Abstract: Practice is clearly essential for acquiring cognitive skills of almost any kind. Yet despite this laudable clam ‘practice’ is a contentious issue, especially in mathematics where some educators associate practice negatively with drill routines. While practice which focuses on rote memorization without any modicum of understanding is universally decried there is still much debate as to the nature and balance of effective practice in the mathematics classroom. Increased awareness of the purpose and probable learning outcomes of practice activities would be advantageous. In light if recent research that suggests that the distinction between memorising and understanding may not be clear-cut at least in some countries, this paper examines the nature and relationship of practice to memory and understanding.