Dunlosky’s Strengthening the Student Toolbox in Action

Imagine having to draw dots each time we wanted to do a sum like 3+4. Or having to sound out every word we read, no matter how many times we’ve seen it before. Having well-consolidated memories for how to do these things can help us avoid these difficulties, which is why consolidation should be a key goal of effective teaching. Helping students consolidate knowledge is a crucial stepping stone in allowing them to navigate problems and develop their knowledge.
Building on the hugely influential paper by John Dunlosky, Amarbeer Singh Gill looks at ways teachers can use recommendations from ‘Strengthening the Student Toolbox’ to consolidate knowledge and enhance the learning that takes place in their classrooms. Each strategy is looked at in detail, delving into the conditions needed to help the strategies work, how they might look in classrooms, things to be mindful of when translating research into practice, and case studies from current teachers who describe how they’ve used these strategies.
By harnessing the power of these strategies we can make it more likely that our students will succeed not just whilst they’re in our classrooms, but also well beyond by giving them the tools they need for lifelong learning.