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What is it?
Ensuring my students have an opportunity to practice a number of different skills or concepts each lesson has been one of the simplest but most significant changes to my teaching over the last few years. In the past my starters were either gimmicky, non-existent, or poorly thought–out. Now, regular retrieval practice of key topics is a fundamental part of how I teach.
There are lots of resources out there where such material for this regular retrieval can be found, but this resource stood out for me as being particularly special. It is a complete bank of questions and answers divided up into topic areas. The idea is that you find a topic that you want to test your students on, copy a question, and then paste it into the template at the front. You then repeat for another topic ,and before you know it you have a mixed-topic retrieval starter ready to use with your students.
How can it be used?
I would tend to use this resource at the start of my lessons. I do two low-stakes quizzes each week, so this resource would be perfect to kick start the other two lessons. It can be projected up on the board as students enter the room so they can get on with it straight away. The students then mark their own solutions and then I go through any problem areas. The author explains that this resource is a work-in-progress and that more questions and answers will be added over time. So, keep checking back!
Thanks for sharing!
Craig Barton
Download: R^Infinity starters
View the author’s other resources