Retrieval Practice is a powerful strategy that improves learning by pulling information out of students' heads. Allowing students to quickly connect learning in both a flexible and low stakes way has been shown to have a huge impact on long-term achievement. Learning is not about what you put into the brain but what you can retrieve and take out. Integrating retrieval practice into instruction offers student's the opportunity to transfer knowledge and apply it to what they already know.
Two quick strategies to integrate Retrieval Practice into your virtual, hybrid or in person teaching environment are Brain Dumps and Two Things.
1. Brain Dumps
At any point during a learning session, pause and ask students to write down everything they can remember about the topic you are learning about. Students are given a short period of time to write and just "dump" their thoughts. Click here to make a copy of my Brain Dump Form. It has a timer built into it, so the students can begin the activity on their own.
Two quick strategies to integrate Retrieval Practice into your virtual, hybrid or in person teaching environment are Brain Dumps and Two Things.
1. Brain Dumps
At any point during a learning session, pause and ask students to write down everything they can remember about the topic you are learning about. Students are given a short period of time to write and just "dump" their thoughts. Click here to make a copy of my Brain Dump Form. It has a timer built into it, so the students can begin the activity on their own.
2. Two Things
At any point in a learning session, ask students to write down two things in response to a specific prompt. Possible prompts include: What are two things you have learned so far today? What are two things you learned yesterday (or last week) that connect to today's learning? What are two takeaways from this unit thus far? What are two things that you might want to explore further? What are two things from your own life that relate to today's lesson? Click here to make a copy of my 2 Things form. You can edit your copy or use it as is.
Consider integrating either of these strategies while also using "Think, Pair, Share", having the Brain Dump or 2 Things strategy be the "Think" stage in the process.
At any point in a learning session, ask students to write down two things in response to a specific prompt. Possible prompts include: What are two things you have learned so far today? What are two things you learned yesterday (or last week) that connect to today's learning? What are two takeaways from this unit thus far? What are two things that you might want to explore further? What are two things from your own life that relate to today's lesson? Click here to make a copy of my 2 Things form. You can edit your copy or use it as is.
Consider integrating either of these strategies while also using "Think, Pair, Share", having the Brain Dump or 2 Things strategy be the "Think" stage in the process.
3. Retrieval Grid Challengs
The Retrieval Practice Challenge Grid that Kate Jones created can be used at the start of a lesson with a range questions that require students to retrieve and recall information from last lesson, last week and even further back.
An example of the Retrieval Practice Challenge Grid being used in math is shown by @MsJonesEdu.
Templates to create your own Retrieval Challenge Grid were made available by Mark Anderson and can be accessed here.
Leveraging the research of cognitive scientists like @PoojaAgarwal will boost the learning in any classroom. (Additional strategies can be found in Retrievalpractice.org guide "How to Use Retrieval Practices to Improve Learning") I have not read her book yet, Powerful Teaching, but it's on my list for winter break.
If you have additional strategies that you have found to be effective, please share them below.
RSS Feed
