By getting your child to make learning harder for themselves, they are creating exactly the right conditions in which to remember something. We call this a ‘desirable difficulty’.

In this episode, we explore a technique that works in a similar way to a ‘brain dump’ or ‘blurting’, but this time it doesn’t have to be something your child learned in the past, it can be used very effectively to see how much they have just taken in and understood, from something they have just read.

The science behind how our children learn best can often be a little overwhelming, but sometimes the simplest ways are the best. Let’s take a look at one of the best and easiest ways for your child to quiz themselves on something they have already learned...

Flashcards are the easiest and most effective way to recall information so that it sticks in your long-term memory. Let’s look at how to create them, use them and organise them in the best way possible…

The more often we recall information, the easier it is to recall it in the future. Each successful retrieval lets you retrieve it at a longer delay.

The best way to ensure that your child is studying for an optimum amount of time, is to use the well known Pomodoro technique. This technique for studying splits a study period up into 25 minute segments, followed by a 5 minute break.

The last thing that anyone wants to do is to have to get up to get something when they have been deep in concentration. This results in the same situation as a distraction from a mobile phone notification - a loss in concentration, rhythm and study flow.