Applying spaced practice in the schools to teach math vocabulary

Spaced practice, or the distribution of practice opportunities across time, is a well-known and effective practice for improving retention. However, spaced practice is not effectively implemented in schools, perhapsl as a result of a lack of educationally relevant research in the area. We conducted an educationally relevant investigation of the spaced practice. Using a quasi-experimental between-subjects design, we taught 62 third- and fourth-grade students eight math vocabulary words under two patterns of spaced practice (fixed interval and expanded interval) and massed practice. Results showed a benefit of spaced practice over massed practice, but no difference between fixed interval and expanded interval spaced practice. The findings suggest that spaced practice may be implemented to improve the retention of math vocabulary words; however, more research is needed to provide guidelines to support educators in implementing spaced practice in schools.