I’ve noticed that some radicals appear in lessons after they have already been introduced in earlier lessons as Kanji. I don’t understand the logic to that. Is there a reason?
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All kanji on WK are composed of radicals. So, sometimes they take that combination of other radicals that you were taught as a kanji, and turn it into a radical of its own, now that you know it and it’s not overwhelming to get it.
If they jumped straight to the radical, then the kanji… they wouldn’t be teaching you in small chunks that build up.
Then that shape is used again later to conserve space so mnemonics don’t have more than 4 elements.
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They are presented later to be used as component for more complex kanji:it could have used the kanji itself, but wanikani prefers to use only radical as kanji component.
The bonus side is that it helps to remember the meaning.
But when they introduce radicals whose keywords are totally different from the meaning… idk about that
I find it confusing when for example you have 母=mother and… drawer?
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They’re going to add invisible synonyms to any where the radical is identical in shape to a kanji. The point of radicals is to be used in mnemonics. If 母 looks like a mom to you and you can remember that, do what works for you.
It is confusing and I have got that one wrong. They should be more consistent. The radical, Kanji and vocabulary for father is 父 so why does 母 have to be drawer for the radical yet mother for Kanji and vocabulary?
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I already said they’re changing it so that won’t be marked wrong (whenever they add those). I don’t know what you want me to say about father, I wasn’t there at the radical meeting 6 years ago.
It’s a simpler shape than mother, though, at the very least.
You just have to remember this very simple rhyme. Or should I say … MNEMONIC hahaha. 
When the background is blue
Your mom becomes a drawer
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