diff --git a/spacy/cli/train.py b/spacy/cli/train.py
index bba972df1..8a90b8b7d 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/train.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/train.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from timeit import default_timer as timer
 from ..tokens.doc import Doc
 from ..scorer import Scorer
 from ..gold import GoldParse, merge_sents
-from ..gold import GoldCorpus
+from ..gold import GoldCorpus, minibatch
 from ..util import prints
 from .. import util
 from .. import displacy
@@ -53,44 +53,38 @@ def train(_, lang, output_dir, train_data, dev_data, n_iter=20, n_sents=0,
     if no_parser and 'dependencies' in pipeline: pipeline.remove('dependencies')
     if no_entities and 'entities' in pipeline: pipeline.remove('entities')
 
+    # Take dropout and batch size as generators of values -- dropout
+    # starts high and decays sharply, to force the optimizer to explore.
+    # Batch size starts at 1 and grows, so that we make updates quickly
+    # at the beginning of training.
+    dropout_rates = util.decaying(util.env_opt('dropout_from', 0.0),
+                                  util.env_opt('dropout_to', 0.0),
+                                  util.env_opt('dropout_decay', 0.0))
+    batch_sizes = util.compounding(util.env_opt('batch_from', 1),
+                                   util.env_opt('batch_to', 64),
+                                   util.env_opt('batch_compound', 1.001))
+
     nlp = lang_class(pipeline=pipeline)
     corpus = GoldCorpus(train_path, dev_path, limit=n_sents)
-
-    dropout = util.env_opt('dropout', 0.0)
-    dropout_decay = util.env_opt('dropout_decay', 0.0)
-    orig_dropout = dropout
+    n_train_docs = corpus.count_train()
 
     optimizer = nlp.begin_training(lambda: corpus.train_tuples, use_gpu=use_gpu)
-    n_train_docs = corpus.count_train()
-    batch_size = float(util.env_opt('min_batch_size', 4))
-    max_batch_size = util.env_opt('max_batch_size', 64)
-    batch_accel = util.env_opt('batch_accel', 1.001)
+
     print("Itn.\tDep. Loss\tUAS\tNER P.\tNER R.\tNER F.\tTag %\tToken %")
     for i in range(n_iter):
-        with tqdm.tqdm(total=n_train_docs) as pbar:
-            train_docs = corpus.train_docs(nlp, shuffle=i, projectivize=True,
-                                           gold_preproc=False)
+        with tqdm.tqdm(total=corpus.count_train()) as pbar:
+            train_docs = corpus.train_docs(nlp, projectivize=True,
+                                           gold_preproc=False, shuffle=i)
             losses = {}
-            idx = 0
-            while idx < n_train_docs:
-                batch = list(cytoolz.take(int(batch_size), train_docs))
-                if not batch:
-                    break
+            for batch in minibatch(train_docs, size=batch_sizes):
                 docs, golds = zip(*batch)
-                nlp.update(docs, golds, drop=dropout, sgd=optimizer, losses=losses)
+                nlp.update(docs, golds, sgd=optimizer,
+                           drop=next(dropout_rates), losses=losses)
                 pbar.update(len(docs))
-                idx += len(docs)
-                batch_size *= batch_accel
-                batch_size = min(batch_size, max_batch_size)
-                dropout = linear_decay(orig_dropout, dropout_decay, i*n_train_docs+idx)
+
         with nlp.use_params(optimizer.averages):
-            start = timer()
             scorer = nlp.evaluate(corpus.dev_docs(nlp, gold_preproc=False))
-            end = timer()
-            n_words = scorer.tokens.tp + scorer.tokens.fn
-            assert n_words != 0
-            wps = n_words / (end-start)
-        print_progress(i, losses, scorer.scores, wps=wps)
+        print_progress(i, losses, scorer.scores)
     with (output_path / 'model.bin').open('wb') as file_:
         with nlp.use_params(optimizer.averages):
             dill.dump(nlp, file_, -1)
@@ -118,7 +112,6 @@ def print_progress(itn, losses, dev_scores, wps=0.0):
     tpl = '\t'.join((
         '{:d}',
         '{dep_loss:.3f}',
-        '{tag_loss:.3f}',
         '{uas:.3f}',
         '{ents_p:.3f}',
         '{ents_r:.3f}',