Phone use during lessons and frequent task-switching reduce note-taking, recall and test scores. Removing the phone is cheaper than any engagement technique.
Evidence (from the book, see source note for studies)
- No-phone students: 62% more notes, better detailed recall, ~1.5 grades higher.
- Switching between tasks: 30–40% performance loss in one study.
- Short, idle breaks after learning help consolidation.
Classroom moves (Claude)
- Phone box or face-down rule during input and practice; phones allowed only as a planned tool (dictionary, recording speaking).
- Single-task homework instructions: one task, one place, one time block.
Connections
Phone-based childhood - what it means for teen classrooms · Teaching is the management of attention · Handwriting beats typing for encoding