Generally, nothing can replace hands-on experience when learning a new skill or craft.
The 16-year-old can sit beside a driving instructor and watch her parallel park, but put that teen behind the wheel and the car is likely to smack the curb several times before he gets it right. A pottery student can read an entire textbook on the subject, but give her a potter’s wheel and a lump of clay and odds are she’ll have a mess on her hands for a while.
