The Power of Spaced Repetition: Unlocking Your Child's Learning Potential

Have you ever wondered why some information sticks while other facts seem to slip away? The secret lies in a powerful learning technique called spaced repetition, and it's changing the way we approach education.

1. What is Spaced Repetition?

Spaced repetition is a learning method that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time. It's based on the groundbreaking work of Hermann Ebbinghaus, who discovered that we tend to forget new information quickly unless we revisit it. Although Ebbinghaus' work dates back more than 100 years, his ideas around the "forgetting curve" remain influential. In fact, his famous study was recently replicated and analysed, further confirming the weight of his original findings. By spacing out our reviews, we can fight against this "forgetting curve" and significantly improve long-term retention.

2. The Benefits of Spaced Repetition

• Enhanced Long-Term Memory: Spaced repetition strengthens neural connections, making information more likely to stick in your child's long-term memory.
• Improved Efficiency: By focusing on material that’s about to be forgotten, spaced repetition makes study time more productive.
• Reduced Stress: Unlike hurriedly cramming in your revision the night before an exam, spaced repetition spreads learning out over time. This helps to reduce cognitive load and allows for better focus.
• Better Test Performance: Studies show that students using spaced repetition outperform those who rely on cramming.
• Active Recall: When combined with active recall (quizzing), spaced repetition becomes even more powerful for cementing knowledge.

3. Spaced Repetition in Action

Imagine your child is learning to play the piano. Instead of practicing a new piece all day long, they might play it for a short session today, revisit it tomorrow, then again in a few days, and so on. This gradual spacing helps move the information from short-term to long-term memory, all while building confidence and skill at the same time.

4. The Technology Advantage

Thanks to advances in technology, spaced repetition can now be tailored to each learner's needs. Sophisticated algorithms can determine how long to wait before showing a child information they’ve already seen. This is calculated based on how well the child remembers the information. This more personal approach ensures that your child spends more time on challenging material and less on what they already know well. Word Tag, Mrs Wordsmith’s innovative vocabulary video game, harnesses the power of spaced repetition to help children learn and remember new words effectively – as many as 1,000 per year. By presenting words at carefully timed intervals during genuinely engaging game play, Word Tag makes vocabulary building both enjoyable and highly effective.

5. How Spaced Repetition Works Within Word Tag

Spaced repetition is one of the pedagogical components that makes Word Tag such a powerful learning tool. Players are exposed to 3 new words a day, and reencounter them up to 8 times over 18 days. By spreading word exposure out like this – as opposed to cramming all of the exposure into the first few days – children are more likely to remember new words and store them in long-term memory. 

Not only is repeated exposure spaced out within Word Tag, but it is also done at a pace by which it becomes less frequent over time. Players will encounter 6 word games on their first day of playing Word Tag. By day 7, they will have played 15 games, reaching up to 24 games by day 18. Frequent repetitions early on, followed by more spread-out reviews later, further help ensure words enter long-term memory.

6. Embrace the Power of Spaced Repetition

Learning is not just about cramming information in the short term – it's about building a strong foundation of knowledge that lasts. With spaced repetition (and educational games like Word Tag), we can help our children unlock their full learning potential and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.