(2. Distributed Practice) submitted by Lorin Henner. Contrary to what many students assume, the best way to learn, master, and retain information from a lesson is to spread out studying in short bursts over time rather than cramming everything in one big load before a test or before writing a big paper. And this is consistent across every subject, skill, and discipline. One of the best ways for teachers to encourage this practice is to practice frequent low stakes quizzes throughout the semester, rather than putting all the weight and pressure into one or two big tests, midterm and final. This will encourage students to review frequently instead of promoting procrastination. It is also a good idea to review current and past lessons.

(3. Interleaved/Varied Learning) submitted by Lorin Henner. There is a tendency for students to focus on just one subject exclusively for a time until that feel they have mastered it fairly well, and only then do they move on to the next task or subject. Research shows that it is better to frequently go back and forth between several subjects or subtopics in short bursts. This is what "interleaved learning" is. Jumping back and forth promotes more demand and rigor on the brain and creates stronger brain pathways, connections, and longer lasting memories. In middle school and high school classrooms, this can be achieved best by altering course, topics, and activities frequently, which will keep students' brains more engaged and challenged, strengthening brain pathways and memories.