DIRECTIONS: Pick something you have to learn this week. Read it once, shut it, and say it back.
Shut the book and say it back.
It feels horrible, because you keep getting stuck. Getting stuck is the part that works: every time you dig something up, it gets easier to find next time. Reading the answer never makes you dig.
What I am learning
What I said back without looking
Now open it and check. What did you miss?
Cover it and say it back again — just the bits you missed. Any better?
Say It Back — The Rule About Checking
How learning works · Page 2 of 2
Say it BEFORE you look. Every time. Once you have seen the answer it looks obvious, and you can no longer tell whether you knew it.
Somebody reads their spelling list four times and feels ready. Say what they should do instead, and what will probably happen the first time they try it.
You say it back and get about half. That feels like a bad result. Say why it is actually a useful one — and what you now know that four more readings would not have told you.
Why is it so tempting to peek at the answer first? What does peeking cost you?