Varied practice

Mixed practice sets that shuffle question types Textbook exercises usually give twenty questions on the same method in a row, so you never have to decide which method a question needs. The exam will make you decide. Build your own sets that mix problems from different topics, especially in math and science. The evidence is unusually strong for a school setting. In a randomized trial with 787 seventh graders across 54 math classes, students given mixed assignments over four months scored 61 percent on a surprise test a month later, against 38 percent for students who practiced one type at a time. It feels slower and harder while you do it, which is normal and not a sign that it is failing.