Spaced practice refers to a method where students study material over several days, or even weeks, to have the time to form connections and thoughts about the concepts. Studying over time with regular reviewing makes the concepts easier to recall later.
While it may seem contradictory, spaced learning is planned in intervals so that the student almost forgets what he learned. Then, when the information is recalled, the brain must work harder to retrieve the information, causing the material to “stick” better.
A plan for spaced practice looks something like this:
- Study the material over a span of several weeks to months, i.e., concepts from the beginning of class until Christmas.
- Allot 10-15 minutes of study time each day for the concepts.
- Study the concepts for 2 days, then take 3 days off, then study for 2 more days.
- Review the oldest material first, then add new material.
- Each study session creates a summary of the concepts recalled.