Effects of First-Grade Number Knowledge Tutoring With Contrasting Forms of Practice
Fuchs, L. S., Geary, D. C., Compton, D. L., et al. · 2013
grade Brctdeveloper-ledunreplicatednumbers spot-checked
Sample
591 at-risk first graders (195 speeded / 190 nonspeeded / 206 control)
Population
At-risk US first graders; 16 weeks, 3x/week tutoring.
Design
Both arms got identical 25-min conceptual number-knowledge tutoring; the contrast is 5 min of SPEEDED retrieval practice vs nonspeeded principle-based practice games. The single best causal test of timed vs untimed practice.
Key findings
Adding 5 minutes of speeded retrieval practice to conceptual tutoring beat identical tutoring with untimed practice (d=0.51 head-to-head), with NO word-problem cost and no attitude/motivation differences — and it specifically helped weak reasoners compensate. Direct causal counterevidence to the anti-timed-practice claims (anxiety unmeasured).
Genetic confound
Randomized. The ATI: timed practice reduced outcome dependence on (heritable) reasoning ability — a compensatory, gap-narrowing interaction.
Replication notes
Numbers verified (N=591 corrected). Direction converges with Powell 2009 and the Number Rockets replication; no independent replication of the specific speeded-vs-nonspeeded contrast.
DOI / URL
10.1037/a0030127
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic: speeded vs nonspeeded (head-to-head) | d | 0.51 (0.87 vs control; nonspeeded 0.38 vs control) | researcher-designed | end of treatment | active-alternative | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Word problems: speeded vs nonspeeded | d | 0.04 (ns) — NO cost of timed practice | researcher-designed | end of treatment | active-alternative | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Aptitude-treatment interaction | pattern | speeded gains UNIFORM across reasoning ability; nonspeeded gains reasoning-dependent — speeded practice lets weak reasoners compensate | researcher-designed | end of treatment | active-alternative | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Attitudes/motivation/effort | condition differences | none | researcher-designed | end of treatment | active-alternative | end-of-treatment | non-cognitive |
Cited by
- Math-fact fluency and timed practice (and the anti-timed-test claims)strong supportconf: highgc: low
- Word problems, schema instruction, and the conceptual-vs-procedural questionmoderate supportconf: highgc: low