Guilty of delivering lots of new content in lessons but rarely asking students to recall that knowledge? This Kate Jones retrieval practice template will help you break the habit.
This fantastic resource was created by Kate Jones, a teacher, leader, author, blogger, keynote speaker and podcaster.
Evidence-based education resource
Simply download this editable Powerpoint template, fill it in and then display it at the start of your lesson.
Aim to include a range of questions that will require students to remember information from last lesson, last week and even further back than that.
This powerful learning strategy is great for revision sessions when you want to recap and go back over lesson content.
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.
You can also download blank versions of this template that students can fill out and give to each other to complete.
Whether you’re a history specialist or you teach politics, RE, PE or something else entirely, you’ll find this template useful.
This retrieval practice grid doesn’t include multiple choice options. This is because, according to Professor John Dunlosky, “students will benefit most from tests that require recall from memory and not from tests that merely ask them to recognise the correct answer”.
How to use the grids
The tweets below show how a wide range of educators of different subjects have put the template to use in their classroom.
Turn the grid into a bingo-style game by asking pupils to choose any four in a row to attempt.
If you’re a MFL teacher you can use the grid to help pupils remember vocabulary they’ve been taught.
We’d love to see how you put this practical Kate Jones retrieval practice resource to use in your school. Tell us about the impact of retrieval practice in your classroom by tweeting us at @teachwire.
We’ve also got lots more advice for teachers about the benefits of retrieval practice and how to implement this effective learning strategy.
Read Kate Jones’ book
Kate Jones has written a practical book called Love To Teach: Research and Resources for Every Classroom, published by John Catt.
It has a chapter about using retrieval practice at the start of lessons. It also outlines other effective, evidence-informed ideas to try in your classroom.
