the batter has built but cannot consciously manage in the moment when they are most needed.
Cognitive leaps, intuition, inspiration—the stuff of vision—are facilitated by expending the smallest possible amount of processing capacity on lower-order aspects of a problem and reapplying it at higher levels.
5 - Replace Your Purpose with an Objective
Replace the vague idea of a “purpose” with a manageable and measurable objective that is made ahead of practice and gives mastery guidance. Teach skills in a sequence of objectives of increasing complexity. Include objectives that focus on integrating previously mastered skills. Adapt objectives to the rate of participants’ mastery.
6 - Use Video of Practice
Use video as an easy way for you or others to capture models that you can analyse, use, and reuse.
Part of building a culture of practice is videotaping practice; it sends the message that improvement through practice matters.
7 - Normalise Error
Be willing to push yourself a little bit harder, out of your comfort zone, and take calculated risks in the name of improvement. Maybe that means practicing a difficult conversation that you never thought you could have with your boss about your career development, speaking with conviction and persuasion. Or perhaps it means practicing your violin solo with the metronome four ticks higher than you normally would. Push yourself to make mistakes in the name of improvement.
8 - Make Practice Fun
Utilise friendly and positive competition (for individuals or between individuals). While striving to make practice fun, always maintain the objective of the practice. Encourage your players to cheer for each other in practice (not just in the game). Incorporate elements of surprise.
9 - We Are What We Repeatedly Do
Practice, in this framework, is perhaps defined not as a series of drills and activities and scrimmages but as the opportunity to invent or reinvent ourselves in whatever way we wish, by repeatedly doing these activities with strategy and intentionality. We can become not just better surgeons and teachers and soccer players through practice, but better people. As Aristotle also observed, “We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action.”
Some of My Favourite Quotes
“You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.” - Michael Jordan
“Never mistake activity for achievement.” - John Wooden
"When you punish your people for making a mistake or falling short of a goal, you create an environment of extreme caution, even fearfulness. In sports it’s similar to playing “not to lose”—a formula that often brings on defeat." – John Wooden
“To get to the art, one must work very hard. Art doesn’t exist just as talent. It exists as effort, work and judgment.” - Javier Bardem
“We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action.” - Aristotle
By Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway and Katie Yezzi
1 - Practice Makes Permanent
We are fond of saying “practice makes perfect,” and indeed the title of this book plays on the connection between practice and perfection. But it is more accurate to say that practice makes permanent. In practice you can master a skill thoroughly or not at all, and what you master can be the correct method or one where your knees are locked. Either way, what you do is likely to become encoded—it will be instilled in muscle memory or mental circuitry and become habit—for better or worse. Practice all the wrong moves and your team will execute the wrong moves when it’s time to perform. Practice without intentionality and you will perform without much intentionality. A critical goal of practice, then, should be ensuring that participants encode success—that they practice getting it right—whatever “it” might be.
2 - Go Slow. Get it Right.
As a rule of thumb, we use the following goal for practice: you want your participants to complete the fastest possible right version of the activity. If they aren’t able to do it right, slow down and work back up to the original task. If activities don’t result in reliable success, simplify temporarily so that participants start successful; then add complexity.
3 - 80/20 Principle (also features strongly in Tim Ferriss' DiSSS method)
Identify the 20 percent of things you could practice that will deliver 80 percent of the value. Practice the highest-priority things more than everything else combined. Keep practicing them: the value of practice begins at mastery! Your goal with these 20 percent skills is excellence, not mere proficiency. Keep going so that what you develop is automaticity, fluidity, and even, as we’ll discuss later, creativity.
And because I love football (soccer):
Being great at the most important things is more important than being good at more things that are merely useful. Xavi Hernandez, one of the top soccer midfielders in the world, makes this point in an interview in England’s Guardian. Xavi describes a single practice activity that characterizes Spanish soccer and explains its dominance. “It’s all about rondos,” he says, referring to a game in which four or five players pass a ball rapidly around the outside of a square and one or two players pursue the ball. “Rondo, rondo, rondo. Every. Single. Day. It’s the best exercise there is. You learn responsibility and not to lose the ball. If you lose the ball, you go in the middle. Pum-pum-pum-pum, always one touch.” The drill is so useful that players do it over and over—at the expense of something new. The value of the drill doesn’t decrease as they get better at it; it increases. And in the end the fact that the Spanish have a specific name for this drill expresses its importance—and, incidentally, the usefulness of naming drills to allow participants to discuss them more efficiently. To be, like the Spanish, the best in the world and to develop a competitive advantage, be alert for the times, when participants learn something in an especially valuable type of practice, when it would be more productive to say, “Good, let’s keep practicing this until we’re truly great.”
4 - Automaticity Frees Your Mind to Create
Stress learning skills all the way to automaticity so that participants can use them automatically—and before they consciously decide to.
Consider hitting a baseball. It takes about 0.4 seconds for a serious fastball to reach the plate. “Conscious awareness takes longer than that: about half a second,” writes Eagleman, so most batters are not consciously aware of the ball’s flight. The entire process happens before the batter becomes aware of it. Success is based on habits the batter has built but cannot consciously manage in the moment when they are most needed.
Cognitive leaps, intuition, inspiration—the stuff of vision—are facilitated by expending the smallest possible amount of processing capacity on lower-order aspects of a problem and reapplying it at higher levels.
5 - Replace Your Purpose with an Objective
Replace the vague idea of a “purpose” with a manageable and measurable objective that is made ahead of practice and gives mastery guidance. Teach skills in a sequence of objectives of increasing complexity. Include objectives that focus on integrating previously mastered skills. Adapt objectives to the rate of participants’ mastery.
6 - Use Video of Practice
Use video as an easy way for you or others to capture models that you can analyse, use, and reuse.
Part of building a culture of practice is videotaping practice; it sends the message that improvement through practice matters.
7 - Normalise Error
Be willing to push yourself a little bit harder, out of your comfort zone, and take calculated risks in the name of improvement. Maybe that means practicing a difficult conversation that you never thought you could have with your boss about your career development, speaking with conviction and persuasion. Or perhaps it means practicing your violin solo with the metronome four ticks higher than you normally would. Push yourself to make mistakes in the name of improvement.
8 - Make Practice Fun
Utilise friendly and positive competition (for individuals or between individuals). While striving to make practice fun, always maintain the objective of the practice. Encourage your players to cheer for each other in practice (not just in the game). Incorporate elements of surprise.
9 - We Are What We Repeatedly Do
Practice, in this framework, is perhaps defined not as a series of drills and activities and scrimmages but as the opportunity to invent or reinvent ourselves in whatever way we wish, by repeatedly doing these activities with strategy and intentionality. We can become not just better surgeons and teachers and soccer players through practice, but better people. As Aristotle also observed, “We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action.”
Some of My Favourite Quotes
“You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.” - Michael Jordan
“Never mistake activity for achievement.” - John Wooden
"When you punish your people for making a mistake or falling short of a goal, you create an environment of extreme caution, even fearfulness. In sports it’s similar to playing “not to lose”—a formula that often brings on defeat." – John Wooden
“To get to the art, one must work very hard. Art doesn’t exist just as talent. It exists as effort, work and judgment.” - Javier Bardem
“We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action.” - Aristotle
April 30, 2013
There are great insights in this book, but I always get the feeling Lemov is stretching things out for length. Whereas a shorter book could focus on the main concepts of rethinking practice, how to practice, modeling, feedback, culture building, and post-practice skills, this one breaks those already discreet elements into even smaller components (rules). By the end, there are 42 rules that can be difficult to keep straight. Perhaps Lemov loves using Rule 11, Name It, a little too much.
March 26, 2023
This book provides advice and strategies for improving performance in a range of disciplines through practice. It draws on examples from a variety of fields, including sport, music and education.
A key insight seems to be that practice must be focused and tailored in order to effectively improve specific skills. This requires breaking down complex tasks or skills into smaller, manageable components.
While the book covers helpful (albeit obvious) tips and strategies, such as embracing mistakes and challenging oneself, its attempt to appeal to a wider audience makes it unoriginal and uninspiring.
A key insight seems to be that practice must be focused and tailored in order to effectively improve specific skills. This requires breaking down complex tasks or skills into smaller, manageable components.
While the book covers helpful (albeit obvious) tips and strategies, such as embracing mistakes and challenging oneself, its attempt to appeal to a wider audience makes it unoriginal and uninspiring.
March 14, 2013
I won this book in a giveaway so I am obligated to review.
I thought the book had a very organized, clear set up. I also really enjoyed the direct writing style, particularly because it is an 'advice' book.
My problem was that I just couldn't get to the end. I truly tried for the integrity of my review, but I found that a lot of the advice in the book was advice I already knew. I feel that for me, personally, it was not worth the read. It is not worth it for anyone who is already well organized and 'in control' of their life. However, this book might be useful for someone who is in a rough patch needing direction.
Overall, this was more of a 1.5 to me. I'm a tough critic though, so it may be worth looking at the reviews in terms of people who actually purchased this book for guidance, as opposed to people like me, who won it in the giveaway.
I thought the book had a very organized, clear set up. I also really enjoyed the direct writing style, particularly because it is an 'advice' book.
My problem was that I just couldn't get to the end. I truly tried for the integrity of my review, but I found that a lot of the advice in the book was advice I already knew. I feel that for me, personally, it was not worth the read. It is not worth it for anyone who is already well organized and 'in control' of their life. However, this book might be useful for someone who is in a rough patch needing direction.
Overall, this was more of a 1.5 to me. I'm a tough critic though, so it may be worth looking at the reviews in terms of people who actually purchased this book for guidance, as opposed to people like me, who won it in the giveaway.
August 20, 2012
Everyone knows that practice makes perfect. But, practicing the correct way is as, if not more, important. That, at least, is the premise of the book and I really believe it's true.
What this book does is to distill the tenets of effective practicing into 42 rules, explaining each rule in it's own chapter. What I want to do for this review is to looking at the rules that struck me the most (and there are quite a bit) and explore why. Warning: The "why" is going to be all about Kendo <3 (On a completely unrelated note, I will be going to Kendo camp from tomorrow onwards ;) )
Rule 3: Stress learning skills all the way to automaticity so that participants can use them automatically - and before they consciously decide to.
Definitely! Even in things like piano, it's only when you have memorised things like fingering that you can work on timing and expression (not that I ever mastered expression). In kendo, it's things like practicing your footwork so you can work on your stroke. Or practicing the stroke so you can work on more advanced footwork (I cannot do fumi-komi, a kind of footstamp).
Rule 15: Use modeling to help learners replicate, and use description to help them understand.
Modeling is when you watch someone and learn from what I do. I think it's self-explanatory as to why it's effective, but really, the best way for me to see how to do the stroke correctly is if my seniors show me how to do it before making me do it.
Rule 20: Model complex skills one step at a time and repeat when necessary.
Case in point: Kiri-kaeshi, a sequence of hits. If we started with it straight away, I would not have been able to do it. But since we first practiced the feet, then the stroke, it became a matter of putting it together rather than trying to do everything at one go.
Rule 25: Speed of consequence beats strength of consequence pretty much every time. Give feedback right away, even if it's imperfect.
I get feedback right away. ^^ And if I don't, I ask for feedback.
Rule 27: Limit the amount of feedback you give; people can focus and use only a few things at a time.
I never really noticed this, but upon reflection, my seniors only tell me to work on one thing at a time. While I was worrying about my feet, they told me to focus on my stroke, and that the feet could be improved later.
Ok, I should stop here. Basically, I believe the things in this book because I can see that they are effective. As for the things that I've not tried, I really want to try. It's definitely something to keep in mind during Kendo camp at least :D
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
What this book does is to distill the tenets of effective practicing into 42 rules, explaining each rule in it's own chapter. What I want to do for this review is to looking at the rules that struck me the most (and there are quite a bit) and explore why. Warning: The "why" is going to be all about Kendo <3 (On a completely unrelated note, I will be going to Kendo camp from tomorrow onwards ;) )
Rule 3: Stress learning skills all the way to automaticity so that participants can use them automatically - and before they consciously decide to.
Definitely! Even in things like piano, it's only when you have memorised things like fingering that you can work on timing and expression (not that I ever mastered expression). In kendo, it's things like practicing your footwork so you can work on your stroke. Or practicing the stroke so you can work on more advanced footwork (I cannot do fumi-komi, a kind of footstamp).
Rule 15: Use modeling to help learners replicate, and use description to help them understand.
Modeling is when you watch someone and learn from what I do. I think it's self-explanatory as to why it's effective, but really, the best way for me to see how to do the stroke correctly is if my seniors show me how to do it before making me do it.
Rule 20: Model complex skills one step at a time and repeat when necessary.
Case in point: Kiri-kaeshi, a sequence of hits. If we started with it straight away, I would not have been able to do it. But since we first practiced the feet, then the stroke, it became a matter of putting it together rather than trying to do everything at one go.
Rule 25: Speed of consequence beats strength of consequence pretty much every time. Give feedback right away, even if it's imperfect.
I get feedback right away. ^^ And if I don't, I ask for feedback.
Rule 27: Limit the amount of feedback you give; people can focus and use only a few things at a time.
I never really noticed this, but upon reflection, my seniors only tell me to work on one thing at a time. While I was worrying about my feet, they told me to focus on my stroke, and that the feet could be improved later.
Ok, I should stop here. Basically, I believe the things in this book because I can see that they are effective. As for the things that I've not tried, I really want to try. It's definitely something to keep in mind during Kendo camp at least :D
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
October 11, 2013
This is one of the best books on mastery that I've come across. It's much more than a bunch of summaries of studies and books on practice, it's the wisdom of some amazing teachers who spent a lot of time actually learning and teaching others how to master their fields. Most of the examples in the book are geared toward teaching teachers how to perform, however the techniques are easily applied to any field or endeavor.
The passion for learning the authors bring to the subject is palpable and the presentation is excellent. Also, don't be put off by the "42 Rules" in the title, this a rare exception to the rule that articles and books based on enumerated lists are no good.
The passion for learning the authors bring to the subject is palpable and the presentation is excellent. Also, don't be put off by the "42 Rules" in the title, this a rare exception to the rule that articles and books based on enumerated lists are no good.
October 29, 2014
Practice Perfect contains a wealth of information on how to develop a regimen that improves one’s skillset in any number of endeavors, from sports to the workplace. The author goes about this by presenting each of the 42 “rules”, detailing pertinent examples, and backing it up with relevant case studies and research.
At times, it does its job too well with a deluge of information that can be overwhelming. As such, this book may be better used as a resource in which to refer back frequently. To aid in this, there are also several mentions of another of the author’s co-written books, Teach Like a Champion, which he appears to upsell. This is a little off-putting, but no less useful.
At times, it does its job too well with a deluge of information that can be overwhelming. As such, this book may be better used as a resource in which to refer back frequently. To aid in this, there are also several mentions of another of the author’s co-written books, Teach Like a Champion, which he appears to upsell. This is a little off-putting, but no less useful.
May 11, 2020
Written by author(s) who have a long history of seeking out methods and practices to produce ever improving teachers,managers, and students, this book contains useful gems for people who are looking for ways to refine their practice.
In this book 42 rules of practice( how to practice, what to practice, and post-practice actions) were fleshed out in detail for teachers and managers so that they can foster environments of constant improvement in their organization and school. Most of the rules are applicable in teams with mentors and coaches.
If the reader is not a teacher in a school, a manager, or a part of an organization, they can benefit from several tips throughout the book and especially the tips that were chosen for them at the end of the book, in the conclusion to get better at whatever hobby/skill they're pursuing individually.
If you are a teacher,a coach or a manager this book is a must read. But if you are like me,an independent researcher, you might not relate with most of the examples mentioned in this book.
Still,i learned a lot from this book in terms of the mistakes i was making in my daily practice; places i should pay attention to that i weren't when practicing; novel techniques that i have never heard of before for more effective practice, and finally a general idea of what makes an organization or a school successful.
I read the whole book because i didn't wanna miss anything that could be applicable to me, but i highly recommend that you check out the table of contents and only read the tips that you think might be useful for you.
In this book 42 rules of practice( how to practice, what to practice, and post-practice actions) were fleshed out in detail for teachers and managers so that they can foster environments of constant improvement in their organization and school. Most of the rules are applicable in teams with mentors and coaches.
If the reader is not a teacher in a school, a manager, or a part of an organization, they can benefit from several tips throughout the book and especially the tips that were chosen for them at the end of the book, in the conclusion to get better at whatever hobby/skill they're pursuing individually.
If you are a teacher,a coach or a manager this book is a must read. But if you are like me,an independent researcher, you might not relate with most of the examples mentioned in this book.
Still,i learned a lot from this book in terms of the mistakes i was making in my daily practice; places i should pay attention to that i weren't when practicing; novel techniques that i have never heard of before for more effective practice, and finally a general idea of what makes an organization or a school successful.
I read the whole book because i didn't wanna miss anything that could be applicable to me, but i highly recommend that you check out the table of contents and only read the tips that you think might be useful for you.
July 28, 2020
Partiendo del principio de que la práctica hace permanencia, las autoras y autor exponen 42 reglas (o consejos, como lo vean) sobre cómo organizar y hacer más eficientes las prácticas, ensayos y la enseñanza, desde aspectos simples (cómo corregir, retroalimentar o felicitar) hasta aspectos que involucran toda una organización.
October 27, 2019
This book was recommended to me by someone who’s opinions I highly respect. He told me that this was a good read if you wanted to look at how to plan, execute, and follow through with the perfect practices; and the word “practice” imply practicing skill and techniques in general terms. The authors are teachers and their focus are on helping teachers practice their craft on their students as well as with their peers. I was looking for a book for best practices which incorporates lessons learned regarding the latest research in the cognitive sciences. This book sounded intriguing, so I gave it a go.
I had dual purpose, I was looking for ways to improve my coaching processes as well as for my teaching processes. One is in junior sports, the other is in collegiate level STEM education. Most of the time, people feel like teaching is a relative simple task and that we can just teach as we have been taught, that might be true in some specific instances but that is not true if you was aiming to be efficient and effective in their teaching and coaching roles. Indeed, this book incorporates many of the latest results culled from academic researchers on how people learn. The results debunks many myths that we had all taken for granted. The detailed descriptions of the process and the sequence which the teacher needs to practice their craft is also quite enlightening.
The book is divided into seven parts with 42 different “rules” distributed amongst the seven parts. The seven parts are:
• Rethinking Practice
• How To Practice
• Using Modelling
• Feedback
• Culture of Practice
• Post Practice: Making New Skills Stick
• Conclusion: The Monday Morning Test.
The seven parts neatly encapsulates and help the reader build the process of learning about the practice and how to best plan out and deal with practices. The seven parts easily leads the reader into a logical sequence of concepts and ideas. The first two parts were of the most interest to me, as the the first part is making the argument for reconsidering the standard pedagogy. The third and fourth parts walks the reader through the process by which they can obtain the best results. The fifth part talks about the most difficult part: how to be disciplined and how to develop a culture which will sustain a continuous culture of diligent practice. The last two parts are excellent reminders to the reader about how to successfully implement and execute the rules.
In a many way this is a very rational and attractive structure for the book, as the readers are led easily through the material. The “rules are” discussed in chapter and explained via copious amount of details and examples. Each of the rules ends with a list of individual bullet points to remind the reader of the key salient points of emphasis. The narrative is very well done and the examples, while very much focused on teaching and education, they are explained in relatively broad terms, enabling the reader to easily extrapolate the lessons to other areas.
In some way’s however, in their haste to make the 42 rules into 42 easily digested lessons, I felt that there is some amount of connections that have been sacrificed in the simplicity of the book structure. The authors apparently feel the same way as they are quite cognizant not missing any connecting knowledge, they refer to the succeeding and preceding rules to create a connecting whole, but it is still noticeable.
The best thing of the book is that it is readily understandable, and it is flexible enough to be many things because of its structure. One can use the book as a reminder of a specific list, or it can serve as a very specific outline of the best practices in teaching and coaching.
The authors have put forth a very readable and usable book. The lessons in the book are readily integrated by the reader, practical, and well rooted in the education world, and it was a very enjoyable read.
I had dual purpose, I was looking for ways to improve my coaching processes as well as for my teaching processes. One is in junior sports, the other is in collegiate level STEM education. Most of the time, people feel like teaching is a relative simple task and that we can just teach as we have been taught, that might be true in some specific instances but that is not true if you was aiming to be efficient and effective in their teaching and coaching roles. Indeed, this book incorporates many of the latest results culled from academic researchers on how people learn. The results debunks many myths that we had all taken for granted. The detailed descriptions of the process and the sequence which the teacher needs to practice their craft is also quite enlightening.
The book is divided into seven parts with 42 different “rules” distributed amongst the seven parts. The seven parts are:
• Rethinking Practice
• How To Practice
• Using Modelling
• Feedback
• Culture of Practice
• Post Practice: Making New Skills Stick
• Conclusion: The Monday Morning Test.
The seven parts neatly encapsulates and help the reader build the process of learning about the practice and how to best plan out and deal with practices. The seven parts easily leads the reader into a logical sequence of concepts and ideas. The first two parts were of the most interest to me, as the the first part is making the argument for reconsidering the standard pedagogy. The third and fourth parts walks the reader through the process by which they can obtain the best results. The fifth part talks about the most difficult part: how to be disciplined and how to develop a culture which will sustain a continuous culture of diligent practice. The last two parts are excellent reminders to the reader about how to successfully implement and execute the rules.
In a many way this is a very rational and attractive structure for the book, as the readers are led easily through the material. The “rules are” discussed in chapter and explained via copious amount of details and examples. Each of the rules ends with a list of individual bullet points to remind the reader of the key salient points of emphasis. The narrative is very well done and the examples, while very much focused on teaching and education, they are explained in relatively broad terms, enabling the reader to easily extrapolate the lessons to other areas.
In some way’s however, in their haste to make the 42 rules into 42 easily digested lessons, I felt that there is some amount of connections that have been sacrificed in the simplicity of the book structure. The authors apparently feel the same way as they are quite cognizant not missing any connecting knowledge, they refer to the succeeding and preceding rules to create a connecting whole, but it is still noticeable.
The best thing of the book is that it is readily understandable, and it is flexible enough to be many things because of its structure. One can use the book as a reminder of a specific list, or it can serve as a very specific outline of the best practices in teaching and coaching.
The authors have put forth a very readable and usable book. The lessons in the book are readily integrated by the reader, practical, and well rooted in the education world, and it was a very enjoyable read.
May 23, 2019
I made it to rule 12 before stopping. I think that there is worthwhile material in this book but I do not trust the philosophy of teaching/learning that undergirds the book as a whole.
The book appears to be based on the premise that learning happens best in narrowly focused and repetitive situations. I can't find explicit references in the book to research that supports such an approach. Further, books that are based on research like Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning suggest that learning happens best in more random settings. While Practice Perfect quotes Daniel T. Willingham a few times, I believe that Willingham's body of work suggests similar conclusions to those of Brown and his co-authors.
I am not saying that learning does not take place at all following the suggestions laid out in this book, I believe that the learning will be more transitory than following Make It Stick's ideas. There is much to be learned in Practice Perfect about focusing on particular aspects of a skill that can be applied to more effective long-term retention efforts as well as ideas about how to give feedback that are useful as well. I'd prefer to invest my time in books that have better foundations in current research on learning.
The book appears to be based on the premise that learning happens best in narrowly focused and repetitive situations. I can't find explicit references in the book to research that supports such an approach. Further, books that are based on research like Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning suggest that learning happens best in more random settings. While Practice Perfect quotes Daniel T. Willingham a few times, I believe that Willingham's body of work suggests similar conclusions to those of Brown and his co-authors.
I am not saying that learning does not take place at all following the suggestions laid out in this book, I believe that the learning will be more transitory than following Make It Stick's ideas. There is much to be learned in Practice Perfect about focusing on particular aspects of a skill that can be applied to more effective long-term retention efforts as well as ideas about how to give feedback that are useful as well. I'd prefer to invest my time in books that have better foundations in current research on learning.
December 3, 2012
As Woody Allen said: "Those who can't do, teach. And those who can't teach--teach gym."
I am reminded of that saying because this book about practice and teaching methods is mostly about coaching sports or teaching teachers how to teach. There is some application to practicing music, but if that is where your interest lies you'll be sorely disappointed. I have zero interest in coaching sports, and am interested in teaching, and playing music. The methods in this book could be applied to music, but there isn't much discussion of that. The parts about training teachers might help me, but only if the people teaching me had read the book. It doesn't really benefit the autodidact.
So, I concede that this is a good book about practice methods that could be very useful to the right person, but I found it dull, dull, dull, and a struggle to get through. But that is just me. Your mileage may vary.
I am reminded of that saying because this book about practice and teaching methods is mostly about coaching sports or teaching teachers how to teach. There is some application to practicing music, but if that is where your interest lies you'll be sorely disappointed. I have zero interest in coaching sports, and am interested in teaching, and playing music. The methods in this book could be applied to music, but there isn't much discussion of that. The parts about training teachers might help me, but only if the people teaching me had read the book. It doesn't really benefit the autodidact.
So, I concede that this is a good book about practice methods that could be very useful to the right person, but I found it dull, dull, dull, and a struggle to get through. But that is just me. Your mileage may vary.
August 28, 2013
This follow-up to Teach Like a Champion was written by teachers and many of the applications apply to the classroom. This wasn’t my favorite, but the exceptional chapters on giving and getting feedback are not to be missed. - See more at: http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2013/08/the...
July 20, 2023
დუგ ლემოვის წიგენები ძალიან საინტერსო უნდა იყოს მასწავლებლებისთვის და იმ ხალხისთვის, რომლებიც ჯგუფებს უტარებენ სემინარებს. ლემოვი ხომ დიდხანს სწავლობდა ამერიკის საშუალო სკოლების საუკეთესო მასწავლებლებს, მათ ჩვევებს, უნარებს აკონტროლონ ურჩი კლასები და სწაორედ აქედან დაგორვილი ცოდნით დაწერა თავისი პირველი და უკვე ძალიან ცნობილი წიგნი "ასწავლე როგორც ჩემპიონმა!".
September 3, 2013
The golden nuggets are words of wisdom from John Wooden. The book includes lots of solid suggestions, but 42 rules does seem a bit listy, even for a type A listmaker like me. However, I must read Lemov's Teach Like a Champion.
September 20, 2013
Для такого вредного читателя как я, книга, скорее, слабенькая :( Рецензия получилась ругательная: http://s-kalinin.blogspot.ru/2013/09/...
(расстроился и интеллект-карту делать не стал...)
(расстроился и интеллект-карту делать не стал...)
January 12, 2013
Excellent book for those who not only coach or train others, but for anyone that wants to get better at anything!
Read
April 8, 2015Buyer beware! Do not buy the audiobook version. The narrator's voice sounds like a monotonous computer. I am 75 minutes into the book and don't recall a word. This will be a tough one to finish.
November 1, 2018
A little overwhelming, but great and practical information, mostly for the profession of teaching, but some parts were applicable to other professions, as well as coaching athletics.
The best part of the book was the middle section on feedback (Rules 23-30), including advice such as "Practice Using Feedback (Not Just Getting It)," and I also found the recommendation to immediately implement feedback and try it BEFORE reflecting (or deflecting) on the validity of the feedback to be great advice. It was a little ironic that one of the rules was about limiting feedback and not overwhelming people with too many things to try or change at once, given that the subtitle of this book is "42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better."
Overall, the book is more of a complete program or system that is packaged and ready for an organization to implement as a whole, although some of the "rules" do stand alone. I thought that Appendix A (which tied some of the rules together in groups that enhanced the likelihood of implementation and adoption) and Appendix B (with some designed activities) were a very useful way to conclude the book and give the reader some next steps to put the program to use immediately and have an opportunity to judge its merit.
The best part of the book was the middle section on feedback (Rules 23-30), including advice such as "Practice Using Feedback (Not Just Getting It)," and I also found the recommendation to immediately implement feedback and try it BEFORE reflecting (or deflecting) on the validity of the feedback to be great advice. It was a little ironic that one of the rules was about limiting feedback and not overwhelming people with too many things to try or change at once, given that the subtitle of this book is "42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better."
Overall, the book is more of a complete program or system that is packaged and ready for an organization to implement as a whole, although some of the "rules" do stand alone. I thought that Appendix A (which tied some of the rules together in groups that enhanced the likelihood of implementation and adoption) and Appendix B (with some designed activities) were a very useful way to conclude the book and give the reader some next steps to put the program to use immediately and have an opportunity to judge its merit.
July 8, 2025
Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better
by Doug Lemov
5 out of 5 stars
This book, by the author of Teach Like a Champion, gives practical rules for how to practice skills in an effective and efficient manner. It is great for school leaders as well as other professionals who are wanting to improve, personally and within their organizations.
I really liked that the book referenced Teach Like a Champion, but it reviewed the strategies presented in case readers were not familiar with Teach Like a Champion. For someone like me, who has studied TLaC, though, it was a great tie-in and helped to deepen my understanding of the strategies.
One thing I did not care for in the audio version is that the reader whistled frequently on certain sounds. I continued listening, however, because I wanted to learn the information.
This book will definitely go on my bookshelf in the form of paperback the next time I go to the bookstore. I highly recommend it to principals and instructional coaches. Although I am no longer in these administrative roles, I found several take-aways that I will be bringing to my classroom when school starts in a couple weeks. I feel recharged and excited about the new year after listening to this book.
by Doug Lemov
5 out of 5 stars
This book, by the author of Teach Like a Champion, gives practical rules for how to practice skills in an effective and efficient manner. It is great for school leaders as well as other professionals who are wanting to improve, personally and within their organizations.
I really liked that the book referenced Teach Like a Champion, but it reviewed the strategies presented in case readers were not familiar with Teach Like a Champion. For someone like me, who has studied TLaC, though, it was a great tie-in and helped to deepen my understanding of the strategies.
One thing I did not care for in the audio version is that the reader whistled frequently on certain sounds. I continued listening, however, because I wanted to learn the information.
This book will definitely go on my bookshelf in the form of paperback the next time I go to the bookstore. I highly recommend it to principals and instructional coaches. Although I am no longer in these administrative roles, I found several take-aways that I will be bringing to my classroom when school starts in a couple weeks. I feel recharged and excited about the new year after listening to this book.
October 15, 2023
📕 Why (Not) to read this book (Target Audience)
This book made me rethink how we need to practice instead off repeat.
👀 How this book changed my daily live (Takeaways)
1. Practice Repetition makes permanent not perfect, what you need is real practice.
2. Beter slow but perfect then fast and okay as you will make the quality permanent.
3. Make success systematic, do not encode failure.
a. Start with simple clear directions then increase complexity. Towards objectives that can measure quality and perfection.
b. 20 rule, being great in the most important things is better than being good in a lot of things. Practice strengths to become great.
4. Model in context and walk this way with corrective feedback, knowledge can be too much (curse of knowledge).
5. Local competition is global.
⁉ Spoiler Alerts (Highlights)
• When teaching a technique or skill, practice the skill in isolation until the learner has mastered it.
• Create practice that helps people learn to match the right skills to the right situations
Consider simulating the performance environment to ensure that successful practice translates to successful performance.
This book made me rethink how we need to practice instead off repeat.
👀 How this book changed my daily live (Takeaways)
1. Practice Repetition makes permanent not perfect, what you need is real practice.
2. Beter slow but perfect then fast and okay as you will make the quality permanent.
3. Make success systematic, do not encode failure.
a. Start with simple clear directions then increase complexity. Towards objectives that can measure quality and perfection.
b. 20 rule, being great in the most important things is better than being good in a lot of things. Practice strengths to become great.
4. Model in context and walk this way with corrective feedback, knowledge can be too much (curse of knowledge).
5. Local competition is global.
⁉ Spoiler Alerts (Highlights)
• When teaching a technique or skill, practice the skill in isolation until the learner has mastered it.
• Create practice that helps people learn to match the right skills to the right situations
Consider simulating the performance environment to ensure that successful practice translates to successful performance.
March 23, 2018
I really enjoyed the subject and most of the points the authors were making, however as others have mentioned, it feels stretched and diluted.
I was taking a good amount of notes throughout the book. There are many great nuggets of knowledge in there, but that's the thing, the nuggets of crucial info are drowned in examples, repetition and not-always-relevant stories. The book could've been half as long and still pack the exact same payload while being more interesting.
Part of the issue for me was that it's not made clear that this is a book about being a teacher. The information is still just as relevant for the most part, but then lots of time is wasted on explaining how this can be applied in a classroom setup.
All in all it could've been a powerful book, and the content that is somewhat "hidden" in it is still rather valuable, it's just that it's rather slow and painful to read at times.
I was taking a good amount of notes throughout the book. There are many great nuggets of knowledge in there, but that's the thing, the nuggets of crucial info are drowned in examples, repetition and not-always-relevant stories. The book could've been half as long and still pack the exact same payload while being more interesting.
Part of the issue for me was that it's not made clear that this is a book about being a teacher. The information is still just as relevant for the most part, but then lots of time is wasted on explaining how this can be applied in a classroom setup.
All in all it could've been a powerful book, and the content that is somewhat "hidden" in it is still rather valuable, it's just that it's rather slow and painful to read at times.
April 4, 2022
This book isn’t perfect, but it’s still excellent. The main flaws are around the fact that the rules were developed specifically for school teachers, but the book is aimed at a general audience. This means many of the rules seem to be force-fit or even inapplicable in other environments. Even so, I give this 5 stars.
I just finished it, but I intend to make a chart of the rules, definitions, and key actions, then add columns for how each applies in my job, in learning Spanish, and in learning guitar. The authors really tried to make this actionable wider, including suggestions for implementing these as a head of an organization, a manager or mentor, and an individual - but only for a couple of rules each.
This isn’t a book you can apply wholesale to your situation, but it’s got a lot of great information. With a little effort on my own application contexts, it should be really helpful.
I just finished it, but I intend to make a chart of the rules, definitions, and key actions, then add columns for how each applies in my job, in learning Spanish, and in learning guitar. The authors really tried to make this actionable wider, including suggestions for implementing these as a head of an organization, a manager or mentor, and an individual - but only for a couple of rules each.
This isn’t a book you can apply wholesale to your situation, but it’s got a lot of great information. With a little effort on my own application contexts, it should be really helpful.
July 14, 2017
The material for the book started as a guide for teachers, so many of the examples are for teachers. And since it's about practicing (repeating the same action and improving on it until it's done correctly without conscious thought), the rules naturally apply to sports and there are also many sports examples. If you want to use these rules for other situations (like practicing public speaking or doing a task well), it may require some thought on how to make these rules work.
Start with the last chapter, which contains a summary of all the rules. Depending on your needs and situation, you may want to jump to certain sections (rather than going through the book from beginning to end):
- Rethinking Practice
- How to Practice
- Using Modeling
- Feedback
- Culture of Practice
- Post-Practice
Start with the last chapter, which contains a summary of all the rules. Depending on your needs and situation, you may want to jump to certain sections (rather than going through the book from beginning to end):
- Rethinking Practice
- How to Practice
- Using Modeling
- Feedback
- Culture of Practice
- Post-Practice
December 21, 2018
I bought this book with the goal of understanding more about deliberate practice. I am trying to get better at chess and hope to reach Class A, although, from Class C/D that seems far away. Like some others here have pointed out, this book is aimed at teachers, but that didn't diminish the value of the book to me. The message is the same if you are self-coaching, teaching others (at any level), or are a parent, or on a team.
What it got me thinking about are the professional short courses I teach. These are one or two-day classes, generally intended to bring some new practical knowledge from the data science domain to experts in chemistry or medicine or both. I don't have a problem with students 'acting up' in class, or people putting their head down on a desk, which, depressingly, seems to be something many teachers need to practice at preventing. On the other hand, I often do have the problem of someone needing a lot of extra help, or someone who races ahead and can derail a lesson plan.
Most of all, it made me realize the most of the "short courses" for professionals out there have, at best, a vague lesson plan and almost no design. No wonder so much corporate training is so dull, silly, and useless.
With this book as an accidental starting point, I think it makes sense for any domain expert who wants to share their knowledge to look into the basics of instructional design (I'm going to look at Design for How People Learn next). It's useful to realize that delivering excellent instruction is a separate domain, quite apart from the one you are an expert in.
As for my self-coaching in chess, the main take away was to not just practice on my weaknesses (tactics), but also bright spots (endgames, which I love). Also to focus on the 20% of skills that deliver 80% of results (at my level, that's mostly tactics and endgames, with some basics on the opening and positional ideas).
I recommend this book to any coach or teacher - there is not a lot of fluff here, but it does describe cases which are more likely to happen in a K-12 setting than most other instructional situations.
What it got me thinking about are the professional short courses I teach. These are one or two-day classes, generally intended to bring some new practical knowledge from the data science domain to experts in chemistry or medicine or both. I don't have a problem with students 'acting up' in class, or people putting their head down on a desk, which, depressingly, seems to be something many teachers need to practice at preventing. On the other hand, I often do have the problem of someone needing a lot of extra help, or someone who races ahead and can derail a lesson plan.
Most of all, it made me realize the most of the "short courses" for professionals out there have, at best, a vague lesson plan and almost no design. No wonder so much corporate training is so dull, silly, and useless.
With this book as an accidental starting point, I think it makes sense for any domain expert who wants to share their knowledge to look into the basics of instructional design (I'm going to look at Design for How People Learn next). It's useful to realize that delivering excellent instruction is a separate domain, quite apart from the one you are an expert in.
As for my self-coaching in chess, the main take away was to not just practice on my weaknesses (tactics), but also bright spots (endgames, which I love). Also to focus on the 20% of skills that deliver 80% of results (at my level, that's mostly tactics and endgames, with some basics on the opening and positional ideas).
I recommend this book to any coach or teacher - there is not a lot of fluff here, but it does describe cases which are more likely to happen in a K-12 setting than most other instructional situations.
September 26, 2020
To quote observation of Aristotle’s that “we are what we repeatedly do,” and that “excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”, practice plays a major role in our life for specific skill mastery. From the authors, practice is defined as the opportunity to invent or reinvent ourselves in whatever way we wish, by repeatedly doing these activities with strategy and intentionality. Contrary to the popular believe that practice make perfect, authors believe that practice make permanent. Thus it is very important to ensure our practice is correct. Practice can be unproductive or even counterproductive unless we practice doing it right. However practice only is not enough, it needs to be followed up with modeling, feedback, and post practice rituals. Quite dry book for me, as the book is full of practical rules (42 rules) and intended for teacher/coach.
October 14, 2023
This is a book for teachers and coaches. Do not get it if you’re thinking about incorporating some form of practice into your own life. I don’t think it does well from this angle.
Also, the book made me want to read Teach Like a Champion more than anything else, but it has some useful information of its own.
I liked the idea of practicing the most important things and getting excellent at them instead of practicing a bunch of things and just being okay at them.
The idea of not praising all the time, but just acknowledging competence and successfully completing the task was good too. “Praise the work, not the person.”
All in all, this book has a lot of helpful reminders, and now I really want to read Teach Like a Champion as a result of reading this, as that book is constantly mentioned in this one.
Also, the book made me want to read Teach Like a Champion more than anything else, but it has some useful information of its own.
I liked the idea of practicing the most important things and getting excellent at them instead of practicing a bunch of things and just being okay at them.
The idea of not praising all the time, but just acknowledging competence and successfully completing the task was good too. “Praise the work, not the person.”
All in all, this book has a lot of helpful reminders, and now I really want to read Teach Like a Champion as a result of reading this, as that book is constantly mentioned in this one.
March 4, 2017
Really well written and researched but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for at the time so I found it a bit of a chore to read. Plus I prefer my information in easily digestible bite sized chunks, mainly because I'm not very bright but also because I'm easily distracted by the reflection of my beautiful face in the screen of my Kindle. A great book for someone with a good attention span, plain face and is in the teaching profession, as this is where the author's experience lies and where most of the examples come from.
October 12, 2017
Excellent book regarding a fundamental principle I need to be reminded of often. On the same vein as "Outliers" or "Talent is overrated". The the difference here is that the authors not only talk about the importance of practice in the realm of "getting better at something", but give actionable ideas of how to practice and make it effective. The authors are all teachers and live in the world of education, so much of the advice was geared towards this audience, but they made a concerted effort to expand their actionable advice into other spheres as well. I loved it!
March 15, 2018
What a magnificent book. The premise speaks for itself, and the prose powerfully makes the case that most of what people do in life is a skill that can be developed. It is that simple fact that is overlooked and explains the many failures of people in all types of situations and positions. With a broader view, I believe it tacitly makes the case that we need more and better teachers in our lives in all manners of form (managers, supervisors, instructors, etc.) I highly recommend this book if you at all want to become better at something, or lead people in any way.
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