Why Highlighting Does Nothing, And What to Do Instead

If your child's revision notes are all yellow and pink, barely a word left unmarked, they're doing something that feels like revision but isn't. Highlighting and re-reading are what students get taught from primary school. The research is clear: both rank among the least effective revision strategies available.

Why highlighting doesn't work

Re-reading triggers recognition, which the brain mistakes for understanding. Recognising something on a page and being able to explain it from memory are different skills. Familiarity with content doesn't mean it's retrievable under exam conditions.

Highlighting is more passive still. It requires no processing, no real engagement with the material. A coloured pen passes over words that don't enter memory.

What works instead: active recall

Active recall means putting the notes away and trying to retrieve information from memory. Trying to remember, even when you get it wrong, builds the neural pathways that make knowledge stick.

The simplest version: read a page, close the book, write down everything you can remember. Check what you missed. Try again tomorrow. The research supporting this is extensive.

Spaced repetition: timing matters as much as technique

Study something once and move on and it won't stick. You need to return to material multiple times, with increasing gaps between sessions, to move it into long-term memory.

In practice: if your child studies photosynthesis on Monday, they should return to it on Wednesday, again on Sunday, then the following weekend. Each retrieval strengthens the memory. Apps like Anki schedule these intervals automatically.

Getting the method right matters more than adding hours

If your child replaced half their highlighting and re-reading with active recall, flashcards, practice questions, writing answers without notes, they'd see a meaningful grade improvement without spending more time revising.

Our tutors teach these techniques in every session. Results come from the right habits across every subject. Book a free first lesson → here