Tag: retrieval practice

Old-School Teaching Techniques Are Back!

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback)

Illustrated by Sutthiya Lertyongphati

Accompanying podcast episode:

For years, the narrative in education was clear: more technology means better learning. Classrooms filled with devices, digital textbooks replaced print, and innovation was measured in the number of screens a school could acquire.

Now, after a decade of high-tech experimentation, something fascinating is happening.

Teachers are rediscovering the power of traditional, low-tech methods. Not because they are nostalgic, but because research is proving that these approaches work. As Dylan Wiliam said,

“Not all innovations improve learning. Sometimes, the most effective tools are the simplest.” – Dylan Wiliam

The future of teaching might just look a little like the past.

1. Simplicity Improves Thinking

Too much digital stimulation can overload working memory and reduce focus. According to the Education Endowment Foundation (2020), simplifying lesson design leads to better learning outcomes, especially in problem solving subjects.

Sometimes a whiteboard and a pen allow deeper thinking than a touchscreen ever could.

2. Handwriting Helps Students Remember More

The research is clear: writing notes by hand improves memory and understanding.

“Writing by hand is a stronger cognitive process than typing.”
– Dr. Virginia Berninger

Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) found that handwritten notes encourage students to summarise and process information, which boosts long-term recall.

When students write by hand, they engage more brain systems than when typing.

3. Teacher-Led Instruction Works

Student autonomy can have a place in education (especially for older students), but explicit teaching often leads to stronger progress.

“Direct instruction is one of the most powerful teaching tools available to educators.”
– Barak Rosenshine

Reports from the Institute of Education Sciences (2018) show that clear modelling and guided practice significantly increase achievement in literacy and numeracy.

4. Retrieval Practice Builds Long-Term Knowledge

There is a reason that quizzes, tests and assessments are back with a vengeance.

“Testing is not a mere assessment tool. It is a learning event.”
– Henry L. Roediger III

Roediger and Karpicke (2006) found that retrieval practice produces far better retention than re-reading or highlighting.

Flashcards and low-stakes quizzes are not outdated. They are brain-friendly.

5. Balance Matters More Than Tech Integration

Digital tools can enhance learning, but they are not magic.

“Technology amplifies great teaching but cannot replace it.”
– John Hattie

Hattie’s Visible Learning meta-analyses (2018) reveal that teacher clarity has a much bigger impact on achievement than technology alone.

Tech is a support. Not the star of the show.

6. Routines Make Students Feel Safe

Predictability allows students to focus on learning rather than uncertainty.

“Structure creates freedom for students to learn.”
– Doug Lemov

Research by Lemov (2021) shows that routines reduce stress and waste less instructional time. Consider building routines for homework, lesson structures, topic reviews, journaling and anything else that may be appropriate.

Are your classroom routines truly embedded?

7. Printed Text Creates Deeper Reading

Screens encourage quick scrolling. Paper encourages processing.

“Digital reading encourages skimming. Print encourages deep reading.”
– Dr Maryanne Wolf

A University of Maryland meta-analysis (2018) found that print improves comprehension, especially when reading for detail or analysis.

8. Human Connection Is the Ultimate Educational Technology

The best learning happens in positive relationships.

“A teacher’s relationship with students is the single biggest factor in classroom success.”
– Robert Marzano

Marzano (2003) found that strong teacher-student relationships equate to several additional months of learning per year.

9. Back to Basics Because Basics Matter

Employers are noticing that many young people lack essential skills.

“Foundational skills are not optional. They are prerequisites for advanced learning.”
– OECD Education Directorate

The OECD Skills Outlook (2021) reports global declines in basic numeracy and literacy. Schools are responding by emphasising phonics, fluency and vocabulary again.

Employers are increasingly reporting that fresh graduates lack basic, essential skills.

10. Paper Helps Students Focus

Digital distraction is now one of the biggest challenges in education.

“Students today face unprecedented levels of distraction. Simpler tools help them concentrate.”
– Dr Larry Rosen

Common Sense Media (2022) reports that teens check their phones more than 100 times per day. A paper worksheet can feel like a break for their brains.

11. Blended Learning Works Best When it is Light on Tech

John Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory reminds us that unnecessary complexity restricts learning efficiency.

“Effective teaching is about the intentional selection of methods, not the novelty of tools.”
– John Sweller

The best classrooms blend traditional and digital strategies with purpose.

12. Old-School Methods Now Look Fresh and Innovative

There is a delightful irony in the fact that traditional methods feel new again.

“The future of learning is a balanced classroom where tradition and innovation work together.”
– Sir Ken Robinson

UNESCO (2021) recommends hybrid approaches that keep human interaction at the heart of learning while allowing technology to support, not dominate.

Final Thought

Old-school is not old-fashioned. It is evidence-based.

The lesson schools are learning today is simple: The best methods are the ones that help students think deeply, connect with others, and remember what they learn.

Oftentimes that means closing the laptop and opening a notebook.

Bibliography and References

  1. Common Sense Media (2022) Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences. San Francisco: Common Sense Media.
  2. Education Endowment Foundation (2020) Cognitive Load: Using Instructional Approaches to Reduce Learners Mental Burden. London: EEF.
  3. Hattie, J. (2018) Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 1,400 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge.
  4. Institute of Education Sciences (2018) What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Reports. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
  5. Lemov, D. (2021) Teach Like a Champion 3.0. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
    Marzano, R.J. (2003) What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
  6. Mueller, P.A. and Oppenheimer, D.M. (2014) The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), pp.1159 to 1168.
  7. OECD (2021) OECD Skills Outlook. Paris: OECD Publishing.
  8. Roediger, H.L. and Karpicke, J.D. (2006) Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), pp.249 to 255.
  9. Sweller, J. (2019) Cognitive Load Theory and Educational Technology. Educational Technology Research and Development, 67(2), pp.507 to 528.
  10. University of Maryland (2018) Print vs Digital Reading: A Meta-Analysis on Comprehension. College Park: UMD.
  11. Wiliam, D. (2016) Leadership for Teacher Learning. West Palm Beach, FL: Learning Sciences International.
  12. Wolf, M. (2018) Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World. New York: HarperCollins.
  13. UNESCO (2021) Futures of Education: Learning to Become. Paris: UNESCO.

10 Tips to Help High School Students Achieve High Performance

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post is illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Success in high school is not just about hard work: it’s about working smart, using proven strategies that boost learning, memory, and motivation. Here are 10 powerful tips, distilled from years of classroom experience and research-backed methods, to help students achieve their full potential.

Tip 1: Use Retrieval Practice with the P.O.W.E.R. Method

Retrieval practice strengthens memory and deepens understanding. The P.O.W.E.R. method offers a step-by-step approach:

  • Prime the mind with mind maps and summaries.
  • Organize thoughts using mnemonics, diagrams, and structured notes.
  • Wrestle with challenging recall questions in a low-stakes environment.
  • Evaluate progress using self-assessment tools like traffic lights or digital journals.
  • Reinforce learning through hands-on, real-world tasks.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2024/01/14/introducing-the-p-o-w-e-r-method-of-retrieval-practice/

Tip 2: Deliver Clear, Focused Lessons

Clarity in teaching is essential. Share resources before lessons, use simple and organized slides, and avoid overwhelming students with too much or irrelevant information. Speak clearly and slowly, reinforce key terms, and use everyday language to explain complex concepts. Focused activities and careful resource selection also boost lesson effectiveness.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2021/03/07/8-ways-to-increase-lesson-clarity/

Tip 3: Make Learning Fun with Games

Variety in lessons keeps students engaged. Incorporate games like Splat, Mystery Word, Bingo, and True or False Walls to reinforce key concepts in a fun and interactive way. These activities not only motivate students but also enhance their recall and application of knowledge.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2019/05/26/10-learning-games-to-play-with-your-students-secret-number-8/

Tip 4: Encourage Learning Journals

Learning journals promote reflection and metacognition. Students can track their progress, note areas for improvement, and set goals. Journals also provide valuable feedback for teachers and encourage ownership of learning.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/02/18/learning-journals-a-powerful-student-feedback-system/

Tip 5: Use Interleaving for Deeper Learning

Instead of focusing on one topic at a time (blocked practice), interleave different topics and question types. This improves problem-solving skills and helps students see connections between concepts. Interleaving has been shown to enhance long-term retention and adaptability.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/03/09/how-interleaving-works-universal-strategies-for-secondary-school-classroom-practice/

Tip 6: Apply Question Level Analysis (QLA)

QLA allows students to analyze their performance question by question, identifying specific strengths and weaknesses. This targeted approach helps students focus their revision on areas that need the most improvement, leading to more efficient study habits.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2019/01/27/what-is-question-level-analysis/

Tip 7: Promote Peer and Self-Assessment

Encourage students to assess their own and each other’s work. This develops critical thinking, helps them understand marking criteria, and builds a deeper awareness of quality work. When done correctly, it empowers students to take responsibility for their progress.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/02/11/peer-or-self-assessment-benefits-and-challenges/

Tip 8: Give Effective Feedback

Timely, specific, and actionable feedback is key to student improvement. Focus on what the student did well, what needs to improve, and how to move forward. Feedback should be an ongoing dialogue, not a one-time event, and should encourage growth mindsets.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2022/11/04/effective-feedback-the-catalyst-of-student-progress/

Tip 9: Help Students Organize Information

Teach students how to structure their notes and study materials. Tools like mind maps, graphic organizers, and timelines make complex information easier to understand and remember. Organized learning enhances clarity and confidence.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/09/28/five-ways-to-organize-information/

Richard’s Award-Winning Book for High School Teachers

Tip 10: Motivate Students with Positive Reinforcement

Motivation is crucial for high performance. Use praise, rewards, meaningful goals, and real-life relevance to inspire students. Show them how their learning connects to their future ambitions, and create an environment where effort is recognized and celebrated.

Read more, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/11/04/10-easy-ways-to-motivate-your-students/

Conclusion

These strategies, when combined, create a powerful framework for academic success. By embedding these tips into daily teaching and learning routines, students can build the skills, mindset, and confidence they need to excel.

Like what you see? 🎯 Check out my shop for unique merchandise and products that support this blog. Every purchase helps me keep creating content you love. – Richard

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram for the latest news, blog posts and commentary.

How Interleaving Works: Universal Strategies for Secondary School Classroom Practice

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post is illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

In my twenty years of teaching, I’ve come across numerous pedagogical techniques designed to boost student learning, but few have been as transformative as interleaving. This technique, backed by cognitive science, has the power to enhance long-term retention and application of knowledge: yet it remains underutilised in many secondary school classrooms. Today, I want to explore generalisable rules for interleaving (a structured approach that any secondary school teacher can apply) and one that, to my knowledge, has never been formally outlined before. Out of all of the blog posts I have written to-date, this one has taken me the largest amount of time to research, collate and delineate. I hope that secondary school teachers everywhere will find this guide to be highly practical and transformative. A full bibliography of the research I have cited can be found at the end of this article.

What is Interleaving?

Let’s begin by first exploring this fundamental question: What is Interleaving?

Interleaving is a cognitive learning strategy that involves mixing different topics or types of problems within a single learning session, as opposed to traditional blocked practice, where students focus on one topic at a time before moving on to the next. Research suggests that interleaving improves students’ ability to discriminate between problem types, enhances problem-solving skills, and leads to stronger long-term retention (Rohrer & Taylor, 2007). As many of my readers will remember from an earlier blog post of mine, problem-solving is often a key characteristic of lessons in which deep learning (as opposed to surface learning) takes place.

From my own experience, I first stumbled upon the power of interleaving when preparing my Year 11 students for their IGCSE Maths exams. Rather than structuring revision lessons in the typical topic-by-topic format, I began mixing algebra, geometry, and statistics problems within the same lesson. Initially, students found this challenging, but over time, their ability to recall and apply concepts in different contexts improved dramatically. This worked particularly well when students had finished several topics during their revision sessions, prior to me bringing it all together within interleaved lessons.

The Science Behind Interleaving

Cognitive scientists suggest that interleaving works because it forces students to retrieve and apply knowledge in varied contexts, preventing passive learning and improving memory consolidation (Bjork & Bjork, 2011). A landmark study by Pan et al. (2019) found that interleaved practice led to better exam performance in secondary school students, particularly in subjects like mathematics and science where problem-solving skills are crucial.

Generalisable Rules for Interleaving in Secondary School Classrooms

Despite its effectiveness, interleaving can be difficult to implement without a structured approach. Based on research and my own classroom experiences, I propose the following generalisable rules for effective interleaving in secondary education:

#1: Mix, Don’t Isolate

Traditionally, subjects are taught in blocks, but interleaving requires deliberately mixing topics within lessons or across study sessions. For example:

  • In a Maths lesson, combine algebra, probability, and geometry problems instead of teaching them separately.
  • In Science, integrate questions on biology, chemistry, and physics in practice exercises.
  • In English, interleave different types of writing tasks (e.g. descriptive writing, persuasive essays, and analytical responses) within the same lesson.

In my experience, I have found that interleaving works best if you can connect the separate topics in some way, or if the topics themselves are closely related. In certain cases, project work in groups can lend itself well to interleaved exploration, provided that source material has been directly taught beforehand.

#2: Vary the Practice

Students should not only mix topics but also engage in different types of questions and formats. This can be achieved through:

  • Interleaved homework: Assign practice problems from multiple topics rather than focusing on just one.
  • Mixed-question assessments: Instead of unit-based tests, include questions from previous topics to reinforce cumulative learning. If you really must use unit tests, then try to include interleaved questions, or at least some questions that assess knowledge gained in previous units.
  • Diverse activities: Use a combination of retrieval tasks, discussion-based learning, and problem-solving exercises.

#3: Space it Out

Interleaving is most effective when combined with spaced practice (also known as distributed practice), where content is revisited periodically rather than crammed in one session. This can be structured as follows:

  • Weekly review sessions that incorporate topics from the past month.
  • Do Now tasks at the beginning of lessons that include mixed-topic retrieval questions. Live-quiz apps can be utilised if you wish to incorporate a more lively, competitive and upbeat way of implementing these.
  • Revision timetables that revisit concepts in a cyclic manner.
  • Learning journals that are filled in, and checked, on a regular basis.

For more information about the Spaced Practice Effect, and how to implement it (beyond the advice I have given in this blog post), then check out this excellent guide by Benjamin Keep.

#4: Scaffold the Difficulty

Interleaving is challenging, and students often find it frustrating at first. To ease them into it:

  • Start with low-stakes quizzes that mix concepts gradually.
  • Provide worked examples before asking students to attempt mixed questions.
  • Allow for collaborative problem-solving before independent practice.

Scaffolding is an interesting and distinct domain of pedagogy in its own right and must not be ignored when designing an interleaved curriculum. Within a lesson, or sequence of lessons, my suggestion for good implementation would be as follows:

  1. Provide a quick starter: Use the Three As if you like, or these great starter activities.
  2. Use direct instruction, starting easy then gradually increasing the level of ‘cognitive load‘. Unfortunately, direct instruction has been tarnished with a bad reputation in recent years due to the move towards ‘student-centered’ learning, exploration and phrases such as ” Don’t be a ‘sage on a stage'” and “Don’t ‘spoon feed’ the students” being bandied around school staff rooms (I’ve heard them all!). However, the research suggests that direct instruction, especially when the teacher is mindful of Dual Coding strategies, has a significant and positive effect on learning outcomes.
  3. Go through interleaved worked examples.
  4. Allow students to work in small groups to complete mixed questions.
  5. Provide opportunities for independent practice.

#5: Explicitly Teach the Strategy

Students often resist interleaving because it feels harder than traditional blocked practice. However, just as with metacognitive strategies, we should be encouraging our learners to think about how they think. It’s crucial to explain:

  • Why it works: Share kid-friendly summaries of research evidence on its benefits (use this blog post if you wish).
  • How it mimics real-world application: In exams and real life, problems don’t come in neatly organised sets. If you are able to, then provide past-paper questions to demonstrate the fact that the students will be assessed, one day, in an interleaved way.
  • How to use it independently: Encourage students to interleave their own revision by mixing topics in flashcards, self-quizzes, and study sessions.

Interleaving in Action: My Experience

When I first implemented interleaving, I noticed initial pushback from students. They were used to structured, predictable learning sequences and found interleaved practice to be more demanding. However, after just a few weeks, their ability to transfer knowledge across topics improved significantly. By the time mock exams arrived, they were better equipped to handle unfamiliar questions and apply concepts in novel ways.

For example, in my IBDP Maths AI class several years ago, I introduced interleaved problem sets that combined differentiation, probability, and trigonometry in a single assignment. Students initially struggled but later reported that the varied practice helped them identify links between topics: a crucial skill for higher-order problem-solving.

Final Thoughts: A Call to Action

Interleaving is a powerful, research-backed technique that every secondary school teacher should consider. While it may require a shift in lesson planning, the long-term benefits in terms of deep learning, retention, and problem-solving ability are well worth the effort.

In my book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know, I discuss how structuring lessons effectively can have a profound impact on student outcomes. Implementing interleaving is just one example of how thoughtful classroom strategies can positively engineer student success.

What are your thoughts on interleaving? Have you tried it in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!

Bibliography

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Check out our official Facebook Page, Instagram and Podcast for regular updates.

Introducing The P.O.W.E.R. Method of Retrieval Practice

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past five years, it’s highly likely that you have heard the phrase ‘retrieval practice’ being bandied about multiple times at educational seminars, Professional Development workshops and even in the departmental meetings you’ve attended at school. It’s one of those areas of pedagogy that has gotten educators excited due it’s evidence-based effectiveness, as well it’s inclusion, affirmation and promotion of metacognitive strategies (another hot topic in education).

It is my observation, however, that the majority of teachers are not 100% clear about what retrieval practice actually is – in part because some of the professional literature on the issue is conflicting, and also because as a concept it complexifies something rather simple (something that teachers have being doing for decades): getting students to reflect upon and use what they know.

In today’s blog post, I aim to provide my readers with the following:

  • A simple, understandable description of what retrieval practice is
  • A handy acronym (P.O.W.E.R.) that we can all use to remember the stages we need to follow as teachers when carrying out retrieval practice with our students
  • Some ideas on techniques and activities we can use in the classroom to facilitate good retrieval practice

Think ‘expression’ as opposed to ‘ingestion‘

I was most impressed with this great video by Unleash Learning which described retrieval practice as focusing on getting information out of students’ heads, rather than into students’ heads. This implies that retrieval practice only works if information has been put into the students’ heads in the first place – and this is true – retrieval practice is used as a follow-up when students have already been taught the information they need to know.

Retrieval practice is used as a follow-up at some point after a topic/unit has been taught.

Students should be encouraged to articulate what they have learned in some way, and then use what they have learned in some way (e.g., to answer an exam-style question). Retrieval practice places heavy emphasis on learning rather than assessing, although low-stakes assessments can be used as part of the retrieval process (see this blog post of mine on assessment ‘for’, ‘of’ and ‘as’ learning for more info on that!).

Give your students the P.O.W.E.R. they need to succeed!

So, let’s look at an easy-to-remember step-by-step process for facilitating retrieval practice in the classroom – the P.O.W.E.R. technique.

Prime (P): Prime the Mind

Start by priming the mind. Review essential concepts, key points, or summaries to prepare your students for the learning experience ahead. A great activity for this is Mind Map Mayhem: Encourage students to create colourful mind maps summarizing key concepts from the previous lesson. They can use doodles, arrows, and even emojis to make it visually appealing. This primes their minds for what’s to come!

At this stage, summaries do not need to be organized – they can be scattered and random, and do not necessarily need to be handwritten – a group discussion, quick verbal presentation to the class or even a bulleted list will suffice.

Organize (O): Organize Thoughts Actively

Encourage active organization of thoughts. Have your students organize information in their own words, creating meaningful connections and enhancing comprehension through an engaged approach. There are many tools that can be used for this, but my favorites are:

  • Mnemonics
  • Acronyms
  • Infographics
  • Graphic organizers
  • Google Slides, Docs, Sheets and Sites
  • Flow charts
  • Audio notes

It’s quite important at this stage that information follows the required pattern in which it needs to be retrieved in the final exams – e.g. the stages of cell division (in order), a timeline of King Henry VIII’s reign (in order), the points to raise in a written response to a language question (in order), etc.

Wrestle (W): Wrestle with Challenges

Yes! – we finally have a teaching acronym with ‘Wrestle’ in it (cue the giggles in teacher workshops all across the world from this point onwards). If nothing else, this wise choice of a word will help us all to remember that in this stage the students should tackle thought-provoking questions that demand active recall.

This step engages the mind in a mental wrestling match, strengthening memory and reinforcing the learning process.

The questions do not necessarily need to be provided in a mini-test or handout format (although you can go with that too), live quiz apps, verbal questioning, exam-style questions, past-papers, flash cards, quick writing exercises, worksheets and learning journals can all be used as tools to facilitate this process. At this stage, the questions should be low stakes, so that making mistakes is encouraged.

Evaluate (E): Evaluate Understanding

Promote self-evaluation to gauge understanding. Guide your students to reflect on their comprehension, identifying areas of strength and pinpointing topics that may require additional attention.

Check out my award-winning book for high-school teachers on Amazon. Purchases support the creation of my blog posts and podcast episodes.

A great technique that teachers have been using for decades for this is Traffic Lights. Provide students with red, yellow, and green cards. Ask them to hold up the corresponding card to indicate their understanding. Red for unclear, yellow for partial, and green for solid comprehension. It’s a quick and visual way to evaluate understanding.

Again, live quiz apps can be used for student self-evaluation, as well as self-reflection rubrics. Metacognitive tools, such as self-regulation checklists, are also great for this.

In my current practice, I like creating Google Sheets in which students can type in their reflections as they do them – essentially creating a long-term digital journal/record of their progress. The sheets are very simple – usually asking which questions the students got wrong, why they got them wrong, and what they should do next to improve further. When created on a Google Classroom assignment, one sheet is enough, as a copy will be made for each student if you select the correct option from the drop-down menu.

Reinforce (R): Reinforce Through Practice

Transition to reinforcement through practice. Engage your students in hands-on activities, be it additional past-paper questions, problem-solving scenarios, experiments, or real-world applications. This step solidifies knowledge and encourages practical application.

Practice makes perfect!

One activity you might want to try (if you’re looking for something unusual) is Escape Room Extravaganza. Create a virtual or physical escape room with challenges related to the lesson. Students work in teams to solve problems, unlock clues, and apply their knowledge. A QR-code treasure hunt may work well for this, for example. It’s a fantastic way to reinforce learning through collaboration and critical thinking.

Conclusion

Retrieval practice is essentially a way to build long-term memory of concepts, skills, ideas, key vocabulary, techniques and knowledge. At some point after a topic or unit has been taught to your class, use the P.O.W.E.R. strategy to get your students retrieving that prior knowledge – you’ll soon find that concepts will be generally better understood, performance in future assessments will increase and students will feel more confident articulating, processing and recalling the material they have covered.

Recommended further reading

Head over to retrievalpractice.org where you will find lots of free, downloadable pdfs containing tons of advice on how to implement retrieval practice in your lessons.

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Check out our official Facebook Page, Instagram and Podcast for regular updates.