Spaced Practice: A teacher's guide
How can you use spaced practice in your classroom to promote long-term knowledge retention and advance student outcomes?
What is spaced practice in teaching?
Spaced practice is a learning technique where students review material over extended periods with strategic breaks between study sessions. This approach moves information from working memory to long-term retention by allowing students to almost forget material before revisiting it. Research shows it creates stronger memories than continuous revision or cramming.
Spaced practice refers to a study schedule that involves reviewing material over a period of time, with strategic breaks in between. This approach is designed to promote better retention of information. This technique is frequently used in educational settings and is considered one of the most effective learning strategies for long-term learning.
Key Takeaways
- The Forgetting Advantage: Discover why letting students almost forget material before revisiting it creates stronger memories than constant revision ever could, a phenomenon explained by the forgetting curve.
- Beat the Cramming Trap: Transform your lesson planning with simple spacing schedules that move knowledge from working memory to long-term retention, as spacing improves working memory processing.
- 5-Minute Memory Boosts: Master quick retrieval techniques that strengthen recall without eating into teaching time or adding to your workload.
- Mix to Remember: Learn why weaving old concepts into new lessons creates neural connections that make knowledge stick for years, not weeks.
Retrieval practice is a key component of spaced practice, incorporating regular practice questions or other assessments crafted to aid in the recall of previously learned material. By using a spaced practice study schedule with regular retrieval practice, students can experience benefits such as better memory retention, improved recal l, and more effective learning overall. This approach helps move information from working memory to long-term memories.
Spaced practice is one of the most effective study strategies, where learners review the learning material over an extended time. This provides time for their minds to make connections between different concepts and ideas so the learners can build upon learning and easily recall the knowledge in future. How does spaced learning work to improve the learning process?
The main purpose of spaced repetition is to give a chance to the learner to (nearly) forget the previous learning before revisiting the same material. It may sound like a bad idea, but forgetting something to remember leads to long-term retention of learning. This is a core principle of the spacing effect.
After having to almost forget something, a human brain works even harder to recall the same information. Spaced learning and effective retrieval practice offer a workout to the learners' brains each time they revisit the material. This strengthens long-term retention.
When a person crams in frequent study sessions, all the knowledge is saved in his short-term memory (which he quickly forgets). The use of gaps between study sessions is an effective learning strategy that allows the material to store in the pupil's long-term memory instead.
This is the main reason for spaced retrieval practice to work. Ultimately, the learners won’t need to work harder to recall the information leading to the intense period of learning, they will be able to recollect the information quickly from their long-term learning.
In the first few learning sessions, the learner's mind would be working hard to recall the information. As he revisits the information, it will become easier to recall and build upon.
How do teachers implement spaced practice in the classroom?
Teachers can implement spaced practice by scheduling review sessions at increasing intervals, starting with short gaps and gradually extending them. Begin by revisiting material after one day, then three days, then a week, and finally after two weeks. Incorporate retrieval practice through quick quizzes or discussions that take only 5 minutes of class time.
Spaced repetition can be practiced in the following four steps:
- Planning: Plan the regular intervals of study sessions;
- Study and review: The information must be studied and reviewed for the first time.
- Recalling: Recall the learned material at the first spacing interval.
- Continue to recall: The learning material must be recalled at adequate spacing intervals.
Cognitive science has seen a resurgence in recent years as curriculumcontent in schools has placed larger demands on memory. If your colleagues are interested in building robust knowledge as the basis for memory consolidation that you might be interested in learning about our graphic organisers and building block methodologies. Educators need to consider careful curriculum design when thinking about the retention of knowledge. Many of the schools we work with are thinking about the encoding process more carefully. As Daniel Willingham points out, memory is understanding in disguise.
Curriculum subjects are full of complex ideas and students now have to embrace the science of learning in order to remember the important information. The Education Endowment Foundation now hosts hundreds of studies in this field and our own repository of landmark research will prove a good starting point for any educator interested in effective study skills.
How do you create a spaced repetition schedule for students?
Create a spaced repetition schedule by mapping out review points at intervals of 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after initial learning. Include mixed practice by weaving previous topics into new lessons to strengthen neural connections. Use a simple tracking system or calendar to ensure consistent implementation across all subject areas.
Spaced repetition is a powerful tool to help students retain knowledge over time, and planning an effective schedule is key. Here are practical steps for teachers to implement spaced practice in secondary school classrooms, focusing on long-term retention.
1. Plan Frequent and Short Review Sessions
Instead of relying on cramming, regular and short review sessions spread throughout the school year are more effective. These sessions give students repeated opportunities to recall and apply what they've learned. Incorporate spaced retrieval practice into your classroom reading practices, this ensures that knowledge is reinforced consistently, not just during exam preparation. This is far more effective than massed practice.
Tip for Teachers: Schedule small review sessions at the start or end of lessons. A 5-10 minute recap or a short quiz on previous material is enough to keep the content fresh.
2. Gradually Increase Time Between Reviews
The key to spaced practice is gradually increasing the gap between review sessions. For example, after teaching a new concept, plan a review session the next day, then after three days, and then again after a week. Continue to extend the intervals over time. This uses the spacing effect for enhanced long-term learning.
Practical Example:
- Day 1: Teach new material.
- Day 2: Review and revisit the content.
- Day 5: Another review.
- Day 10: Further review.
- Day 14: Continue spaced review over the next few weeks.
This pattern helps students not only retain the material but also build content knowledge gradually and effectively.
Before teachingnew material, consider using a brief pretest. Research on the pretesting effect shows that attempting to answer questions before learning primes the brain for subsequent instruction. Even when students cannot answer correctly, the act of retrieval attempt creates curiosity and enhances encoding of the correct information when it is later presented.
3. Mix Old and New Information
When reviewing material, it’s important to mix old concepts with new ones. Encourage students to connect past lessons with new topics to help deepen their understanding and improve long-term retention.
Tip for Teachers: As you introduce new topics, weave in questions about older material to strengthen connections between topics. This will help students see how previous learning supports current knowledge.
4. Use Summaries and Checklists
After each review session, have students create summaries or checklists of key points. This helps them process the material in their own words and creates a quick reference for future review.
Tip for Teachers: Have students maintain a revision journal or digital checklist where they can add a brief summary of each concept after review sessions. This encourages reflection and self-monitoring.
5. Incorporate Retrieval Practice
Encourage students to actively recall information rather than passively rereading it. Retrieval practice challenges students to remember what they've learned, which strengthens memory over time. You can use quick quizzes, flashcards, or oral questioning to prompt retrieval.
Tip for Teachers: Begin lessons with a brief retrieval quiz on previous topics. This keeps older material fresh and encourages active engagement with the learning process.
6. Review Older Material First
Start each review session with a recap of older material before moving on to newer content. This reinforces the importance of building on prior knowledge and keeps earlier lessons from fading away.
Practical Application: When reviewing a topic like Science, start by asking students to recall key points from previous units before diving into the current lesson.
7. Provide Opportunities for Feedback
Regular feedback is critical in spaced practice. Use assessments or informal quizzes to provide students with constructive feedback. This not only helps students stay on track but also reinforces spaced repetition by revisiting weaker areas.
Tip for Teachers: Create a system of quick check-ins, such as exit tickets or self-assessments, that allow students to evaluate their grasp of the material and adjust their revision strategies accordingly.
By incorporating these strategies into your classroom, students will develop stronger study skills and lay a solid foundation for future success in assessments and learning. Spaced practice isn't just about remembering content, it's about creating a deeper understanding of how knowledge fits together over time.
Optimal Spacing Intervals Reference Table
| Retention Goal | First Review | Second Review | Third Review | Fourth Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Week Retention | Same day | Day 2 | Day 4 | Day 7 |
| 1 Month Retention | Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 7 | Day 14-21 |
| Term-Long Retention | Day 1 | Day 7 | Day 21 | Day 35 |
| Year-Long Retention | Day 1 | Week 2 | Month 1 | Month 3 |
| Exam Preparation | Day 1 | Day 3 | Week 1 | Week 2 |
Based on research by Robert Bjork and the expanding intervals principle. Adjust intervals based on material complexity and student needs.
What is the Leitner System for spaced repetition?
The Leitner System is a flashcard-based method where students sort cards into boxes based on how well they know the material. Cards in box 1 are reviewed daily, box 2 every three days, box 3 weekly, and so on. When students answer incorrectly, cards move back to box 1, ensuring difficult concepts get more frequent review.
The Leitner System is one of the retrieval based educational practices involving a basic flashcard to perform spaced repetition. In the 1970s, a German Science journalist, Sebastian Leitnerproposed 'The Leitner System for classrooms with flashcards involving the act of reviewing flashcards from a Leitner Box in extended intervals. For example:
Level 1: cards every day;
Level 2: cards every 2 days;
Level 3: cards every 4 days;
Level 4: cards every 8 days, and so on.
According to an independent study, providing students with retrieval opportunities through flashcard apps improve recall and retention. Flashcards are considered to be ideal for practising the foreign language vocabulary, retrieval of facts, terms, and concepts. For some topics, like foreign languages learning, some specialised flashcards apps will help learners through digital flashcards (e.g. Quizlet, Memrise ). Regular retrieval practice and spaced repetition are two of the most effective study techniques students may use but, manually planning retrieval-based and spaced practice can be very overwhelming. Flashcard apps and software provide an effective learning method and an ideal opportunity for the learners to recognise the sweet spot of optimal learning. Whenever a student's forgetfulness increases to a certain level, these flashcard apps pop up and bring their mind back on track.
There is no doubt in the effectiveness of retrieval practice and spaced learning. Clearly, the spaced regular retrieval practice is much better than cramming the learning material in just one study session. Learning and memory go hand in hand, and the main objective of every learner is to transfer the classroom material of learning into his long-term memory which leads to an increase In memory recall. When a learner can absorb the information better, he can build a deeper understanding and use these learned concepts in meaningful ways.
Why is spaced practice effective for student learning?
Spaced practice is effective because it uses the forgetting curve, allowing students to strengthen memories through effortful recall. This technique transforms knowledge from temporary working memory into permanent long-term storage. Studies show students retain information for years rather than weeks when using spaced practice instead of massed practice.
Spaced practice is a highly effective learning strategy that can help students master a wide range of subjects. Teachers can harness the power of spaced practice by giving their students regular retrieval practice over a period of time. This means that instead of cramming for a test or exam, students should study a little each day over a longer period of time to ensure better long-term retention of the material. Teachers can also help their students focus on single topics or themes, rather than trying to tackle too much at once, which can be overwhelming and unproductive. This is especially important for long-term memories.
To implement spaced practice in the classroom, teachers can incorporate regular retrieval practice sessions into their lesson plans, where students are given the opportunity to recall and apply what they have learned in previous lessons. This can be done through quizzes, worksheets, or other interactive activities that encourage active engagement with the material. Teachers can also encourage their students to reflect on their learning by asking themto write short summaries of key concepts or create concept maps of related ideas.
Overall, embracing spaced practice as an effective learning strategy can help teachers facilitate better learning outcomes for their students. By encouraging regular, intentional practice over a period of time, students will be better able to retain what they have learned and apply it in new contexts.
Who is Robert Bjork and why is his research important for spaced practice?
Robert Bjork is a cognitive psychologist at UCLA whose groundbreaking research on memory and learning has transformed our understanding of effective study techniques.
Bjork's work distinguishes between two critical aspects of memory: storage strength and retrieval strength. Storage strength refers to how well information is encoded and stored in long-term memory, whilst retrieval strength indicates how easily we can access that information when needed. This distinction is fundamental to understanding why spaced practice works so effectively.
What is the difference between storage strength and retrieval strength?
Storage strength represents how permanently information is embedded in memory, whilst retrieval strength reflects how readily accessible that information is at any given moment.
According to Bjork's research, these two types of strength operate independently. Information can have high storage strength but low retrieval strength, meaning it's stored in memory but difficult to access. This explains why students might struggle to recall material during an exam despite having studied it thoroughly. Spaced practice uniquely enhances both types of strength by allowing retrieval strength to decrease between sessions whilst building stronger storage strength through effortful recall.
How does Bjork's concept of Desirable Difficulties relate to spaced practice?
Desirable Difficulties are challenges during learning that feel counterintuitive but actually enhance long-term retention and transfer of knowledge.
Bjork identified spaced practice as a prime example of a Desirable Difficulty. When students revisit material after a delay, they must work harder to retrieve the information, which feels more difficult than immediate review. This increased effort, however, strengthens neural pathways and creates more durable learning. Other Desirable Difficulties include interleaving different topics, varying practice conditions, and testing rather than restudying.
What does the spacing effect research tell us about optimal intervals?
Research on the spacing effect demonstrates that the optimal interval between study sessions depends on how long you need to remember the information.
Bjork's studies suggest following the "expanding intervals" principle: start with shorter gaps between reviews and gradually increase them. For material needed in one week, review after one day. For retention over months, space reviews across weeks. The key insight is that allowing some forgetting between sessions maximises the benefit of each review, as the effort required to retrieve partially forgotten information strengthens memory consolidation.
How does Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve support spaced practice?
Hermann Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve shows that we lose information exponentially over time, with the steepest decline occurring immediately after learning.
Ebbinghaus discovered that without review, we forget approximately 50% of new information within an hour and up to 70% within 24 hours. However, each spaced review session flattens this curve, making subsequent forgetting much slower. Bjork's research builds on this foundation by explaining why strategic spacing of reviews, allowing controlled forgetting between sessions, creates stronger memories than continuous practice. Each retrieval at the point of forgetting resets the curve at a higher level, leading to increasingly durable retention.
12 Spaced Practice Techniques for Every Subject
These evidence-based spaced repetition techniques work across all curriculum areas. Each technique uses the spacing effect to move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory through distributed practice sessions.
- Brain Dump Starters: Begin lessons with 3-minute free recall where students write everything they remember about a previous topic. This retrieval practice strengthens memory traces and identifies gaps before new learning begins.
- Spiral Homework Design: Structure homework with 60% new content and 40% review from previous weeks. Rotate the review questions each assignment to ensure comprehensive coverage of the curriculum over time.
- Low-Stakes Weekly Quizzes: Implement brief 5-question quizzes covering material from different time periods. Include one question from last lesson, two from last week, and two from last month for optimal spacing intervals.
- Retrieval Grids: Create classroom displays with topic grids where students regularly revisit and add information. Use these for quick whole-class retrieval at spaced intervals throughout the term.
- Interleaved Practice Problems: Mix problem types from different units rather than blocking similar problems together. This interleaving combined with spacing creates stronger neural connections between related concepts.
- Flashcard Rotation Systems: Implement the Leitner box method where correctly answered cards move to less frequent review boxes. Incorrectly answered cards return to daily review, creating personalised spacing schedules.
- Cumulative Testing: Design assessments that include questions from all previous units, not just current material. This testing effect combined with spacing significantly improves long-term retention rates.
- Exit Ticket Cycling: Use exit tickets that include one question about today's learning and one from a spaced interval (last week, last month). Track responses to identify content requiring additional review sessions.
- Knowledge Organisers Review: Incorporate regular retrieval from knowledge organisers at expanding intervals. Students self-quiz on previous sections before adding new information to their organisers.
- Elaborative Questioning: During spaced review sessions, ask students to explain why and how concepts work rather than just recalling facts. This deeper processing strengthens memory consolidation during distributed practice.
- Peer Teaching Rotations: Schedule peer explanation sessions where students teach previously learned concepts to classmates. The preparation and teaching process serves as powerful spaced retrieval practice.
- Spaced Writing Tasks: Assign writing tasks that require students to synthesise information from multiple spaced learning sessions. Essays that connect current and previous topics reinforce long-term memory formation.
These spaced practice techniques can be adapted for any age group from Key Stage 1 through to A-Level. Start with two or three techniques and gradually build a comprehensive spaced repetition system that suits your teaching context and subject area.
What research supports spaced practice in education?
Research on the spacing effect dates back to Hermann Ebbinghaus's work on the forgetting curve, showing that distributed practice leads to better retention than massed practice. Modern cognitive science confirms that spaced practice improves working memory processing and creates stronger neural pathways. Educational studies demonstrate that students using spaced practice score significantly higher on long-term retention tests.
These studies collectively demonstrate that spaced practice significantly enhances long-term retention and performance, offering effective strategies for learning over massed practices, especially when retention intervals are improved. Understanding the spacing effect is crucial for effective implementation.
1. Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2007). Expanding retrieval practice promotes short-term retention, but equally spaced retrieval enhances long-term retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 33(4), 704-719.
Summary: This study compares expanding retrieval and equally spaced retrieval practices. It found that equally spaced retrieval over extended periods improved long-term retention more effectively than expanding retrieval, making it a superior strategy for building storage strength and enhancing initial learning experiences.
2. Izawa, C. (1978). Effects of two retention interval components on performance differences between study-test and anticipation methods in paired-associate learning . Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 19, 151-158.
Summary: This research investigates the effects of retention intervals and massed practices on learning performance. Spaced practice with longer intervals was shown to yield better long-term retention, especially in complex forms of learning where initial learning is critical for building stronger memory foundations.
3. Arthur, W., Day, E. A., Villado, A. J., Boatman, P. R., Kowollik, V., Bennett, W., & Bhupatkar, A. (2010). The Effect of Distributed Practice on Immediate Posttraining and Long-Term Performance on a Complex Command-and-Control Simulation Task. Human Performance, 23, 428-445.
Summary: This study examined distributed practice for a complex cognitive task. Results showed that longer retention intervals between training sessions improved both immediate and long-term performance, offering evidence that spaced practice is one of the most effective strategies for enhancing learning in cognitively demanding tasks.
4. Schendel, J. D., & Hagman, J. D. (1982). On sustaining procedural skills over a prolonged retention interval. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67(5), 605-610.
Summary: This research shows that spaced practice helps sustain procedural skills over long retention intervals compared to massed practices. The findings highlight the importance of refreshing training over spaced intervals to maintain high performance levels on procedural tasks.
5. Pyc, M. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2014). Between-list lag effects in recall depend on retention interval. Memory & Cognition, 42, 965-977.
Summary: This study explores how spacing effects vary based on retention intervals. The results indicate that longer retention intervals benefit from more spaced learning, suggesting that inter-study intervals should be improved to improve long-term retention and learning outcomes, even after extended periods without practice.
Classroom Application: Putting Spaced Practice into Practice
These practical steps show you exactly how to build spaced practice into your daily teaching routine without overwhelming your workload.
- Create your review calendar: Mark review points in your planner at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks after teaching new content. Use simple codes like "R1" for first review, "R2" for second review to track progress across subjects.
- Start lessons with 5-minute retrieval: Begin each lesson by asking 3-4 quick questions about previous topics. For KS2 maths, ask "What's 7 x 8?" (taught last week) before introducing division. Say "Think, don't calculate" to encourage memory recall.
- Use low-stakes quizzes: Create simple 5-question quizzes covering material from different time periods. In KS3 history, include one question from last lesson, two from last week, and two from last month. Mark quickly with peer checking.
- Weave old topics into new lessons: When teaching new content, deliberately reference earlier learning. In Year 5 science, whilst exploring life cycles, briefly revisit habitats from three weeks ago by asking "Where might this butterfly lay its eggs?"
- Create revision loops: Design homework that spirals back to previous topics. Set 10 questions where 6 cover new material and 4 review older content. Rotate the older content each week to ensure comprehensive coverage.
- Use exit tickets for spacing: End lessons with one question about today's learning and one about previous topics. Students write answers on sticky notes before leaving, giving you instant feedback on retention gaps.
Classroom Example
Mrs Chen teaches Year 6 fractions on Monday. She reviews this on Tuesday with quick questions, then again on Thursday during a warm-up activity. The following Monday, she includes fraction questions in her maths starter before teaching decimals. Two weeks later, she weaves fraction problems into her decimal worksheets, creating natural connections between topics whilst strengthening long-term memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is spaced practice and how does it differ from traditional revision methods?
Spaced practice is a learning technique where students review material over extended periods with strategic breaks between study sessions, allowing them to almost forget material before revisiting it. Unlike cramming or continuous revision, this approach moves information from working memory to long-term retention by giving the brain time to strengthen neural connections. Research shows it creates much stronger memories than massed practice or traditional study methods.
How can teachers practically implement spaced practice in their daily classroom routine?
Teachers can start by scheduling review sessions at increasing intervals: one day, three days, one week, then two weeks after initial learning. Incorporate quick 5-minute retrieval practice through quizzes or discussions at the start or end of lessons, and weave previous topics into new lessons to strengthen connections. Use a simple tracking system or calendar to ensure consistent implementation across all subject areas.
What are the main benefits of spaced practice for student learning outcomes?
Spaced practice leads to better memory retention, improved recall, and more effective long-term learning by moving knowledge from working memory to long-term memory. Students develop stronger neural connections between concepts and can recall information more quickly without working as hard. This approach helps students build robust knowledge foundations that last for years rather than weeks.
Why does allowing students to 'almost forget' material actually improve their learning?
When students almost forget material before revisiting it, their brain has to work harder to recall the information, which strengthens the memory pathways through what's called the spacing effect. This process gives learners' brains a workout each time they revisit material, creating stronger long-term retention. The forgetting and re-learning cycle is more effective than constant revision because it forces deeper processing.
What is mixed practice and how should teachers incorporate it into spaced learning?
Mixed practice involves weaving old concepts into new lessons to create neural connections that help knowledge stick long-term. Teachers should connect past lessons with new topics during review sessions, helping students see relationships between different concepts. This approach deepens understanding and improves retention by building upon previous learning rather than treating topics in isolation.
How can teachers create an effective spaced repetition schedule without adding excessive workload?
Create a simple schedule mapping review points at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after initial learning. Use brief 5-10 minute recap sessions at the start or end of lessons, and incorporate quick retrieval practice through short quizzes that don't require extensive marking. Focus on frequent, short review sessions rather than lengthy revision periods to maximise efficiency.
Further Reading: Key Research Papers
These peer-reviewed studies provide deeper insights into spaced practice: a teacher's guide and its application in educational settings.
Research on school leadership and instructional quality 130 citations (Author, Year) examines how different leadership approaches, particularly instructional and distributed leadership styles, influence teachers' classroom practices and the overall quality of instruction delivered to students.
This paper examines how principal leadership styles, particularly instructional and distributed leadership, influence teachers' classroom practices and instructional quality. For teachers implementing spaced practice, this research is relevant because it highlights how school leadership support and teacher collaboration can create conditions that enable teachers to adopt and sustain evidence-based instructional practices like spaced repetition.Exploring Teachers’ Instructional Practice Profiles: Do Distributed Leadership and Teacher Collaboration Make a Difference? 18 citations
Özdemir et al. (2023)
This study explores different profiles of teachers' instructional practices and how distributed leadership and teacher collaboration affect these teaching approaches. Teachers interested in spaced practice will find this relevant because it demonstrates how school-level factors and collegial support systems can influence whether teachers successfully implement research-based instructional strategies in their classrooms.
Learning retention in mathematics over consecutive weeks: Impact of motivated forgetting 11 citations
Valderama et al. (2021)
This paper investigates how students retain mathematical knowledge over time and examines factors that affect memory consolidation from short-term to long-term storage. Teachers learning about spaced practice will find this study valuable because it provides concrete evidence of how time intervals impact learning retention in mathematics, directly supporting the rationale for implementing spaced repetition strategies.
Happy Together? On the Relationship Between Research on Retrieval Practice and Generative LearningUsing the Case of Follow-Up Learning Tasks View study ↗30 citations
Roelle et al. (2023)
This research explores the relationship between retrieval practice and generative learning activities, examining how these two approaches can work together to support both memory consolidation and knowledge construction. Teachers implementing spaced practice will benefit from this paper because it shows how retrieval-based spacing techniques can be combined with other learning strategies to maximise student understanding and retention.
Evidence of the Spacing Effect and Influences on Perceptions of Learning and Science Curricula 28 citations
Yuan et al. (2022)
This study provides evidence for the spacing effect in science education and examines how spaced learning influences student perceptions and curriculum effectiveness compared to traditional cramming approaches. Teachers will find this research particularly useful because it offers concrete evidence of spaced practice benefits in science contexts and addresses common student and educator concerns about moving away from intensive pre-exam study methods.
