A comparative analysis of massed vs. distributed practice on basic math fact fluency growth rates

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Effective remediation of academic deficiencies requires empirically validated interventions and efficient instructional modifications.
• Improving math fact fluency is crucial for foundational mathematical understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of massed versus distributed practice with explicit timing on math fact fluency.
• To determine if instructional modifications enhance student learning efficiency in basic addition.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight third-grade students participated in a 19-day study involving four daily 1-minute math explicit timing procedures.
• Three groups received practice differently: massed (all at once), distributed (twice daily), and highly distributed (four times daily).
• Growth curve modeling analyzed student progress throughout the intervention.

Main Results:

• Students in distributed practice conditions (twice or four times daily) exhibited significantly higher fluency growth rates.
• Distributed practice led to greater gains compared to massed practice (once daily).

Conclusions:

• Combining distributed practice with explicit timing procedures is an effective modification for enhancing math fact fluency.
• This intervention improves student learning without requiring additional instructional time.