The spiral teachings approach is a technique often used in education in which the initial focus of instruction is on the basic facts of a subject, with further details being introduced as learning progresses. During instruction, both the initial basic facts and the relationships to later details are repeatedly emphasized to aid in their entry into long-term memory.
Jerome Bruner proposed the spiral teachings curriculum as an educational approach in which each topic or skill area is repeated at intervals, each time at a more advanced level. First, there is basic knowledge of a subject, then more sophistication is added, reinforcing principles that were discussed first. This system is used in China and India. However, Bruner's spiral teachings curriculum relies heavily on evolution to explain how to learn better, and has been criticized by conservatives for this reason. In the United States, classes are divided by grade level-life science in 9th grade, chemistry in 10th grade, physics in 11th grade. The spiral teaches the life sciences, chemistry, and physics in one year, then two subjects, then one, then all three again to understand how they fit together. Bruner also believes that learning should be stimulated by interest in the subject matter rather than by tests or punishment, because one learns best when one finds the acquired knowledge attractive.
Text: Wikipedia.org
Kristin Phillips introduces this interesting teaching method in less than 20 minutes in the video below: