What learning techniques are the most efficient?

Children learn best when they participate, not when they passively listen and take in information. This is the foundation of active teaching and learning — an approach that encourages learners to think, speak, move, and respond.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it was found that students in active learning environments performed significantly better than those in traditional lecture-based classrooms (Freeman et al.,2014). This research confirms what many educators already observe in their classrooms: Involvement and participation strengthens understanding. 

In a recent study of over 130 Novakid teachers, their classroom experience echoed these findings. 

• 98.5% said total physical response (TPR) is effective for teaching English to children
• 96.2% said repetition is effective 
• 96.2% said everyday conversation practice is effective 
• 97% said guided listening tasks are effective

These results highlight that the most effective learning strategies are interactive, communicative, and most of all, engaging. 

Read more about how Novakid differs from other English courses, and why it is engaging and effective here. 

One of the most powerful and helpful study techniques for long-term retention is active recall. Instead of simply reviewing information, learners retrieve it from their memory. 

Cognitive psychology research strongly supports this approach. A study by Reedier and Karpicke (2006) found that students who practised retrieval retained significantly more information over time than those who repeatedly reread the material. Similarly, a review conducted by Dunlosky et al. (2013) found that practice testing and distributed practice were some of the most effective study techniques for long-lasting learning. 

In practical terms, this is why tools like flashcards are so effective. In our study, 92.5% of Novakid teachers reported that flashcards (both digital and physical) are effective for teaching English. Flashcards require students to retrieve vocabulary or concepts actively which strengthens neural pathways each time. 

Sentence frames and repetition patterns also support retrieval. Notably, 98.5% of Novakid teachers said structured sentence patterns are effective for teaching English to children. These strategies transform review into active mental work, which leads to lasting memory retention. 

Repetition is often misunderstood. It is not about drilling words mechanically, but rather about revisiting language in varied and meaningful contexts. 

Our study found that 96.2% of Novakid teachers consider repetition to be an effective method of teaching English. Research supports this as well. Dunlosky et al. (2013) emphasised that distributed practice — spacing repetition over time — is one of the most reliable effective study techniques for strengthening memory. 

When repetition is combined with active learning techniques, such as speaking, role play, or guided listening, it reinforces learning without becoming monotonous. Purposeful repetition ensures that language moves from short-term exposure into long-term memory. 

Learn more about why repetition is important in learning English here. 

Movement plays a powerful role in how children retain information. TPR is based on the idea that second-language learning mirrors first-language development in that children listen and respond physically before they learn to speak. 

This approach reduces pressure on the learner and builds comprehension first — a principle aligned with natural language acquisition. 

It is no surprise then that 98.5% of Novakid teachers identified TPR as effective for teaching English to children. Movement connects language to physical action, creating multi sensory memory pathways. 

Among active learning strategies, movement-based learning stands out as one of the most effective learning strategies for young learners because it combines engagement, memory, and confidence building. 

Learn more about how Novakid teachers use TPR in class here.

Lasting learning also depends on strong foundations. The National Reading Panel (2000) found that systematic phonics instruction significantly improves children’s reading and spelling development. This evidence supports phonic-based instruction as one of the best study techniques for building literacy skills in English. 

Interestingly 98.5% of Novakid teachers agree that phonics-based instruction is effective in teaching English to children. Phonics teaches children how sounds connect to the letter symbols. To become fluent in English literacy, a solid phonic foundation is necessary for long term success. 

Language is meant to be used. That’s why conversation-based activities are considered some of the most helpful study techniques for lasting development. 

Our Novakid teachers overwhelming support communicative learning: 

• 96.2% said everyday conversation practice is effective
• 97.7% said interactive worksheets and whiteboards are effective
• 96.2% said online interactive games are effective 

These approaches reflect modern active teaching and learning methods, where students practise listening, speaking, and responding in real time. 

When children actively use English in meaningful exchanges, they strengthen fluency, confidence, and long-term retention. 

A picture of two children greeting each other as they walk past one another on a sidewalk. The speech bubbles indicate what they are saying. Something like: “Hello Jane, how are you?” “I am good thanks Mary. How are you?”

Across cognitive science and our own classroom research, the most effective learning strategies share common characteristics: 

• They require active participation 
• They involve retrieval and recall 
• They use spaced repetition 
• They combine listening, speaking, and movement 
• They connect language to real-life communication 

In short, the most effective study techniques are not passive. They are interactive, structured, and engaging. 

If you are searching for the best study techniques to support your child’s English learning, focus on strategies grounded in research and classroom experience. 

From active recall studying techniques like flashcards and guided questioning, to movement-based active learning techniques such as TPR, to structured phonics instruction and meaningful conversation practice, evidence consistency points to one conclusion:  Learning lasts when children are actively involved. 

At Novakid, we combine active learning strategies, movement-based teaching, phonics instruction, and communicative practice to help children build real, lasting confidence in English. 

Book a FREE trial lesson today and discover how our expert teachers use the most effective study techniques to make learning, engaging, interactive, and fun!

Sources

1. John Dunlosky, Katherine A Rawson, Elizabeth J Marsh, Mitchell J Nathan and Daniel T Willingham, ‘Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology’, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14/1 (2013), 4–58
   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1529100612453266 accessed 24 February 2026.
2. Scott Freeman et al., ‘Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111/23 (2014), 8410–8415
   https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1319030111 accessed 24 February 2026.
3. Henry L Roediger III and Jeffrey D Karpicke, ‘Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention’, Psychological Science, 17/3 (2006), 249–255
   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x accessed 24 February 2026.
4. National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction (Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000)
   https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf accessed 24 February 2026.