Reading and the Science of Learning

The science of reading has become a hot-button issue in recent years, leading to arguments over who gets to claim they are following science and who is making too many compromises to make that claim. In the midst of this discussion, I think it can be easy to forget about the other important science involved — the science of learning.

Before becoming a Reading Specialist, I supported students with a broader range of subject matter. Whether we were focusing on fractions, chemical equations, or World War II, we could always rely on research-supported learning strategies. Cognitive psychological researchers have examined how the strongest research from their field applies to education. They’ve found that spacing out practice and having students retrieve information from memory are extremely effective techniques. On the other hand, rereading and highlighting are not as effective as most people expect. The following six strategies produce the best results: spaced practice, retrieval practice, elaboration, interleaving, concrete examples, and dual coding. The first two strategies in the list have the strongest support, so I will focus on explaining those today. However, I encourage you to read more about all six strategies here when you have the time.

Spaced Practice

Spaced practice is the approach of spacing out studying over time. Information is more likely to remain in long-term memory if a student spreads out their review over multiple days and weeks because this trains the brain to categorize the information as something important it should remember. This is one reason why I make sure to link new concepts to what a student has learned in the past. When a student learns a new syllable type, he also reviews the syllable types that I’ve already introduced. When he learns a new spelling pattern, he learns how it relates to spelling patterns from previous lessons. We also review previous concepts when decoding and spelling words. I check whether any concepts need further practice through periodic assessments. This ensures that the student gets enough practice to master the concepts permanently, not just for a day.

Retrieval Practice

This strategy can be very difficult for a student to do independently. It requires him to try to remember what he has learned without referencing any of his materials. At first, this requires a lot of mental effort and leads to mistakes. It takes time to adjust to risking mistakes rather than just looking back over material. Many activities a student completes in his reading intervention session incorporate retrieval practice. For example, he might be asked to recall the sounds for letter patterns he’s learned or to write down spelling options for different sounds. I might question him about how to apply a spelling pattern or about how to analyze an unfamiliar word. After the session, the retrieval practice continues throughout the week as the student works on activities I’ve customized for him. Check out the practice activities here to see how they require retrieval and give the student an opportunity to solidify what he’s learned.

If you are looking for literacy intervention that relies on research-supported learning strategies, you’ve found it! Please reach out if you would like to talk about how to set up intervention for your child.