The Power of Consolidation at the End of a Lesson
The Power of Consolidation at the End of a Lesson
One of the most impactful yet often overlooked moments in teaching is the consolidation phase at the end of a lesson. Consolidation is the process by which students pull together the knowledge and skills they have gained, making connections and deepening their understanding.
Athletes do this kind of thinking at the end of practice sessions. It’s a time of reflection and goal setting. They ask themselves “How am I doing? What do I want to remember? What are my goals for next time?
This critical step transforms learning from a series of activities into a cohesive, meaningful experience. Both Marzano’s strategies for reflecting and revising knowledge and Peter Liljedahl’s insights in Building Thinking Classrooms emphasize the importance of this practice as a way to ensure rigorous and lasting learning.
What is Consolidation?
Consolidation involves reviewing, synthesizing, and integrating the day’s learning. It’s the bridge between guided instruction and independent application, allowing students to organize their thinking, reflect on their progress, and connect new knowledge to prior understanding. This stage isn’t just about summarizing; it’s about ensuring students can articulate what they’ve learned, recognize its value, and identify how to use it in future contexts.
The Purpose of Consolidation
Consolidation serves several vital purposes in the learning process:
Strengthening Understanding: By reflecting on and revising knowledge, students deepen their comprehension and correct misconceptions.
Encouraging Ownership: It gives students the chance to take control of their learning journey, fostering independence and metacognition.
Promoting Connections: Consolidation allows students to link new concepts to existing knowledge, creating a solid foundation for future learning.
Enhancing Retention: Research shows that reviewing and actively engaging with material shortly after learning it significantly improves retention.
How to Facilitate Consolidation in the Classroom
Create Time and Space: Dedicate the last 5-10 minutes of your lesson for consolidation. Treat it as an essential component, not an afterthought.
Pose Reflective Questions: Ask students thought-provoking questions such as:
What was the most important thing you learned today?
How does this connect to what we learned yesterday?
How could you use this knowledge in a real-world scenario?
Use Graphic Organizers: Provide tools like graphic organizers to help students organize and visualize their thoughts. For example, in math, a graphic organizer can guide students to reflect on problem-solving strategies, evaluate their methods, and revise their approach if necessary.
Incorporate Peer Discussion: Encourage students to share their reflections with a partner or small group. This collaborative exchange can clarify understanding and spark new insights.
Link to Future Learning: Help students see how today’s lesson prepares them for what’s coming next. This forward-looking perspective builds anticipation and curiosity.
Leverage Technology: Digital tools such as Padlet or Flipgrid can provide platforms for students to document their reflections and share them with the class.
Consolidation in Action: A Math Example
Imagine a math class where students have been solving multi-step word problems. During consolidation, they might use a graphic organizer or write a journal entry to:
Identify problems as “mild,” “medium,” or ‘spicy.”
Choose a problem to solve that shows what they have learned. Think of an exit ticket.
Reflect on what strategies were most effective. Now we have an exit ticket on steroids.
Reflect on any errors or missteps in their process and write notes about what they want to remember.
Share their findings with peers to compare approaches.
This structured reflection not only solidifies their understanding but also equips them with tools to tackle future problems more confidently. In Building Thinking Classrooms, there are three questions and a space for “things to remember.” I took this idea, modified it slightly, and created a poster we can use daily during the consolidation phase. Click here to download the graphic organizer.
Conclusion
Consolidation is the key to transforming learning into mastery. By incorporating strategies to reflect and revise knowledge, teachers can ensure that students leave each lesson with a clear, meaningful understanding of what they’ve learned and why it matters. As Peter Liljedahl highlights in Building Thinking Classrooms, this phase is not just an endpoint but a springboard for continued growth. For a practical resource to implement this strategy, click here to access a math-specific graphic organizer that will help your students make the most of consolidation.
The Power of Consolidation at the End of a Lesson
One of the most impactful yet often overlooked moments in teaching is the consolidation phase at the end of a lesson. Consolidation is the process by which students pull together the knowledge and skills they have gained, making connections and deepening their understanding.
Athletes do this kind of thinking at the end of practice sessions. It’s a time of reflection and goal setting. They ask themselves “How am I doing? What do I want to remember? What are my goals for next time?
This critical step transforms learning from a series of activities into a cohesive, meaningful experience. Both Marzano’s strategies for reflecting and revising knowledge and Peter Liljedahl’s insights in Building Thinking Classrooms emphasize the importance of this practice as a way to ensure rigorous and lasting learning.
What is Consolidation?
Consolidation involves reviewing, synthesizing, and integrating the day’s learning. It’s the bridge between guided instruction and independent application, allowing students to organize their thinking, reflect on their progress, and connect new knowledge to prior understanding. This stage isn’t just about summarizing; it’s about ensuring students can articulate what they’ve learned, recognize its value, and identify how to use it in future contexts.
The Purpose of Consolidation
Consolidation serves several vital purposes in the learning process:
Strengthening Understanding: By reflecting on and revising knowledge, students deepen their comprehension and correct misconceptions.
Encouraging Ownership: It gives students the chance to take control of their learning journey, fostering independence and metacognition.
Promoting Connections: Consolidation allows students to link new concepts to existing knowledge, creating a solid foundation for future learning.
Enhancing Retention: Research shows that reviewing and actively engaging with material shortly after learning it significantly improves retention.
How to Facilitate Consolidation in the Classroom
Create Time and Space: Dedicate the last 5-10 minutes of your lesson for consolidation. Treat it as an essential component, not an afterthought.
Pose Reflective Questions: Ask students thought-provoking questions such as:
What was the most important thing you learned today?
How does this connect to what we learned yesterday?
How could you use this knowledge in a real-world scenario?
Use Graphic Organizers: Provide tools like graphic organizers to help students organize and visualize their thoughts. For example, in math, a graphic organizer can guide students to reflect on problem-solving strategies, evaluate their methods, and revise their approach if necessary.
Incorporate Peer Discussion: Encourage students to share their reflections with a partner or small group. This collaborative exchange can clarify understanding and spark new insights.
Link to Future Learning: Help students see how today’s lesson prepares them for what’s coming next. This forward-looking perspective builds anticipation and curiosity.
Leverage Technology: Digital tools such as Padlet or Flipgrid can provide platforms for students to document their reflections and share them with the class.
Consolidation in Action: A Math Example
Imagine a math class where students have been solving multi-step word problems. During consolidation, they might use a graphic organizer to:
Identify problems as “mild,” “medium,” or ‘spicy.”
Choose a problem to solve that shows what they have learned. Think of an exit ticket.
Reflect on what strategies were most effective. Now we have an exit ticket on steroids.
Reflect on any errors or missteps in their process and write notes about what they want to remember.
Share their findings with peers to compare approaches.
This structured reflection not only solidifies their understanding but also equips them with tools to tackle future problems more confidently. In Building Thinking Classrooms, there are three questions and a space for “things to remember.” I took this idea, modified it slightly, and created a poster we can use daily during the consolidation phase. Click here to download the graphic organizer.
Conclusion
Consolidation is the key to transforming learning into mastery. By incorporating strategies to reflect and revise knowledge, teachers can ensure that students leave each lesson with a clear, meaningful understanding of what they’ve learned and why it matters. As Peter Liljedahl highlights in Building Thinking Classrooms, this phase is not just an endpoint but a springboard for continued growth. For a practical resource to implement this strategy, click here to access a math-specific graphic organizer that will help your students make the most of consolidation.