Learners can select the correct answer from memory (higher challenge). Alternatively, you can scaffold the activity by making it multiple choice. I worked with the British Council as Connecting Classrooms Co-ordinator 2015-2016. I was a WJEC History GCSE Examiner 2014, 2015 and 2016. Organiser and host of #TeachMeetNorthWales & #TMHistoryIcons. Voted as a finalist for the 2018 Middle East Education Influencer award. Another role I really enjoyed was being a Governor on the Advisory Board at Manor Hall International School Al Ain, Abu Dhabi from 2017- 2019. They’ll tell you about how funny it was to think about Alexander having a Nando’s. Some children may not get the joke and actually think Alexander the Great did eat Nando’s. Instead, what we are trying to do is deliberately interrupt the forgetting curve. It is better to think of this regular quizzing as a student learning event in itself, as opposed to an assessment.

In August 2019 I relocated to Abu Dhabi to become Head of History at the not-for-profit, leading co-educational and non-selective school The British School Al Khubairat. I love this school. Try throwing in some questions where the answer is already correct (ie where something is the same in both dimensions) and see if they notice! Memorise this… If you’re teaching a mixed-ability class, try and include some questions that all students should be able to answer. You can also include some more challenging ones that require more in-depth answers. Be fair and allow one repeat, but students can’t repeat the same thing as the person that spoke before them. Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom, by Daniel Willingham

This book is the definitive one-stop shop for all things Retrieval Practice. Kate Jones covers the seminal research in a clear way and then uses her experience in the classroom to illustrate how to translate it into practice. This book will be of interest to everyone in Teaching & Learning as it covers other important areas that are linked to memory, such as spacing, interleaving and dual coding. Who is this book for? In the classroom, this means that we shouldn’t be entirely surprised (or cross) by our pupils struggling to recall their initial learning from yesterday’s lesson. Indeed, it is an inevitable and perfectly natural part of the learning process. Design five to eight questions that help students practise retrieving their knowledge on the topic from memory and applying it to answer the question. So, while quizzing may not be the flashiest or most fashionable classroom activity, there is an abundance of science outlining the learning rewards. Mistakes to avoid

The researchers found that the power of retrieval practice to prepare students for tests held even when they took the tests under extremely stressful conditions. Coach & mentor: I work with colleagues across Primary and Secondary schools specialising in teaching and learning linked to educational research, the science of learning, literacy across the curriculum, edtech with Apple, Microsoft and Google technologies. I also support senior leaders and teachers with professional development.

Our Review Summary

I designed the retrieval practice challenge grid to help you purposefully revisit subject knowledge and content previously studied. If you have already read this book or are looking to expand your knowledge of teaching practices further, we recommend reading: We are all familiar with the ‘five a day’ message as it applies to including portions of fruit and/or vegetables as part of our daily routine to stay healthy. This book is a one-stop shop for all things Retrieval Practice. Kate Jones covers seminal research in a clear way and uses her experience in the classroom to illustrate how to translate it into practice. Anyone interested in Teaching & Learning will benefit from this book, which covers important areas linked to memory such as Spacing, Interleaving, and Dual Coding. Ideas for retrieval practise tasks for languages inspired by ‘Retrieval Practice’ by Kate Jones Majority of the templates collated by http://learninglinguist.co.uk/ .