How to Use Retrieval Practice in Kindergarten
If you’ve ever taught a lesson that your students seemed to understand… and then the next day they looked at you like they had never heard it before, you’re not alone. This happens all the time in kindergarten.
We teach a phonics skill. We practice it. Students do great. And then two days later we are reteaching it again. One of the simplest ways to help learning actually stick is something called retrieval practice.
The good news is that it fits perfectly into a kindergarten classroom and it only takes a minute or two. I wanted to share some of the ways I use retrieval practices in my classroom!
What Is Retrieval Practice?
Retrieval practice is when students try to remember something from memory instead of rereading it or repeating it after us. Retrieval practice works best when it feels simple and part of your normal routine. In a kindergarten classroom, it usually looks like this:
• Students remember something they already learned instead of seeing the answer again
• It only takes one or two minutes
• It happens often, not just once
• Students answer from memory, not by looking at a chart or anchor poster
• Skills are reviewed again later so learning sticks
The goal is not to quiz students. The goal is to give their brains practice remembering what they already know.
Start With Quick Recall Questions
One of the easiest ways to use retrieval practice is right at the start of a lesson.
Before introducing something new, ask students to think about something they learned before. This helps activate their memory and connect past learning to the new skill.
You might ask questions like:
“Who remembers a word we read yesterday with the th sound?”
“Can someone remind us what we do first when we start writing a sentence?”
“What number comes right before 20?”
“What was one thing the character did at the end of our story?”
These quick questions take less than a minute but help students bring previous learning back into their thinking.
Let Students Talk Through Their Thinking
Another easy way to build retrieval into your lessons is by having students turn and talk. Kindergarteners love to share ideas with a partner, and this gives them a chance to remember information out loud.
You might ask students to:
Turn to a partner and name an animal from the book you read earlier
Share a word they know that ends with ch
Tell their partner one shape they spotted during math
Explain one way they solved a counting problem
Students are still practicing retrieval, but it feels like a conversation instead of answering a question in front of the whole class.
Use Quick Brain Recall Activities
Another fun option is giving students a chance to quickly write or draw what they remember about a skill.
You might ask students to fill their whiteboard with numbers they remember from the teen number family, sketch objects that match shapes you studied, or write as many words as they can think of that use a certain spelling pattern.
Sometimes students may draw pictures instead of writing words, especially earlier in the year. That is perfectly fine. The goal is simply getting students to think back and recall what they learned.
Even a two-minute activity like this can show you what students remember and what might need more practice.
Bring Skills Back Later
Another key part of retrieval practice is bringing skills back again over time. Instead of teaching something once and moving on, students benefit from small reminders of that skill later in the month.
For example, you might introduce a new phonics pattern one week and then revisit it briefly during a warm-up the following week. A few weeks later, students might be asked to think of words that use any spelling patterns they remember learning.
Each time students retrieve the information again, it strengthens their memory of that skill.
Build Retrieval Into Daily Routines
The great thing about retrieval practice is that it does not require a brand-new lesson plan. It can easily fit into routines you already use every day.
You might add quick recall moments during:
- Morning meeting
- Phonics warm-ups
- Math warm-ups
- Story discussions
- Transitions between activities
- End of day reflection
Even a one-minute recall question can make a big difference in helping students remember what they learn.
Resources to Get You Started
I absolutely love the retrieval practice series written by Kate Jones. These books have been such an important tool in helping me implement these strategies in my classroom and I highly recommend her three books.
Retrieval Practice Primary
Retrieval Practice: Resources and Research
Retrieval Practice: Ideas and Activities
Questions to Reflect On
If you want to start using retrieval practice in your classroom, it can help to think about the skills your students tend to forget the most.
Ask yourself:
What concepts do I find myself reteaching every week?
Which phonics patterns seem to disappear after a few days?
Where could I add a quick recall question during my lesson?
Those moments are often the best places to start. If you want to try retrieval practice right away, keep it simple.
At the start of your next lesson, ask your students one small question:
“What is something you remember from yesterday?”
That small moment of thinking is retrieval practice. When those moments happen regularly, they help learning stick in a way that repeating information alone often cannot.
