How does Mathnasium teach for true understanding?

"Would you start preparing for a marathon 24 hours before the race?"

As parents and educators, we all want to see our children not just "get" maths in the short term, but truly understand and retain those crucial concepts for the long haul. The common approach of "cramming" for a test or tackling a single maths topic in one long, intense session might yield temporary results, but for deep, durable learning, there's a far more effective strategy: distributed practice.

Distributive practice is a core part of Mathnasium’s instructional design. The intentional spacing and practice with maths concepts over time helps students build long-term retention and deeper understanding. So, what exactly is distributed practice, and why is it a game-changer for maths education?

What is Distributed Practice?

Imagine preparing for a marathon. Would you do all your training in one gruelling 24-hour session right before the race? Of course not! You'd spread your training out over weeks and months, with shorter, regular runs and focused workouts.

Distributed practice applies this same principle to learning. Instead of tackling a maths concept in one long, intensive burst (often called "cramming"), it involves spreading out learning and review sessions over an extended period. This means revisiting topics frequently, in shorter, more manageable chunks, rather than trying to master everything at once.

Why do we use Distributed Practice?

The Forgetting Curve, discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus in the late 19th century, illustrates how we forget information over time if we don't reinforce it.

Here's the gist:

• We forget most newly learned information very quickly – a steep drop in retention occurs soon after learning.
  
  
• It's often cited that without reinforcement, learners can forget around 75-90% of what they learned within a week.
  
  
• After the initial sharp decline, the rate of forgetting slows down.

This curve is the scientific foundation for distributed practice (or spaced repetition), showing that reviewing information before it's completely forgotten significantly improves long-term retention. Each review "resets" the curve, making future forgetting slower.

 (sourced from Building Bridges Leadership, "Remember To Remember The Forgetting Curve", 23/02/2021)

Why is Distributed Practice a Maths Game-Changer?

This powerful approach is rooted in how our brains learn and remember. Here's why it's crucial for maths success:

1. Distributed practice forces your brain to retrieve information more effortfully each time you revisit it. This "effortful retrieval" strengthens neural connections, embedding knowledge deeply into long-term memory. Unlike cramming, which often leads to forgetting most information within days (as seen in the Forgetting Curve), distributed practice makes knowledge stick.
   
   
2. By revisiting concepts at different times and in varied contexts, students move beyond rote memorisation. They're encouraged to think critically, choose appropriate strategies, and build stronger connections between different mathematical ideas, leading to a richer, more conceptual grasp.
   
   
3. Regular, spaced exposure helps maths skills become more automatic. This "procedural fluency" frees up mental energy, allowing students to focus on problem-solving strategies rather than getting bogged down in basic calculations, significantly boosting their confidence.
   
   
4. Shorter, more frequent practice sessions are less daunting than long, intense ones, keeping students engaged and motivated, making maths a more positive experience, and preventing burnout.

How Mathnasium Embraces Distributed Practice

At Mathnasium, distributed practice is a core pillar of our methodology. We understand that true mastery comes from consistent reinforcement and a deep understanding built over time.

Our personalised learning plans inherently integrate distributed practice by:

• Regularly Reassessing and Reviewing: We don't just teach a concept and move on. Our instructors continually circle back to previously learned material, ensuring concepts are solidified before building new skills.
  
  
• Targeted Practice: Students consistently engage with a mix of new and review concepts, preventing forgetting and reinforcing foundational knowledge.
  
  
• Building Fluency Incrementally: Our program is designed to build maths fluency step-by-step, ensuring that each skill is mastered and retained before advancing.

By leveraging the proven benefits of distributed practice, Mathnasium helps students not only understand maths in the moment but achieve lasting comprehension and confidence. It's how we help children build a strong mathematical foundation that serves them for a lifetime.

But don’t take our word for it – come in and see! We start with a free diagnostic assessment. Contact us at the details below.