The anti-memorization movement has left millions of students unable to think. Every little operation consumes their working memory. Higher-order thinking becomes impossible. Here’s an example: Solving an equation is like moving puzzle pieces around. When basic arithmetic is automatic, the pieces are easy to move. You can focus on figuring out how they fit together. But If you have to recalculate every basic fact, then every puzzle piece becomes a heavy weight. All your effort goes into lifting it. You have little brainpower left to figure out where it belongs. You can’t see the forest for the trees. The same thing happens all the way up math, from arithmetic to algebra to calculus and beyond. Each level builds on the skills below it. If those skills aren’t automatic, they’ll consume your brainpower. None will be left for higher-order thinking.

You can make serious progress with 30 minutes of deliberate practice, 4 days a week. But those have to be 30 minutes of full-assed work. Not 30 minutes of vaguely being near the material. Spread the sessions across the week. Four 30-minute sessions are better than one 2-hour long marathon. Short, frequent sessions make it easier to stay focused and build a habit. You also forget less and spend less time re-learning it. Treat math practice like lifting weights. You need to train near the edge of your abilities, and you need progressive overload. In math, solve challenging but achievable problems. As you improve, increase the difficulty. Your brain may feel like mush afterwards. Serious practice is mentally taxing. But if you consistently train at the right level, then what used to strain you will eventually become easy.

Beware of any curriculum that advances on time instead of mastery.