Suggestions for designing instructional practice activities, based on prominent instructional theories, are reviewed, and this is followed by a synthesis, in the form of a set of prescriptions for designing practice for various types of learning outcomes. The review of theories includes behaviorism and George Gropper's instructional model; Gagne and Briggs's classification of five types of learning tasks and nine events of instruction; Merrill's component display theory; cognitive research concerning automaticity, interference, spacing of practice and review sessions, and learning of meaningless material; and John M. Keller's work on motivation. The synthesis is represented by a matrix containing prescriptions for practicing nine different types of content: (1) facts; (2) paired associations; (3) names or labels; (4) connected discourse; (5) organized knowledge; (6) concrete concepts; (7) defined concepts; (8) rules and principles; and (9) procedures. For each type of learning material, suggestions are made about the following concerns: practice format; number of items involved; automaticity; motivational considerations; media requirements; learner strategies; and variations between early and final practice. (PN)