Question: Why is it important to check learners understand?
Answer: To make sure your learners are following the lesson.
There are different times during a lesson when it is important to check that your learners understand something. These include:
- when you give instructions for an activity
- when you teach a new item of vocabulary
- when they listen to or read something.
Sometimes teachers ask their learners ‘do you understand?’. This is not a good way to check. Learners will often reply ‘yes’ because they don’t want to be embarrassed in front of their friends.
The best way to check understanding is by using comprehension checking questions.
How do you check if your learners understand?