The move
Students close their notes and write, sketch or say the key idea from memory for 60 seconds.
See how it works
- Notes awayClose everything
- Retrieve60 s from memory
- CheckCircle what you missed
- CompareOptional: fill gaps with a partner
At a glance
- Time in class
- 2–3 minutes per use
- Prep
- None
- Materials
- Paper
- Grouping
- Individual, then pairs
- Use it when
- After each chunk of a lesson, or at the end of class
Why it works
Pulling information out of memory strengthens it far more than rereading. This is called retrieval practice, and it is among the most studied and reliable ways to improve long-term learning. It also shows students what they actually remember, not what they think they remember.
Step by step
In class: about 3–4 min
- 1Notes away10 seconds
- 2Retrieve60 seconds
- 3Check30–60 seconds
- 4Pair compareOptional, 1 minute
- Notes away10 seconds“Notes down, brains on. Close everything.”
- Retrieve60 seconds“Write, sketch or list everything you remember about ___. Go!”
- Check30–60 seconds“Open your notes. Circle anything you missed in a different color.”
- Pair compareOptional, 1 minutePartners compare and fill gaps.
See it in action
“Draw and label the parts of a plant we just learned.”
“List the three branches of government and one job of each.”
“Write the steps of mitosis in order, from memory.”
Watch out for
- Peeking: notes closed and face down.
- Grading it: keep it ungraded. The point is the effort to remember.
- Only doing it right after teaching: the next day is even better.
Level up
- Partners compare and race to find what both forgot.
- Bring back an idea from last week too.
Make it work for everyone
- Multilingual learners: sketches and labels count.
- IEP and 504 supports: give a word bank or first letters as a cue.
- Early finishers: write a question about what they remembered.
Tech option
None needed. Paper is faster.
Resources
Pairs well with
Triple Play: Active Processing and Feedback. This card works well with Boards Up! and Glow Grow Go. What’s a Triple Play?
Reflect
What did most students forget? Reteach that tomorrow.
Evidence
StrongRoediger, H. L., Putnam, A. L., & Smith, M. A. (2011). Ten benefits of testing and their applications to educational practice. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 55, 1–36. Explains why recalling information strengthens memory.
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. Rated practice testing one of the two most effective study techniques.
Find the research: Roediger (2011) · Dunlosky (2013)