Same Study skills › Studying for tests › Spaced practice and study calendars
Why is cramming a bad way to study?
Spaced practice means studying in short sessions spread over several days instead of one long session the night before. A study calendar plans those sessions: each topic on a different day at first, then mixed reviews, then everything just before the test.
- Short sessions: 15 to 20 minutes.
- Spread out: over a week or more.
- Mixed up: later sessions review several topics.
Why schools teach it
Forgetting a little, then remembering, builds memory
Learning research consistently finds that spreading out practice leads to better long-term memory than cramming, even with the same total study time. Cramming can get a student through tomorrow's test but is quickly forgotten, which hurts on unit tests and finals.
Spacing pairs well with retrieval practice: each session is a quick self-quiz, not a reread.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
When is the test? Let's count the days.
What are the topics? Give each one a day.
Just 15 minutes tonight. Quiz yourself on topic A.
Tonight, mix them all together.
Mixed review
Skip this
- One long study night.Same time spread over a week works far better.
- Studying only the easy topics.Spend more sessions on the hard ones.
- Rereading as the whole session.Each session should include quizzing.
See it in action
A study calendar for a test on Friday the 17th
Week before
Mon: topic A · Tue: topic B · Wed: topic CMix
Thu: A and B · Mon: C and A · Tue: all threeNight before
Brain dump and fix the mistakes, then sleep
Sleep matters: memories are strengthened overnight.
Free practice sheet
Make a study calendar sheet
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Parents also ask
How far ahead should studying start?
About a week for a unit test is a good rule for grades 4–8.
How long should each session be?
15 to 30 minutes, depending on age.
What is interleaving?
Mixing topics in one session. It's harder but helps kids tell problem types apart.
Is cramming ever okay?
As a last review, sure. As the only studying, it's the least effective way.