Interleaving
📋 What it is
Mixing different problem types in one session — it feels harder, but it makes learning stick.
🗣️ Coach says
Doing 20 of the same problem in a row is "blocked" practice — easy but forgettable. Mixing types (a little of this, a little of that) is harder in the moment and stronger later.
🧠 Memory hook
Shuffle the deck. Mix problem types like shuffling cards — your brain has to pick the right tool each time.
😂 Giggle
Why did the student shuffle their homework like a deck of cards?
Because mixing up problem types makes your brain stronger!
😲 Whoa!
Blocked practice makes you feel like an expert during the session but forget by the test; interleaving feels worse now and wins later.
✅ Quick check: For math practice, which is stronger: 20 division problems in a row, or division/multiplication/fractions mixed?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Mixed (interleaved) — you practise CHOOSING the right method, which is what a test really asks.
Real tests never label the method; mixing trains you to pick it.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Next time you practise, mix TWO or three topics instead of drilling one. Notice it feels harder — that’s the point.