Why do we need review
A big part of my teaching practice during the lessons I teach is review. In fact, in most lessons, the new concept is only presented in the final 15 minutes of a 50-minute lesson. The rest is a review of previous skills taught. Review is so important, as it plays a big role in strengthening previous knowledge and enhancing recall. Research suggests that daily review aids in effortlessly recalling words, concepts, and procedures, thus contributing to expertise development through consistent practice.
Rosenshine (2012) discusses in his article that an elementary school math experiment demonstrated that dedicating eight minutes daily to review resulted in higher student achievement scores. Along with this, daily practice, such as with vocabulary or basic math skills, can lead to automatic recall, freeing up working memory for comprehension and problem-solving.
In practice, an effective teacher can begin lessons with brief reviews of previously covered material, providing additional practice on necessary facts and skills. In my practice, our review includes the date, the alphabet, the soundpack, and then a review of the previous week’s skill. I can see from this where there are still some areas of difficulty and this in turn supports me to reinforce concepts relevant to the day’s lesson. This approach helps solidify understanding and prepares my learners for new material.
Daily review is particularly crucial for teaching content that will be built upon in subsequent learning. For me, this will be woven throughout my cumulative scope and sequence.
The concept of daily review can be linked to principle number four of neuroplasticity; Repetition (Kleim & Jones, 2008). Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. One of the key principles of neuroplasticity is that repetition strengthens neural pathways, leading to more efficient and automatic processing of information.
When we engage in review, we are essentially providing repeated exposure to the material we’ve learned. Each time we review, we activate the neural pathways associated with that knowledge, reinforcing those connections. With each repetition, these pathways become stronger and more efficient, making it easier for us to recall the information when needed.
Repetition enhances memory retention, improves fluency in recalling information, and ultimately contributes to long-term learning and expertise development. Therefore, incorporating daily review into educational practices can leverage the principles of neuroplasticity to optimise learning outcomes.
An important aspect to also consider, i that struggling learners often require more repetition and practice to solidify their understanding of concepts. Daily review provides them with consistent reinforcement, which can help strengthen their grasp of the material over time. Remember, there is no special number of repetitions needed, the number of repetitions and reviews, is driven by when a skill is deemed automatic.
Overall, daily review plays a crucial role in supporting struggling learners by providing them with the repetition, reinforcement, and remediation they need to succeed academically. It helps to address their unique learning needs and build the foundation for long-term academic growth and success.
Rosenshine, B (2012). Principles of Instruction – Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know. AMERICAN EDUCATOR
Kleim JA, (2008). Principles of experience-dependent neural plasticity: implications for rehabilitation after brain damage. Lang Hear Res 51:S225-S239