A simple tutoring-session review routine to help students remember

Retrieval practice means recalling something previously learned. The Institute of Education Sciences describes research showing that active recall can improve later retention compared with rereading. Its overview of effective study strategies explains the idea and links to educator resources.

The routine below is a suggested way to organize a tutoring visit, not a tested program or a promise of a particular result. Adapt the prompts, response format, and time to your student, curriculum, and any learning accommodations.

Write down what you want to check in language another instructor could use. “Fractions” is too broad. “Explain why two fractions are equivalent using a drawing” gives you something specific to listen for.

Prepare one opening prompt and one different closing prompt about that target. Keep the materials ready before the student arrives. For a small group, give each student a way to respond individually so one confident answer doesn’t stand in for everyone’s understanding.

Try setting aside the first three minutes for a familiar task from a previous lesson. Explain the purpose: “This helps me decide what we should work on today. It’s okay if you don’t remember yet.” The timing is an example, not a required limit.

Let the student attempt the task before showing the answer. They might speak, draw, write, or use an appropriate accessible response method. If they get stuck, offer support and note what help was needed. Don’t turn the opening into a prolonged guessing exercise.

• Math: “Draw two different fractions that represent the same amount. Explain your drawing.”
• Vocabulary: “What does this word mean? Use it in a new sentence.”
• Reading: “What was the main problem in the passage we discussed last time?” Then reopen the passage to check the response together.

Separate a correct answer reached independently from one reached after a model or several hints. Both tell you something useful, but they suggest different next steps.

For example, a student might correctly name one-half and two-fourths but draw unequal wholes. You could spend the next few minutes comparing equal-sized shapes before asking for another example. If the explanation is already secure, choose a related challenge instead of repeating the same task.

Keep feedback specific: “Your two wholes need to be the same size for this comparison. Let’s redraw them.” Avoid reducing the conversation to whether the student is “good” or “bad” at the subject.

Reserve a short closing window for a new example of the skill practiced that day. Ask the student to explain one decision, then check the response together. A copied answer from the practice page won’t tell you as much about their independent approach.

A possible 30-minute session is three minutes of review, 22 minutes of teaching and practice, and five minutes for the closing check and next-step note. Adjust that split when the student needs more instruction, a break, or a different pace.

End with a concrete observation: “You used equal-sized wholes on the second drawing without a reminder. Next time we’ll try a number line.” This is more useful for planning than simply recording “understands fractions.”

Use your center’s existing teaching-note system to record just enough detail to continue the work. A fictional example might look like this:

Keep these learning notes in an appropriate staff-accessible location. Attendance records answer when a student visited; teaching notes answer what they practiced and what support they needed. Don’t treat a completed visit as evidence that a skill has been mastered.

The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on organizing instruction and study recommends spacing learning over time, using quizzes to revisit key content, and asking explanatory questions. A correct response at the end of today’s session is a reason to check again later, not to assume permanent retention.

For your own planning, choose a future visit to revisit the target with a different example. If a session is missed, update the plan around the next actual visit. Our paper-to-digital attendance guide can help you organize the visit records that support that coordination.

For the next two weeks, ask one instructor or teaching group to use the same short note format. Review whether the opening checks are manageable, whether the notes help with handoffs, and whether later responses require less prompting on comparable tasks.

Look at individual examples before making broader claims. Different tasks, attendance gaps, and changes in support can affect what you observe. The immediate goal is a clearer next teaching decision and a routine your staff can sustain.