Drill and skill building

Drill has a place in building specific skills, particularly in cases where fluency is desired or memorization is required. When using drill as a teaching technique, it is helpful to measure the student's outcome so they can see their progress. The outcome can even be graphed to see progress visually over time.

Some examples of subjects in which drill is a useful technique:

multiplication tables: fluency in multiplication is very useful in higher mathematics
spelling lists: because English is a non-phonetic language
geography: state capitals, countries by continent, etc
typing practice
musical scales
passing drills in soccer or basketball

Of course, drill should not be overused and should not take the place of project-based learning or other techniques that involve deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Sometimes, letting the student be physically active during drill work can improve concentration, such as letting a young child bounce on a bed or jump rope while answering verbal math questions.