Why mix different kinds of maths questions after a skill has been learned?
Blocked practice makes the required method obvious because every nearby question is the same type. Mixed practice can force the learner to notice the structure of the problem and select a strategy.[1]
How Toku uses this
As Toku grows beyond initial skill practice, mixed review can bring previously learned families back together so your child must recognise what each question is asking for.
What research shows
Mathematics experiments have found benefits when practice problems are spaced or shuffled rather than kept in a conventional blocked order.[1]
A classroom study with seventh-grade mathematics found better delayed performance after interleaved practice than blocked practice.[2]
Why this can matter for your child
Your child can practise choosing the method as well as carrying it out, which is closer to the demand of a mixed paper or unfamiliar problem set.
First learn the tool. Later, practise recognising when that tool is the right one.
Questions this helps answer
- what is interleaving in maths
- mixed maths practice
- blocked vs interleaved practice
- why mix question types
References
- Doug Rohrer & Kelli Taylor (2007). The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning. Instructional Science.
- Doug Rohrer, Robert F. Dedrick & Sandra Stershic (2015). Interleaved practice improves mathematics learning. Journal of Educational Psychology.