Retrieval Practice

Retrieval Practice at Minster-in-Sheppey Primary School

Teaching and Learning is continually evolving. At Minster-in-Sheppey Primary School, we make sure that the lessons that we deliver to our pupils draws from the most recent evidence about how pupils learn and retain knowledge in their long-term memory, how pupils build connections between their learning and how they are able to apply their knowledge into their lives. One of the learning strategies we are using is retrieval practice. Retrieval practice refers to the act of recalling content that has previously been learnt by the pupils. By doing this, pupils strengthen and deepen their knowledge which they have learnt previously. We talk to our pupils about what they are learning, not what they are ‘doing’. Regularly accessing stored knowledge through effective retrieval practice strengthens the links between storage and recall. This is effective in creating easily retrievable, well-embedded knowledge for pupils to build future learning upon. In addition to strengthening knowledge, retrieval practice (When used effectively) can also highlight any misconceptions that need to be addressed as well as identifying gaps in knowledge that may need revisiting and reteaching. The aspiration for our pupils is that they become increasingly aware of the importance of revisiting their learning and can identify the concepts which have been delivered, along with a deep knowledge of what has been taught. At Minster-in-Sheppey, we use a variety of approaches to retrieval practice. To avoid cognitive overload teachers, keep retrieval activities short and simple. Classroom routines are established to enable our children to focus solely on the learning. These resources are used across the curriculum to enable the children to remember more.