Three boxes. Less to learn every day.
You only study the cards you don't know yet. The cards you do know move on, until you can drop them.
All new cards start here. Know the answer? The card moves to box 2.
Know it again? On to box 3. Don't know it? Back to box 1.
Still know it? Then it's in your long-term memory.
Out of the box. One card less to learn.
The route of one card
What you need
Leitner learning boxes
A7 flashcards
A colour per subject
Questions
Why three boxes and not five?
Three boxes keep it simple enough to do every day. With study daily, repeat every 3 days and refresh after 5 days, most cards end up in your long-term memory.
Who invented the Leitner system?
The German science journalist Sebastian Leitner, in the 1970s. It builds on Hermann Ebbinghaus's research into the forgetting curve.
It's actually really simple
How does the Leitner system work?
Write your flashcards
Write a question, word or term on the front and the answer, translation or meaning on the back.
Tip: keep it short and clear, so it's easy to test yourself later. And you're already learning while you write. Nice bonus!
Divide your cards over 3 boxes
All flashcards start in Box 1. Know a card? It moves up a box. Get an answer wrong? No problem, the card simply goes back to Box 1.
- Box 1, every day: new cards and the ones you still find tricky.
- Box 2, every 3 days: cards you knew in Box 1.
- Box 3, every 5 days: cards you still knew in Box 2.
Repeat, repeat, repeat!
By reviewing cards at different moments, the information sticks better. You don't have to relearn everything every day, just the cards that are due. And you'll see more and more cards move up to the next box. That feels good!
Made to fit our flashcards
Our Leitner boxes make it even easier
To make the system as handy as possible, we designed our own Leitner boxes. Made to fit our flashcards exactly, and secretly also just really nice on your desk!
Each box holds up to 300 flashcards. Plenty of room to keep all your study material neatly organised. Order the boxes separately or choose a complete set with flashcards and boxes, so you can get started straight away.
Remember more, space it out
Why does it work so well?
Instead of cramming everything in one go, you review the information at different moments. That helps your brain remember the material for longer.
The method was developed by Sebastian Leitner and fits with research into how our memory works. German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that we often forget new information surprisingly quickly if we don't review it: the forgetting curve.
Luckily, you can do something about it. By bringing material back regularly, you remember it better and better. You repeat difficult cards more often and easy cards less often, so you use your study time much more wisely!
Write, learn, drop. You've got this!
Ready to study smarter?
With a stack of flashcards, three boxes and a bit of motivation, you'll get a long way.