Best Practice 24: Checking Understanding

Best Practice 24: Checking Understanding

Comprehension questions are crucial. Use them often. If everything is clear, fine. If not, ask if one of the other students can explain it. If no one can, go through an example step by step together.

DO: Check that the students have understood by asking detailed questions like “how would you say that in your own words” (because they are unlikely

to say if they have not – and may not even realize they misunderstood).

DO NOT: Ask pointed, personal, questions like “do you understand?”

DO: Ask neutral questions like “Is that clear?” or “Does that make sense?.” By asking the question in a neutral way teachers can safeguard students’ egos by shifting the blame away from the student and toward the quality of the explanation provided.

If things remain unclear, try the following:

• do part or all of the activity together as a class

• suggest that the class return to the concept during the next session

(which will give the teacher time to prepare more explanatory material).

• in the case of complex vocabulary, assign it as homework (and ask

students to explain what they learned at the start of the next lesson).