Retrieval Activities: Stop & THink
Last Class
At the beginning of class, ask students: “What did you learn last class?”
Have students briefly identify the material studied in textbook and notes to update any previously absent students.
Class recap and reflection
- Erase the class agenda and objectives.
- Ask: What did you learnin class today?
- Have students reconstruct what they did in class as you write their ideas on the board.
- Ask: What was most important for you today? Why? What do you want to practice more? Students respond orally or write their responses on slips of paper.
Stand and Talk
After a learning activity, give students two minutes talk about what they learned. They can answer any of the following:
What did we just learn?
What parts do you understand?
What questions do you have?
Retrieval Activities: Explain Your Learning
Retell with Key Words
After learning a new point, have students explain their learning to one another.
1. First, individually, students identify three key words.
2. Then students turn and talk with a partner to share their key words and explain why they selected them.
Peer Teach
Student absences are opportunities for students to teach one another what they learned. What did we learn last class? Why is it important?
Explain Your Thinking
When reviewing answers on homework or worksheets, ask:
What’s the answer?
Why do you think so?
How do you know? (Where is the evidence?)
Ask this when answers are right or wrong. Encourage students to disagree with one another and explain their thinking.
Connections Inside and Out
Make sure students understand how the learning inside the classroom connects to their lives outside the classroom. You can make this connection explicit by brainstorming with students how they will use the learning in their daily lives. Ask:
- Why are we learning this?
- When and where will you use this outside of class?
Retrieval Activities: Total Recall
Total Recall
- After studying notes or a book, students close their books and put away their notes.
- Students write down everything they can remember of their learning.
- Students open the book or notes and check their work. They highlight errors and areas of omission.
- Corrective feedback: Students close their books/notes and correct the highlighted areas.
Ticket to Leave
Before leaving class, students write on a slip of paper something they learned in class today. They hand you the “ticket” as they leave the classroom.
- You can be specific or open ended. Some teachers just say “Tell me about one thing you learned in class.”
- Other teachers request a number of specific items. The prompt can focus on language features or content. For example:
3 new words you learned
3 past tense verbs you learned
Smart Learning: A Curriculum to Empower Students as Learners, NCTN 2017
Sarah Lynn & Ana Roche at Harvard Bridge Program, Cambridge MA