The Forgetting Curve or Is There Too Much to Learn?

lsbehaviourconsult

Sep 2

2 min read

What Learning Requires

Ofsted defines learning as a change in long-term memory, drawing on Kirschner, Sweller and Clark (2006). On this basis, simply covering content is not enough. Pupils must understand it, retain it and be able to use it later. Secure learning therefore requires time, practice and regular revisiting.

Immediate performance does not necessarily prove that lasting learning has taken place. A pupil may complete a task successfully today but be unable to recall or apply the knowledge later. Assessment should therefore check whether learning can be retrieved and used after time has passed.

The Problem of Curriculum Scale

The curriculum creates a serious problem of scale. The Year 2 mathematics programme of study alone contains around 34 learning outcomes. When English, science, geography, history and other subjects are included, pupils may face approximately 80–100 outcomes in one year.

· roughly two to three new outcomes each week;

· limited time for practice and retrieval;

· fewer opportunities for correction and consolidation.

If learning means a lasting change in memory, this pace may demand more than pupils can securely retain. The problem is not simply that there is a great deal to teach; there may be too much to learn well.

Additional Barriers for Pupils with SEMH Needs

This challenge can be greater for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Some may have gaps in prior learning or find sustained concentration, confidence and persistence difficult. As a result, they may need more time and support to secure new knowledge than their peers.

A More Focused Curriculum

Pupils may therefore benefit from a more responsive curriculum built around fewer, carefully chosen learning outcomes. These priorities should be revisited throughout the year so that pupils have repeated opportunities to recall, practise and apply them.

Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve explains why this matters: new information is forgotten quickly when it is not securely embedded. Spaced review and repeated recall strengthen memory and reduce forgetting. A focused curriculum gives pupils the time they need to revisit important knowledge and learn it well.

Staff CPD

I can deliver interactive workshops for all staff that show how the forgetting curve affects both pupils and adults. These sessions can be followed by a curriculum review for pupils working at SEN+ or those with an EHCP whose primary need is identified as SEMH.

Please get in touch for more information.