13 Effective Learning Strategies: A Guide to Using them in your Maths Classroom 2026

Imagine one of your learners staring at a complex maths problem, completely stuck. Now picture that same student confidently breaking down the problem using the researched learning strategies you’ve taught them. The difference? Your approach to learning strategies. When educators understand and implement diverse approaches to learning, they provide students with the tools to deepen their understanding. The science of learning shows that diverse learning strategies can turn struggling students into confident learners who actively engage in learning.

This article explores 13 effective learning strategies and how to use them in your maths classroom as a natural part of the learning process to improve student attainment.

What are learning strategies?

Learning strategies are evidence-based methods that help pupils organise, remember and apply new information. They include cognitive techniques like dual coding and concept mapping, retrieval-based techniques like spaced repetition and flashcards, and active techniques like elaboration and reciprocal teaching. Each works by moving information from short-term to long-term memory.

There is more to learning strategies than memorisation. Students must retain and apply information and develop independent thinking skills.

Learning strategies can be thought of as tools in a toolbox. Students have different learning styles and preferences so teachers need to provide students with a toolbox of different teaching strategies and students need access to a toolbox of various learning strategies and learning processes to suit their needs.

What are some popular learning strategies?

Maths places unique demands on working memory. Pupils have to hold multiple steps in their head, switch between concrete and abstract representations, and apply prior knowledge to unfamiliar problems. When any of those processes overload, learning stalls. This is the core insight of cognitive load theory: working memory is finite, and effective teaching keeps load manageable so long-term memory can do the heavy lifting.

Effective learning strategies reduce that load. They help pupils chunk information, transfer it from short-term to long-term memory, and surface gaps before they compound. Maths is uniquely cumulative: a wobble in early fractions work shows up two years later in algebra. So the strategies that teach students how to learn maths – retrieval practice, spaced repetition, dual coding – matter more in this subject than in those with looser sequencing.

The 13 strategies in this guide are drawn from cognitive science and education research, chosen for how well they translate into a maths classroom. Some work best for whole-class teaching; others sit naturally inside an effective maths intervention, particularly during high-impact tutoring. A few are most powerful with older pupils who can manage independent learning autonomously.

13 learning strategies: A guide to using them in the classroom

1. Concrete examples

What it is

Teachers provide clear examples of a concept or skill and students create concrete examples to help them understand material. As one of Rosenshine’s principles states, explicit instruction that uses concrete examples helps students understand and learn abstract concepts such as time.

Learners can apply learned concrete examples to their studying and come up with their own examples to reference.

Why it works

Human memories are better at working with concrete examples than abstract information. Students who practise with concrete examples are more likely to learn and retain foundational concepts.

Dunlosky et al. (2013) classify worked examples and concrete representations as moderate-utility strategies; Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction also place worked examples among the most consistent classroom moves.

Example

A teacher has students brainstorm examples of how fractions are used in real life so that students can develop a firm conceptual understanding of fractions using concrete examples.

2. Group work

What it is

Students work in groups where they each have a separate role, such as reader, note-taking, or artist. Each learner is required to access and work with the same content but in a different way.

Why it works

Group work helps students engage with content using their own learning processes and preferences rather than each student learning in the same way. It is advisable to use mixed ability groups for this learning strategy to help all learners; however, you can also use differentiation for group work if students have access to adult support.

The EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit reports an average +5 months progress for collaborative learning, with strongest effects when each pupil has a defined role and the task requires interdependence.

Example

A teacher assigns students to work in small groups to solve problems. Each student has a role and must contribute to the problem-solving through their role:

• One student reads each problem.

• Another student draws a model to represent the problem.

• A third may write an explanation of the steps the group took to solve it.

3. Concept mapping or visual examples

what it is

Concept mapping requires students to create a visual representation of information. This may take the form of a chart, graphic organiser, flow chart, Venn diagram, or another visual representation.

Why it works

Students must think through how they use and organise information when they use concept mapping, which involves metacognition. A review of visual information helps students remember and organise information.

Concept mapping draws on dual coding theory (Paivio), which holds that information processed through both visual and verbal channels is more durable than information processed through either alone.

Example

When students study fractions they are provided with visuals of what fractions look like and how they work together. For example, a visual of how to add and subtract fractions using an image of pizza.

Third Space Learning’s one to one online maths tutoring sessions use visual examples in every primary and secondary programme. Skye, the AI maths tutor, can refer students to the visuals to help scaffold learning and build a conceptual understanding of the maths concept.

4. Interleaving

What it is

Interleaving involves practising related skills or topics simultaneously. It can be used across the curriculum but works particularly well when learning or revising for maths.

Why it works

When students interleave their studies, they are required to think about how to approach each problem rather than rely on what they just completed.

Although interleaving can prove harder to learn information in the short term, it helps students with long-term learning of information.

Dunlosky et al. (2013) rate interleaved practice as moderate utility; Rohrer and Taylor’s research on maths problem types shows interleaving slows initial performance but improves long-term retention.

Example

Students practise finding the area of shapes. Instead of having students complete 10 problems in a row using the area of a square, they switch between problems that use triangles, squares, and circles. This means they must pay attention to which processes they need to solve each type of problem.

5. Spaced repetition

What it is

Spaced repetition requires students to break down review into small chunks over time, rather than spending a larger time reviewing and cramming the night before an exam.

Why it works

Students need time to move new concepts from short to long-term memory. Spaced repetition extends the learning experience over time which incorporates the information over time.

As students repeatedly review content, they strengthen their memory by forgetting a little and then relearning content again. Using a spiral curriculum across year groups is a good way to incorporate spaced repetition throughout the school in both primary and secondary settings.

Spaced (or distributed) practice is one of only two strategies Dunlosky et al. (2013) classify as high utility, supported by Cepeda et al.’s meta-analysis of over 250 studies.

Example

Help students create a revision timetable, or set up a class timetable to review small chunks of information before an exam. Revision timetables should include current concepts and previously taught skills in the review.

Spaced repetition can help reduce student’s exam anxiety by revisiting older content frequently before exams.

6. Mnemonic devices

What it is

Mnemonic devices are physical or visual memory devices that help learners remember larger pieces of information. These are particularly helpful for remembering maths sequences or lists.

Why it works

Mnemonic devices put large amounts of information into shorter lists or phrases that students can remember more easily. This information helps them remember the longer, more complex information they apply.

Dunlosky et al. (2013) rate mnemonics as moderate utility for memorising specific facts and sequences, but caution they don’t build the conceptual understanding maths requires alongside fluency.

Example

A student uses the mnemonic device BIDMAS (Brackets, Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) to remember the order of operations for maths equations.

7. Retrieval practice

What it is

Retrieval practice is the process of recalling facts, concepts and information from memory or without prompts or visuals to enhance learning.

Why it works

Learners’ memories have to work harder to recall information. Retrieval practice helps with summarising information they have learned. Retrieval practice (also called the testing effect) is the second strategy Dunlosky et al. (2013) classify as high utility, with foundational research from Roediger and Karpicke (2006) showing repeated retrieval produces more durable learning than repeated study.

Example

Students put their study materials away and write or speak everything they know about the topic of quadratic equations. Once they have retrieved all the information they know from memory, they can return to their notes and textbooks to check for accuracy.

Third Space Learning lessons begin with an assessment question to help learners access the key information and skills they need in the forthcoming lesson. This also gives Skye an idea of their starting point and how to adapt the teaching.

Terri Higgins, Learning Content Lead, Third Space Learning

8. Reciprocal teaching

What it is

Reciprocal teaching is a strategy with four parts to help students work through maths problem-solving:

1. Predicting

2. Clarifying

3. Solving

4. Summarising

Why it works

Reciprocal teaching uses students’ knowledge to engage them in planning and working through maths problems. The four steps are effective at helping students apply higher-order thinking skills to solve more complex maths problems.

Reciprocal teaching originates in Palincsar and Brown’s 1984 research and aligns with the EEF Toolkit’s metacognition and self-regulation findings, which show an average +7 months progress.

Example

Students are given a multi-step word problem. They predict:

• The type of question asked

• Mathematical operations needed

• Answer

After these predictions, they clarify the information they do not yet know.

During the solving stage, students solve the problem and in the summarising stage they reflect on the process and how they got their answer.

9. Dual coding

What it is

Learners use a combination of words and visuals to present, learn, understand, and work with information.

Why it works

Students work with smaller chunks of information rather than the entire concept or problem at once and make connections between the content as they progress.

Dual coding is grounded in Paivio’s theory that the brain processes visual and verbal information through separate channels; Mayer’s multimedia learning research extends this into classroom practice.

Example

A student graphs inequalities before working with them in a larger problem. The visual representation of inequalities helps the student manage the amount of information they are working with.

10. Elaboration

What it is

Elaboration is a student-centred learning and instructional strategy. Students describe concepts in their own words when using elaboration. They ask questions about what they are learning, make connections between material and dig deeper into a topic.

Why it works

Elaboration helps students to identify:

• What they have learned

• What they still need to learn

• How the ideas connect

Dunlosky et al. (2013) classify elaborative interrogation (asking pupils to explain why a fact is true) and self-explanation as moderate-utility strategies that build deeper conceptual understanding.

Example

Students work in pairs to review the concept of ratios. They record what they have learned, and jot down things they are not completely confident with yet.

All Third Space Learning lessons are designed with student-centred teaching in mind. Learners are frequently encouraged to rephrase questions or explanations in their own words, and reflect on how they are finding aspects of the topic.

Terri Higgins, Learning Content Lead, Third Space Learning

11. Active learning

What it is

Active learning involves discussing, investigating, writing, thinking, and creating. In maths, explaining thinking and discussing solutions is a form of active student-centred learning.

Why it works

The combination of talking through explanations and receiving feedback through questioning helps students retain information. Receiving feedback helps catch and correct misconceptions in real-time.

Active learning draws on Freeman et al.’s 2014 meta-analysis showing pupils in active learning environments outperform peers in passive lecture-style instruction across STEM subjects.

Example

Students are working on solving equations. In small groups, students must present and explain their thinking as they model how to solve an equation. The other students must provide feedback and ask additional questions.

12. Flashcards

What it is

Flashcards are pieces of paper with facts written on them. Students read the facts to help them ingest the information. Although they may be an old learning strategy, using flashcards to memorise maths facts and maths vocabulary is an effective learning strategy.

Why it works

Repeated exposure to information and deliberate practice of skills multiple times helps the brain recall information. Flashcards are an applied form of retrieval practice, which Dunlosky et al. (2013) classify as high utility; their effectiveness depends on active recall rather than passive recognition.

Example

Two students practise maths fluency facts. Each has a set of flashcards and reads the information before they test each other. They then put the maths facts they have mastered in one pile and review the facts they have not yet mastered until they can quickly recognise each maths fact.

Third Space Learning’s GCSE maths experts created a series of 60 revision flashcards covering Algebra and Number topics to help students learn and recap key concepts.

Students can use these cards to support their learning by referring to them while they tackle a question or to help them remember key information on a given topic.

Paul Coffey, Secondary Education Lead, Third Space Learning

13. Technology

What it is

Technology such as interactive whiteboards, virtual classrooms and technology programmes or apps can be used as a learning strategy to increase engagement and allow teachers to collect and monitor student progress through concepts.

Why it works

Technology encourages active learning. It helps students engage with content through active learning strategies to retain information such as:

• Practice opportunities

• Visual examples

The EEF Toolkit reports an average +4 months progress for digital technology when used to supplement rather than replace high-quality teaching.

Example

Students learn about graphing and work through a rotation of stations that allow them to practice different types of graphing. Stations could include:

• An online app
• Interactive whiteboard activity
• Online games

Learning strategies takeaways

Learning strategies help students learn processes and remember and apply information. When students apply learning strategies effectively they retain information long into the future. Learning strategies must be incorporated into every learning environment if students are to succeed in assessments, exams, and projects. Embedding these strategies works best within a wider school culture of educational excellence.

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