What is spaced practice?

Spaced practice returns to material in several sessions over time instead of concentrating all study into one block.

Why and how

After teaching a concept, brief reviews can be planned for the next day, several days later and further ahead. A return need not mean rereading: solving a question, explaining the idea in one’s own words or connecting it to another topic can work. There is no magic fixed interval; difficulty, the desired retention period and learner feedback matter. Completely forgotten material may need reteaching.

Class and home

Teachers can connect old learning to a new lesson with a few questions; learners can schedule previous topics into weekly plans. Initial slowness may be acceptable in pursuit of lasting learning. Spacing does not replace understanding, and mistakes can also be repeated. EEF’s cognitive science reviews emphasize matching design to context and checking outcomes.