Real-world learning contexts sometimes require the use of general knowledge, whereas others depend on recalling detailed information about individual events. By combining category learning with trial-unique source information, we examined how different learning sequences (blocked vs. interleaved) impact the acquisition of generalized (category-level) and detailed (exemplar-specific) knowledge. Participants were trained to identify paintings by different artists, half of which were studied in a sequence blocked by artist and the remainder interleaved between artists. Participants were tested on general knowledge (category induction) and detailed memory (source recall), both immediately after learning and a 1-week delay. We found that interleaved learning improved general knowledge, but blocked learning improved detailed memory. Furthermore, we found that general knowledge remained stable whereas detailed memory performance declined after a delay. Our results indicate that optimal training conditions differ based on the goals of learning such as enhancing general knowledge or improving memory of individual event details.

A century ago, spelling skills were highly valued and widely taught in schools using traditional methods, such as weekly lists, drill exercises, and low- and high-stakes spelling tests. That approach was featured in best-selling textbooks such as the Horn-Ashbaugh Speller of 1920. In the early 21st century, however, skepticism as to the importance of spelling has grown, some schools have deemphasized or abandoned spelling instruction altogether, and there has been a proliferation of non-traditional approaches to teaching spelling. These trends invite a reevaluation of the role of spelling in modern English-speaking societies and whether the subject should be explicitly taught (and if so, what are research-supported methods for doing so). In this article we examine the literature to address whether spelling skills are still important enough to be taught, summarize relevant evidence, and argue that a comparison of common approaches to spelling instruction in the early 20th century versus more recent approaches provides some valuable insights. We also discuss the value of explicit spelling instruction and highlight potentially effective ways to implement such instruction, including the use of spelling tests. Overall, our goals are to better characterize the role of spelling skills in today’s society and to identify several pedagogical approaches—some derived from traditional methods and others that are more recent—that hold promise for developing such skills in efficient and effective ways.