Why using spaced repetition help to effectively learn math?

Learning maths can be challenging. After all, memorizing formulas, numbers, and equations is hard. But what if there were a better way to help your brain build these memories?

A newer instructional strategy called “spaced repetition” might just be the answer! This article will discuss spaced repetition and how it can help you learn maths more effectively. We will also explore how to use spaced practise for school assignments and tests. Let’s get started!

What is Spaced Repetition?

Spaced repetition is an instructional strategy designed to help you learn and retain information more effectively.

To fully understand spaced repetition methodology, one must consider the rate at which we forget things. This concept is called the forgetting curve. The hypothesis states that unless we consciously review material repeatedly, it starts to fade from memory within weeks.

We can take advantage of this situation by actively recalling what we want to learn at varying intervals – closer at first, then increasing over time. The more we practise maths, and the farther apart our study sessions become, the more we will remember.

The idea behind spaced repetition is that you want your brain to forget some of the information so that the active recall process?is mentally demanding. The more work it is for your brain to retrieve the information, the better the chances are that it gets stored in long-term memory afterwards.

Compared with passive learning activities such as reading or watching, memory retention with spaced practise is superior.

Using Spaced Repetition to Learn Math

Repetition is one of the key instructional strategies that teachers have been using for years. Although repetition has proven to help students learn and recall math, spaced repetition allows students to do the same amount of practise but with more active recall sessions.

Math can sometimes seem overwhelming for students. Learning the material in smaller chunks makes it seem less so, and it’s easier to manage as well.

This instructional strategy also provides lots of practise opportunities throughout the year, which is beneficial for those students who struggle with math. Like with anything else in life, repetition and practise makes it easier.

To recap, here are the main benefits of spaced practise combined with active recall for math students:

• Continues exposing students to the information over a more significant time period
• Promotes active learning and thinking, rather than passively absorbing information
• Increases focus – predictable spaced repetition means your brain is expecting to learn, and so, it pays greater attention to the information when you do
• More substantial long-term storage and recall of the material
• Learning is easier to manage since sessions occur in smaller chunks spaced out over a longer interval.

Using Spaced Repetition for School Assignments

Now that you know what spaced repetition learning is and its benefits, how can you use it for school assignments?

Flashcards and 3R Strategies

One way is to use the read, retrieve, and review method, sometimes referred to as the 3R strategy.

Here’s what it looks like:

1. Read: the first step is to read the material, come up with questions or facts from the text, and make flashcards.
2. Retrieve: Answer your questions by recalling the information you just read.
3. Review: Go back over the material and check your work.
4. Repeat: Set up a schedule to go through your flashcards.

Create a schedule around how much time you have to grasp the material and how difficult it is. Time management is essential if you have scheduled testing coming up. In these cases, you’ll want to plan ahead.

Teach it! The Feynman Technique

Another great way to implement spaced repetition is by teaching the material you learned to someone or something else. This technique is an excellent lifehack that will work for comprehending anything.

You’ll want to break down the material into its simplest form and share it. Next, go back to the drawing board, refine it, and teach it again.

Teaching is an excellent way of reinforcing learning through active recall. With it, the learner will deeply internalize complex subjects.

Conclusion

The more we practise maths, and the farther apart our study sessions become, the more likely we will encode it in our long-term memory.

Using spaced repetition can help keep mental math fresh longer while also teaching students how they learn best: through repeat exposure and active recall of the material.

Don’t forget to give spaced practise a try and see how you like it! This instructional strategy is beneficial for math students but is helpful in other subjects as well.