If your students seem to forget everything you taught them last week, don’t worry, it is not a classroom management issue, and it is definitely not bad teaching.
Why is it so hard?
Languages are tough on the brain. When a student learns a new word, they have to manage the sound, the spelling, the meaning, and the grammar all at the same time. Forgetting is a normal part of the process.
The problem is not the students; it is the idea that seeing a word once is enough.
How memory actually works
Memory isn’t built by rushing through new content. It is built by seeing the same words over and over again in different ways. This is called recycling.
Try these three simple steps:
- Use a 2-minute “retrieval” starter task to remember old words.
- Take a sentence they learned recently and use it again in a new task.
- Make sure the words they are reading are the same ones they are hearing in listening exercises.
The takeaway
If your students forget, don’t panic. Just revisit and recycle.