ERIC Number: EJ991709
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-3920
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Distributing Learning over Time: The Spacing Effect in Children's Acquisition and Generalization of Science Concepts
Vlach, Haley A.; Sandhofer, Catherine M.
Child Development, v83 n4 p1137-1144 Jul-Aug 2012
The spacing effect describes the robust finding that long-term learning is promoted when learning events are spaced out in time rather than presented in immediate succession. Studies of the spacing effect have focused on memory processes rather than for other types of learning, such as the acquisition and generalization of new concepts. In this study, early elementary school children (5- to 7-year-olds; N = 36) were presented with science lessons on 1 of 3 schedules: massed, clumped, and spaced. The results revealed that spacing lessons out in time resulted in higher generalization performance for both simple and complex concepts. Spaced learning schedules promote several types of learning, strengthening the implications of the spacing effect for educational practices and curriculum. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Memory, Generalization, Elementary School Students, Educational Practices, Child Rearing, Parenting Skills, Scientific Concepts, Young Children, Experiments, Food, Ecology, Animals, Science Education, Grade 1, Grade 2, Laboratory Schools, Pretests Posttests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 1; Grade 2
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A