Educational research consistently points towards a need for teaching strategies that go beyond passive techniques like re-reading or highlighting. Two high-impact, evidence-based strategies, Retrieval Practice and ‘Do Now’ activities, offer a powerful solution to the common problem of pupils forgetting what they’ve been taught, leading to endless reteaching.

When combined, these techniques create a framework that can transform your classroom from a place of temporary instruction into a culture of durable, long-term learning.

The Science of Retrieval: Making Learning Stick

Retrieval practice—also known as the 'testing effect'—is the act of actively recalling information from memory. Unlike passive strategies that focus on "pushing information in," retrieval practice is the cognitively demanding process of "pulling information out". This simple act has a profound impact on how we learn.

How Retrieval Strengthens Memory:

Stronger Neural Pathways: The act of retrieving knowledge forces the brain to reassemble the pattern of neurons associated with that memory. Each successful recall strengthens these neural pathways, making future retrieval faster and more efficient.
Desirable Difficulty: Retrieval practice works precisely because it is effortful. Psychologists describe this mental strain as a "desirable difficulty": challenges that feel harder in the short term lead to stronger, more durable long-term retention. As cognitive scientist Pooja Agarwal notes, "Easy learning leads to easy forgetting".
Superior Long-Term Retention: Retrieval practice consistently outperforms passive study methods. Studies have shown that pupils who practise retrieving information remember it for far longer—often twice as much or more—than pupils who only review the material.
Boosting Achievement and Thinking: Research demonstrates that retrieval leads to superior long-term retention and achievement. One study found that secondary school pupils who were given periodic, no-stakes quizzes scored about a full grade level higher on that material during end-of-unit exams. Furthermore, frequent recall promotes higher-order thinking by ensuring pupils have knowledge at their fingertips to apply in new contexts.
Improving Metacognition: The act of recalling provides immediate and accurate feedback, revealing to pupils what they truly know and, crucially, what they do not. This self-awareness improves metacognition, allowing them to judge their understanding more accurately and target their future study efforts effectively.
A Universal Benefit: Retrieval practice is effective for pupils of all ages (from primary to secondary school) and abilities. Importantly, research suggests it helps all learners, not just high achievers, and can even help to narrow achievement gaps when implemented thoughtfully with feedback.

The Strategic Power of 'Do Now' Routines

A ‘Do Now’ (also called a bell ringer or warm-up) is a brief, focused task that pupils begin immediately and independently upon entering the classroom. Though simple, this routine has major benefits for both classroom management and cognitive priming.

Key Benefits of the Do Now:

Focus and Management: A consistent routine trains pupils to settle in and start working as soon as they arrive, eliminating downtime and making the period more productive.
Cognitive Priming: A Do Now captures pupils' peak attention at the start of the lesson, sparking interest and mentally preparing them for the learning ahead.
Formative Assessment: Do Nows offer a daily, low-stakes chance for teachers to gauge the class's understanding, identify misconceptions, and adjust instruction in real-time.

Pillars of an Effective Do Now:

To maximise their impact, Do Nows should follow a few key principles, popularised by educator Doug Lemov:

Consistency and Location: The task should be in the same place every day (e.g., on the board) so pupils can start without verbal instructions.
Independence and Silence: The task must be doable without help from the teacher or peers. This frees the teacher for administrative tasks and ensures pupils are thinking for themselves.
Brevity and a Written Record: Do Nows should be short (3–5 minutes) and result in a written product. This provides accountability and makes pupils' thinking visible.
Clear Purpose: The task must be tied to the curriculum, either reviewing recent content or previewing knowledge for the upcoming lesson. It should never be unrelated busy-work.

Putting It All Together: Retrieval-Focused Do Nows

The established structure of the Do Now is the ideal vehicle for embedding retrieval practice into your daily routine. This combination ensures that this powerful learning strategy is used consistently in a low-stakes environment, reducing the anxiety often associated with testing.

To combat the natural "forgetting curve" and build truly durable memory, these activities should also integrate two other principles from cognitive science: spacing and interleaving.

Spaced Practice: This involves revisiting topics over increasing intervals of time. Retrieving information just as it’s about to be forgotten is a highly effective way to strengthen it.
Interleaving: This means mixing up questions from different topics within a single Do Now. For example, a retrieval grid might include prompts from yesterday's lesson, last week's topic, and a unit from a month ago. This forces pupils to discriminate between problem types and select the correct strategy, which enhances long-term retention.

A Practitioner’s Toolkit: Simple Retrieval Techniques

Retrieval practice is highly adaptable. Teachers can incorporate active recall using various low-prep, high-impact methods:

Technique	Description & Application	Key Benefits
Low-Stakes Quizzes	Short (3–5 questions) quizzes on recent or past content, used as Do Nows or exit tickets. The purpose is practice, not evaluation.	Structured practice; evidence shows that simply quizzing leads to higher achievement on later tests.
"Brain Dumps"	Pupils write down everything they can remember about a topic for 2–5 minutes on a blank sheet, with no cues or notes.	Highly effortful; promotes knowledge organisation; excellent for identifying gaps in understanding.
Think-Pair-Share	Pose a recall question. Pupils first retrieve and jot down answers individually, then compare in pairs, and finally discuss as a class.	Ensures individual active recall for all pupils before discussion; builds confidence.
Student-Created Flashcards	Pupils are taught to quiz themselves by actively recalling the answer from memory before turning the card over. Cards should be revisited on separate days.	A portable retrieval tool for independent study; proven to be far more effective than re-reading notes.

It's vital that any retrieval attempt is followed by timely and accurate feedback. Pupils must be able to check their work to correct errors and prevent the encoding of incorrect information.

Conclusion: Cultivating Durable Learning

The challenge of pupils forgetting what they’ve learned can be systematically addressed by integrating these evidence-based practices into daily routines.

Actionable Recommendations:

Start Small: Begin by implementing one Do Now routine and one retrieval activity (e.g., a weekly low-stakes quiz), then gradually increase the frequency.
Communicate the 'Why': Explicitly teach pupils how they learn. Explain that the effort of recalling information strengthens their brains. This fosters buy-in.
Stay Responsive: Use the results from daily retrieval as formative assessment data to diagnose learning gaps and inform your teaching decisions.
Keep it Low-Stakes: Ensure that retrieval practice remains effective by keeping it ungraded and requiring pupils to recall information from memory, without using notes during the activity.

By prioritising practices that align with how memory works, educators can foster stronger pupil participation, improve content retention, and make more efficient use of class time.