Effective PSLE Revision with Leitner System

Have you ever wondered how we go about learning the things we know now?

It is an interesting question and one that deserves a good attention, especially if your child is revising for the PSLE examination. What’s the best way for them to master key concepts required for their syllabus?

One tried and tested way to master new concepts was described by German Psychologist Sebastian Leitner in 1972. In his bestselling book, ‘Der Weg zum Erfolg’ (Translation: How to learn to learn), Sebastian Leitner describes a method of using flashcards (containing new concepts) used at regular systematic intervals following the principle of spaced repetition.

Confused? Here’s how it works!

The learner places all the flashcards with the key concepts needed to be mastered in the most frequent box (labeled 1). He then proceeds to memorize these concepts. The cards he can successfully recall are then placed in a less frequent box (labeled 2) whilst those that he wasn’t able to recall successfully are kept in box 1. The learner then proceeds to relearn the concepts in box 1 first before box 2. Whenever concepts are recalled successfully, the card gets promoted to the less frequent box (box 3 and up). On the other hand, if concepts are not recalled successfully, the card gets demoted to the more frequent box (box 2 and lower).  Eventually, all flashcards should end up in box 5 which means that the Learner has successfully memorized all concepts successfully.

Box 1 (more frequent exposure) ------------- Box 5 (less frequent exposure)

You can successfully apply this method of learning to any concept or exam revision. For example, if your child is weak in Fractions, he or she should keep exposing himself to Fraction type questions more frequently. Assuming good explanations for the questions (such as those found on OwlSmart!), it will only be natural for your child to start performing better eventually due to increased familiarity with the key concepts.

The Leitner system is one of the reasons why doing past year papers remains an effective way to revise for any standardized examination. As the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.”