Why Spiral: A more effective way of teaching

Spiral Review is a critical component of any classroom. Imagine learning something brand new. A week goes by, a month goes by, two months go by, maybe more. Now you have to take a test on that new information. How are you going to do? Not so well, I imagine. This description is what we are doing to students every year. The solution? Teaching standards continuously throughout the year instead of in one big “chunk”.

What is Spiral Review?

It’s simple, really…there are two main ways of presenting information to our students. One, we present information in “chunks” by teaching one skill at a time. Or, two, we “spiral” standards in small doses throughout the entire school year. Instead of teaching fractions in October and hoping our students still remember them by the time April rolls around, we touch on fractions continuously throughout the year.

In the first method, the chunking method, most students will not be successful. We are not giving them enough time to grasp the concept being taught. We are also not giving ourselves enough time to teach and reteach the standards to our students.

In the second method, the spiraling method, we are providing multiple opportunities for our students to be successful and for us to assess our students, reteach when necessary, and see where they still need help. Students may not grasp a concept the first time around, but by having multiple experiences with the concept throughout the year, they will surely have time to understand it by the end of the school year.

**Let me take a moment to clarify. Chunking and spiraling refer to how information is presented, not taught. Many teaching strategies are used in both methods. For me, spiraling is ONE crucial component of an effective classroom, not the only part.

Spiraling through Instruction

By now, you must be wondering how this will look in a classroom. I’m sure there are many different ways to approach spiraling the standards, but I can only tell you what has worked in my class. I must warn you that I am a teacher who likes things that are effective, yet “low-maintenance”. The strategies I’m going to mention do not require a whole lot of prep-time and are very easy to implement.

When I decided to start spiraling, I knew I wouldn’t be doing it 100% of the time. My goal was to spiral when I could, and when it made sense. Here is what I did…

Whole Group Lessons – this is probably one of the only areas I used the chunking method. I taught for an entire week or two on one specific skill. When I was done teaching and assessing a concept, I moved on to the next one. This was the time to lay the foundation for each skill I presented. This is NOT spiraling, but it was what worked for me in my classroom.
Small group instruction – I used small group instruction to reinforce my whole group lesson, and also provide at least 5 minutes of spiral review. Each day I would focus on a previously taught skill and provide extra practice with that skill. The spiral review part of my group lessons moved at its own pace. This was great because it also promoted differentiation in my teaching, which is a whole other topic.

Spiraling through Centers

Each week I made a point to incorporate at least one “spiral review” center in Reading and Math. I would choose a game/activity that reviewed a previously taught concept. Each week, we would revisit a different skill. I kept a collection of various games and activities that I could easily set out for my students to use.

Calendar math is a fun way to review key math concepts daily. You can read more about it in this calendar math blog post.

Spiral Review for Homework and Morning Work

My homework routine has always been a strictly spiral review. I don’t feel it is useful to send homework on something my students just learned in class. More than likely, they are going to complete the homework incorrectly, and I will have more reteaching to do the next day. Instead, I use homework as an opportunity to have my students practice skills they have already fully learned. This constant daily homework practice is a critical component in the spiraling that happens with my students. I often use these spiral reviews shown below for Math, Grammar, and Reading.

Just like homework, I use this time to review previously taught concepts. It can be as simple as posting four review problems on the board to have your students work on before the day starts.

Spiraling Assessments

Spiral assessments are used to continuously assess my students’ actual progress throughout the school year and monitor how they are learning. This helps guide my lessons and any reviewing I feel is necessary. You can read an entire post about these spiral assessments.

Benefits of Spiral Review

I used this model for years in my classroom, and here is what I noticed…

1. ALL of my students met the standards by the end of the school year! I never had to stress about my students learning the standards right away because I knew they would have the opportunity to practice and learn the standard throughout the year.

2. My struggling students were able to feel success more often. Instead of always being faced with a new concept they didn’t quite understand yet, they were able to continue to work on standards they were more confident in.

3. There was no need to review standards at the end of the school year before high-stakes testing. With spiral reviews, students are keeping standards fresh all year long.

4. My students’ parents were more involved and aware of what their child was learning in class, and how they were progressing.

5. I was more aware, as a teacher, as to how my students were progressing, and where they needed more support.

When I was in the classroom, spiraling was a must. Now, as a homeschooling parent, I make a point to include spiraling activities with my daughter daily. I have seen firsthand how effective spiraling can be, and I strongly encourage all teachers and homeschooling parents to give it a try. You won’t regret it!!!