THE

DRILL AND PRACTICE

TEACHING STRATEGY
BY: JOSH NEWSOME
 THE DEFINITION

THE TERM DRILL AND PRACTICE IS DEFINED AS A METHOD OF INSTRUCTION CHARACTERIZED BY

SYSTEMATIC REPETITION OF CONCEPTS, EXAMPLES, AND PRACTICE PROBLEMS. DRILL AND
PRACTICE IS A DISCIPLINED AND REPETITIOUS EXERCISE, USED AS A MEAN OF TEACHING AND
PERFECTING A SKILL OR PROCEDURE.

• LIM, CHAP SAM, KEOW NGANG TANG, AND LIEW KEE KOR “DRILL AND PRACTICE IN LEARNING (AND BEYOND).” ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE SCIENCES
OF LEARNING. WEB. 3 JULY 2016. <HTTP://LINK.SPRINGER.COM/REFERENCEWORKENTRY/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_706>.
 EXAMPLES OF
WHERE
DRILL AND
PRACTICE
MAY BE USED
SCHOOLS USE THIS METHOD TO
BUILD A MEMORY INTO FACULTY AND
STUDENTS IN THE EVENT OF FIRE,
TORNADO, OR OTHER MATTERS
WHERE ADRENALINE AND STRESS CAN
SLOW OR DISABLE COGNITIVE
THOUGHT

ADDITION, SUBTRACTION AND

MULTIPLICATION TABLES FOR THE
PURPOSE OF MEMORIZATION.
 DRILL AND PRACTICE IN SPORTS

• SPORTS TEAMS USE THIS METHOD TO IMPROVE THE REACTION TIME OF

ATHLETES WHERE IN COMPETITION MILI-SECONDS CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE
OF POINTS OR PENALTIES
 THE U.S. ARMY
DRILL TEAM

• OUR ARMED FORCES USE THIS

METHOD OF TEACHING TO
IMPROVE MUSCLE MEMORY AND
TO BUILD COHESIVENESS IN A
GROUP OR TEAM SETTING
 HOW IS THIS STRATEGY IN A
CLASSROOM?
• DRILL-AND-PRACTICE, LIKE MEMORIZATION, INVOLVES REPETITION OF SPECIFIC
SKILLS AND SHOULD BE USED FOR BUILDING MORE MEANINGFUL LEARNING
• THIS METHOD OF TEACHING SHOULD BE USED FOR MORE BASIC LEARNING AND
NOT FOR MORE ABSTRACT THOUGHT
• A GREAT METHOD OF USING THIS METHOD IS COMPUTER ASSISTED
INSTRUCTION OR (CAI). THE BENEFIT IS THAT IT CAN BE TAILORED TO AN
INDIVIDUALS NEEDS TO HELP STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES.
COMPUTER GAMES ARE AVAILABLE TO AID IN THIS METHOD OF TEACHING TO
KEEP IT FUN, INTERESTING AND PROVIDE CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK
 PROS AND CONS
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• SUCCESSFUL WHEN TEACHING • THIS METHOD CAN BE SEEN AS
STUDENTS A SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE BORING AND MONOTONOUS IF
OVERUSED OR NOT STRUCTURE
• BENEFICIAL IN MEMORIZATION
PROPERLY
• A METHOD TO HONE SKILLS THAT • NOT EFFECTIVE WHEN STUDENTS ARE
NEED REPETITION FOR NOT PREPARED
IMPROVEMENT.
• TYPICALLY FOR MORE BASIC
• STUDENTS CAN USE THIS TECHNIQUE KNOWLEDGE
WITH ONE ANOTHER FOR SHARED • HAS BEEN USED AS A METHOD TO
Mohommed, Zakieh. “The Advantages
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. & Disadvantages of Practice & Drills in Teaching.”
IMPROVE TEST SCORES AT THE
seattlepi. Demand Media, 2016. Web. 3 July 2016.
EXPENSE OF LEARNING
<http://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-disadvantages-practice-drills-teaching-
3685.html>.