Blocks of Learning  7-2  Figure 7-1.  The presolo stage or phase of private pilot training is comprised of several basic building blocks. These blocks of  learning, which should include coordinated ground and flight training, lead up to the first solo.  Use of the building block approach provides the learner with a boost in self-confidence. This normally occurs each time a block is  completed. Otherwise, an overall goal, such as earning a mechanic’s certificate, may seem unobtainable. If the larger blocks are  broken down into smaller blocks of instruction, each on its own is more manageable. Humans learn from the simple to the complex.  For example, a learner pilot should understand and master the technique of a normal landing prior to being introduced to short-field  and soft-field landings. A helicopter pilot should be proficient in running landings before the instructor introduces a no hydraulics  approach and landing.  The blocks of learning identified during the planning and management of a training activity should be fairly consistent in scope. They  should represent units of learning which can be measured and evaluated—not a sequence of periods of instruction. For example, the  flight training of a private pilot might be divided into the following major blocks: achievement of the knowledge and skills necessary  for solo, the knowledge and skills necessary for solo cross-country flight, and the knowledge and skills appropriate for obtaining a  private pilot certificate.  [Figure 7-1]  While determining the overall training objectives is a necessary first step in the planning process, early identification of the  foundation blocks of learning is also essential. Training for any such complicated and involved task as piloting or maintaining an  aircraft requires the development and assembly of many segments or blocks of learning in their proper relationships. In this way, a  learner can master the segments or blocks individually and can progressively combine these with other related segments until their  sum meets the overall training objectives.  After the overall training objectives have been established, the next step is the identification of the blocks of learning which constitute  the necessary parts of the total objective. Just as in building a pyramid, some blocks are submerged in the structure and never appear  on the surface, but each is an integral and necessary part of the structure. Thus, the various blocks are not isolated subjects, but  essential parts of the whole. During the process of identifying the blocks of learning to be assembled for the proposed training  activity, the instructor should also examine each block to ensure it is an integral part of the structure. Extraneous blocks of instruction  are expensive frills, especially in-flight instruction, and detract from, rather than assist in, the completion of the final objective. 