Book 10, Question 63
Why Is Practice Better than One Long Cram?
Short, spaced-out practice beats one long cram because spaced practice strengthens memories more than marathon stuffing! Sleep between sessions helps seal what you learned. Little and often beats panic cramming.
More fun facts
- Psychologists have learned it is better to space out learning than to cram it all at once.
- Cramming may help you pass a test, but you are likely to forget the material afterward.
- Scientists have tested study methods like rereading, summarizing and self testing for more than 100 years.
- Quizzing yourself is one of the study methods that gets the highest marks from researchers.
- Practice tests may make the brain search long term memory, building many memory pathways to the information.
Sources: BBC, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
What is a good way to study?
Spread practice over several days and quiz yourself instead of only rereading.