There is no doubt that ‘Daily Reviews’ are an important part of a Maths Lesson. What I have noticed is that Daily Reviews have begun to morph into a long series of PowerPoint slides where children often chant what is presented on the slides without any understanding of what they are saying.
I always like to trace the source of initiatives such as a Daily Review. Rosenshine (2010) is one of the key proponents of a Daily Review. The Daily Review is part of Rosenshine’s ‘Principles of Instruction’.
The first principle is the Daily Review. Rosenshine defined the Daily Review as:
- lasting 5 – 8 minutes,
- developing automaticity with skills, facts and reviewing vocabulary
- a support for future learning.
Note that Daily Reviews were originally designed around checking homework. I am not sure how many primary schools systematically provide and check homework. The research around giving homework is a topic for another time.
The idea of a Daily Review is designed to help students cope with the limits of short-term working memory. It is important not to provide so much material at one time that the students’ short-term memory can’t cope. This aligns with Cognitive Load Theory. If PowerPoint Slides are used as part of a Daily Review then it is worth reviewing what Sweller, the father of Cognitive Load Theory has to say about the use of PowerPoint. Sweller recommends that Teachers should not show information on a slide and read it as well. Students should set the pace rather than the teacher, so they have time to process information. For more about Warm Ups, see A Guide to Warm Ups – a form of Daily Review.
References:
Rosenshine: https://orientation94.org/uploaded/MakalatPdf/Manchurat/EdPractices_21.pdf
Sweller: https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/education-data-and-research/cese/publications/practical-guides-for-educators/cognitive-load-theory-in-practice
