Friday, November 13, 2009

Can you pick the winning strategy?

Can you pick the winning strategy when it comes to learning? Say you would like your students to learn the names and the flags of all of the countries in South America.

Which strategy is a better way to learn this material?

Strategy A: Spend three minutes studying over 30 days?
Strategy B: Spend three hours right now cramming in the countries?

You don't have to guess. Researchers have done studies and have proven that these strategies are not equivalent. In fact, one of them is dramatically better than the other at supporting long-term memory of the material.

Did you guess the correct strategy? Strategy A.

A few minutes of focused study followed by a period of rest is the better strategy to create lasting long-term memory. Not to mention it takes less time, and is much easier for the student.

Easier and more productive is a winning combination.

A child's natural study rhythms are less than seven minutes long when it comes to learning new material like the names of countries. Go longer than that and you are probably not being productive.

Slow down information acquisition. Spread it over time. At the end of a year of learning just a few things every day, you will be absolutely amazed at what your children know, especially if they do not forget what was learned nine months ago.

At the end of ten years of learning just a few things every day, but actually remembering what was learned, your students will be absolutely brilliant.

Brilliant Students Secret #1 - Learn A Little Every Day

Brilliant students learn a little every day; this strategy is dramatically better than cramming at supporting long-term retention and recall. If you want to have brilliant students, learn a little every day.

There is a second part to this secret, it is to learn a little at a time. Specifically, learn about four new facts from a single subject at a time, and no more than five. Let that knowledge sink in for at least six minutes before learning more.


- Tom