The move
Twice a week, open class with three recall questions: one from last week, one from last month and one from last unit.
See how it works
- Last unit
- Last month
- Last week
Three questions, three distances back. The older ones are the point.
At a glance
- Time in class
- 3–5 minutes, twice a week
- Prep
- 5 minutes: write three recall questions.
- Materials
- Board or slide; paper
- Grouping
- Individual
- Use it when
- The start of class
Why it works
We forget fast when a unit moves on. Recalling older material at spaced intervals interrupts that forgetting and makes memories last much longer than cramming. Mixing old and new also shows students the course connects.
Step by step
In class: about 4–5 min
- 2Answer from memory2 minutes
- 3Reveal1–2 minutes
- 4Quick poll30 seconds
Before class: Post three questions
- Post three questionsBefore classLabel them: Last week. Last month. Last unit.
- Answer from memory2 minutes“No notes. Answer all three. Guess if you’re not sure.”
- Reveal1–2 minutesShow answers. Students check and correct in a different color.
- Quick poll30 seconds“Hands up if you got the last-unit one.”Note which one the class forgot.
See it in action
Last week: a spelling pattern. Last month: a shape’s properties. Last unit: a story’s main character.
Last week: a vocabulary word. Last month: a map location. Last unit: a cause of an event.
Last week: a formula. Last month: a graph type. Last unit: a key definition.
Watch out for
- Only asking yesterday’s content: the older questions are the point.
- Grading it: keep it low stakes.
- Questions too long: one-line answers.
Level up
- Students write the flashback questions for each other.
- Add a fourth question from last semester.
Make it work for everyone
- Multilingual learners: keep vocabulary in questions familiar; allow sketches.
- IEP and 504 supports: offer multiple-choice versions.
- Early finishers: explain how two of the answers connect.
Tech option
A three-question quiz in any quiz tool, ungraded.
Resources
Reflect
Which unit is fading fastest? Bring it back more often.
Evidence
StrongCepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. Spreading practice over time beats massing it together.
Kang, S. H. K. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12–19. Explains how to build spacing into regular teaching.
Find the research: Cepeda (2006) · Kang (2016)