The Library
What the research says about teaching practices, and what it doesn't.
Plain answers to “does this work?” for the practices teachers are asked to use. Every card rates the evidence by a written rule, links each study at its source, and ends with a free tool that does the practice tomorrow.
How students learn and remember
- Retrieval practice Strong
- Spaced practice Strong
- Explicit and direct instruction Strong
- Inquiry-based learning Mixed
- Project-based learning Mixed
- Differentiated instruction Mixed
- Flipped classroom Mixed
Checking for understanding
- Formative assessment Strong
- Feedback Mixed
Reading
- Science of reading Strong
- Phonemic awareness instruction Strong
- Repeated reading for fluency Strong
- Orton-Gillingham Thin
Math
- Interleaved practice Promising
- Worked examples Strong
- Math fact fluency Strong
- Teaching with number lines Promising
Classroom management and motivation
- Cooperative learning Strong
- Growth mindset Mixed
Schoolwide systems
Myths checked
- Students learn better when teaching matches their learning style (visual, auditory or kinesthetic). Contradicted
- Rereading notes and highlighting the important parts are the best ways to study. Contradicted
- Students learn best when they discover things for themselves, with little guidance from the teacher. Contradicted
- Sugar makes children hyperactive. Contradicted
- Listening to Mozart, or learning a musical instrument, makes children smarter. Contradicted