Spiraling Practice in Math: What It Is, Why It Works, and How to Use It

If you’ve ever browsed the When Math Happens curriculum, you may have noticed that spiraling practice is everywhere.

In our courses, we call these assignments Staying Fresh Problem Sets because we think that name makes more sense to students and parents.

So what exactly is spiraling practice, why do we use it so often, and how can you use it in your own math classroom?

What Is Spiraling Practice?

A spiraling practice set mixes problems from multiple math concepts.

Spiraling practice is a practice set that includes problems from multiple concepts rather than focusing on just one concept.

For example, a traditional practice set might have 10 problems that are all about solving equations.

A spiraling practice set might include:

• Solving equations

• Domain and range

• Graphing lines

• Using the quadratic formula

The key difference is that students are practicing different concepts within the same assignment.

This is also sometimes called spiral review, mixed practice, or interleaved practice.

The goal isn't to replace focused practice. Instead, spiraling gives students regular opportunities to return to concepts they learned previously and practice deciding which strategy to use.

Why Use Spiraling Practice in Math?

Spiraling gives students repeated opportunities to retrieve and apply previously learned concepts.

There are two big reasons we like spiraling practice: retrieval practice and mixed practice.

1. Spiraling gives students retrieval practice

Retrieval practice means asking students to recall information or skills they've learned previously rather than simply reviewing them again.

Research has consistently found that actively retrieving information can strengthen long-term learning and retention. The Institute of Education Sciences recommends using active retrieval throughout the learning process to help create long-lasting memory.

That's one reason we don't want students to practice a concept once and then never see it again.

Instead, students might learn a concept on Monday, practice it again later in the unit, and then encounter it again several weeks later in a Staying Fresh Problem Set.

Every time students have to retrieve the idea and use it, they're getting another opportunity to strengthen that learning.

You can even see the same idea outside of school.

When you meet someone new and learn their name, try recalling it tomorrow. Then try again a week later.

That act of pulling the information back out of your memory is different from simply seeing the person's name again.

Math works in much the same way.

2. Spiraling gives students mixed or interleaved practice

Spiraling also gives students practice with interleaving, which means mixing different types of problems instead of practicing one type repeatedly.

Imagine giving students 10 problems on solving equations. After the first few problems, they know exactly what they're supposed to do. The main challenge becomes executing the procedure.

Now imagine giving them 10 problems that include equations, graphing, domain and range, and quadratics.

Students have to stop and ask:

"What kind of problem is this, and what strategy should I use?"

That's an important mathematical skill.

Research on interleaving suggests that mixing problem types can help students learn to distinguish between different types of problems and select an appropriate strategy.

It also makes practice look more like an actual assessment, where students aren't told which procedure to use before they see the problem.

That's one of the reasons we think spiraling is such a valuable part of a math curriculum.

When Should You Use Spiraling Practice?

Although we use spiraling practice frequently, we don't start it on day one.

In our curriculum, the first Staying Fresh Problem Set doesn't appear until the second unit—around Day 16 in Algebra 1 and Day 11 in Geometry.

We do this intentionally.

Students need to have enough concepts under their belts before there's much to spiral. Once students have learned several concepts, however, we can start regularly bringing those ideas back.

And once spiraling begins, we use it often.

Sometimes an entire assignment is devoted to spiral review. Other times, we'll put a short spiral section on the back of an exit ticket or regular practice assignment.

There isn't a magic formula.

Sometimes students simply need focused practice on the concept you're teaching that day. That's completely appropriate.

Other times, students have had several days of focused practice and are ready to mix in previously learned concepts.

The question to ask is: Do my students need more practice with today's concept, or are they ready to retrieve and apply concepts they've already learned?

Spiraling Practice for Homework

If you assign homework, spiral review can also be a great option.

Because the problems are based on concepts students have already learned, homework becomes an opportunity to maintain and strengthen previous learning rather than simply extending whatever was taught that day.

How to Create an Effective Spiraling Practice Set

Assessment data can help teachers decide which concepts to include in spiral review.

So how do you decide which concepts to include?

For me, it comes down to three things:

1. Look at what students are struggling with

One of the best places to start is your assessment data.

For example, I often looked at class averages on our concept quizzes. If students were consistently struggling with a particular concept, that concept became a priority for future spiral practice.

You don't have to wait until a major test to discover that students need more practice.

Use the information you're already collecting.

2. Consider upcoming assessments

If a major assessment is coming up, increase the amount of practice students get with the concepts they'll be expected to know.

For example, if you're two weeks away from an Algebra 1 unit test, you might intentionally include several of the major concepts that will appear on that assessment in your spiral review.

3. Prioritize concepts that need to stick

Some concepts simply take longer for students to master.

Maybe students understand them during the unit but tend to forget them later.

Those are excellent candidates for spiraling.

In general, I try to prioritize the major concepts in the curriculum rather than spending a lot of spiral-review space on minor skills—unless that minor skill is important for an upcoming assessment.

You only have so much practice time. Get the most out of it.

How Difficult Should Spiraling Practice Be?

You can also adjust the difficulty of spiral problems over time.

When a concept first returns in a spiral assignment, consider using a relatively straightforward problem. The goal is to give students an opportunity to successfully retrieve the concept.

As you bring that concept back again, you can gradually increase the difficulty.

For example:

1. First appearance: Basic solving equation problem

2. Later: More complex equation with fractions

3. Later still: Equation embedded in a word problem

You can also think about the difficulty of the entire assignment, not just individual problems.

I like having a mixture of easier and more challenging questions.

Students should have to think, but they should also experience some easy wins along the way.

Spiraling Practice Doesn't Replace Focused Practice

One important point: spiraling practice isn't meant to replace focused practice.

Students still need opportunities to learn and practice a new concept before they're expected to retrieve it weeks later.

Think of the two approaches as working together:

Focused practice → initial learning → spaced retrieval → mixed practice → stronger long-term retention

The goal isn't to make every assignment a spiral.

The goal is to make sure important concepts don't disappear from students' practice just because the class has moved on to a new unit.

Ready-to-Use Spiraling Practice for Algebra 1 and Geometry

If you don't want to create every spiral review assignment from scratch, we've already done a lot of the work for you.

Check out the Algebra 1 and Geometry curriculum pages on When Math Happens and use the Routines filter.

Select Spiraling, and you'll see the lessons that include a Spiraling Practice assignment.

Find ready-to-use Spiraling Practice assignments in the When Math Happens curriculum.

You can use the assignments as they are or download a copy and edit them in Google Drive.

That's exactly why we built Staying Fresh Problem Sets into our curriculum: students shouldn't just learn math and move on. They should keep using it.