Why “Look, Cover, Write, Check” should be a study method your whole life - Spaced Retrieval Practice

Remember in first grade when you were learning spelling words? Your teacher would have you write them out once an evening using the "Look, Cover, Write, Check" sequence, culminating in a test every Friday morning. This method, seemingly simple, leverages the principles of Spaced Retrieval Practice (SRP) and can be powerfully adapted for students of all ages, particularly those with ADHD.

A big part of the Kumo mission is to teach students with ADHD that their study routine may need to look different to their peers. For a lot of these students, there carries a lot of shame on the amount of breaks they need to take, or the different way they absorb information.

Additionally, and on a more universal level, when students are asked how they study, many often admit they don’t really know where to begin. Some try to re-read their textbooks or notes, hoping that repetition will stick. Others cram, hoping a few intense hours of reading will lead to high test scores. But the truth is, most students haven’t been taught effective study strategies. They’re left guessing, feeling overwhelmed, and often ineffective, especially when facing high-pressure exams.

The Struggle to Study: Why Many Students are Stuck

In a typical classroom setting, students are rarely taught how to study effectively. They might be advised to “study hard” or “review your notes,” but few educators dive into specific, evidence-based methods of learning. As a result, students often fall into ineffective habits—cramming, reading material over and over, or simply feeling lost.

For neurotypical students, these ineffective strategies may lead to frustration and low grades. But for students with ADHD, the stakes are even higher. With ADHD, executive function challenges—like organising information, sustaining attention, and managing time—make traditional approaches not just inefficient but often impossible. Simply “studying harder” doesn’t solve the problem, especially when focus and memory retention are hurdles.

One issue encountered quite often in university is that students learn information repeatedly in one session. This may be learning a topic in a lecture, revising it in a tutorial and then handing in an assignment at the end of the week. You learn and study the topic in quick succession before moving on. Even though that topic might become quite familiar to that student that week, giving what we call an “illusion of knowing.”

One method we push onto students is understanding the success of Spaced Retrieval Practice (SRP) in studying and learning. A major challenge university students face is retaining the knowledge they acquire in their classes. Large content quantities and a loose schedule means knowledge can quickly fall through the cracks. SRP involves extending opportunities to retrieve course content beyond a customarily short temporal window following initial learning.

So what is it?

Like the name suggests, spaced retrieval practice improved students’ long-term retention of their learning. Spacing is the practice of sequencing learning so that information is delivered across two or more lessons or study sessions rather than just one.

Retrieval practice is the strategy of getting students to actively recall their learning.

An example of this in practice comes from a study in which high school students were asked to learn French vocabulary words via three classroom exercises that involved retrieving and using their knowledge of French. These exercises occurred back-to-back on the same day or they occurred once per day over three days.

Each lesson was 10minutes long, so students either completed 30minutes of exercises in one class session, or 10minutes of exercises per day over three days.

Several days after the lessons were completed, the children were given an unexpected test. The students who completed the exercises over three days performed better than the students who completed the exercises in one day.

Cramming increases the amount of information in short-term memory but does nothing to improve long-term memory.

Here’s how SRP can look in practice:

• Flashcards: A classic example of SRP. You review a flashcard deck at intervals, focusing more on the ones you get wrong. Over time, the gap between reviews grows as you master the material.
• Look, Cover, Write, Check: This simple method involves looking at information (such as vocabulary or math formulas), covering it up, writing it from memory, and then checking for accuracy. Repeat this process at spaced intervals for maximum retention.
• Testing Quizzes: Self-quizzing at different times across the week, whether using physical notes or online quiz tools, reinforces memory by forcing you to recall information rather than passively reviewing it.

How do you implement it?

If you’re a student, parent, or educator looking to implement SRP, here are some actionable steps to get started:

1. Create a Study Schedule Plan ahead by breaking up your study material over several days or weeks. Instead of waiting until the night before the test, start reviewing in smaller chunks over time.
2. Use Flashcards or Quiz Tools Flashcards are a great tool for SRP. You can make them yourself or use apps like Quizlet, which allow you to customize your deck and even space out reviews automatically.
3. Focus on Active Recall Don’t just re-read notes—test yourself on the material. Use the “look, cover, write, check” method, or create mini-quizzes to practice recalling information from memory.
4. Increase the Gaps Between Review Sessions As you become more comfortable with the material, extend the time between review sessions. Start with a day, then two, then a week. This will help solidify your understanding and make the information more likely to stick.

The traditional approaches to studying — cramming and passive reading — fall short when it comes to building long-term knowledge. Spaced Retrieval Practice (SRP), by contrast, leverages the science of memory to help students retain what they learn. While students with ADHD may face additional challenges, SRP offers a pathway that can work for all learners, helping them build stronger study habits, improve memory retention, and ultimately boost academic performance.

Through techniques like flashcards, self-quizzing, and "Look, Cover, Write, Check," SRP promotes active recall and distributed practice, setting students up for success. By integrating SRP into your routine, you’re not just learning for the next test — you're building skills that last far beyond the classroom.

Students today are not just learning content — they are learning how to learn. For those with ADHD, the road to academic success may look a little different, but with the right tools, it is absolutely achievable. SRP is one such tool that can dramatically enhance both the confidence and competence of students, allowing them to approach their studies with purpose and control. Whether you’re an educator looking to make a difference in your classroom or a student seeking to study more effectively, adopting SRP is a powerful step toward long-term learning and success.

If you are an educator or university that wants to learn more about #ADHD-focused study and learning tools, please reach out to me or the Kumo Study team!

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