Why can't I retain anything from McGraw Hill?
Standard study materials often lead to short-term memorization rather than actual retention, leaving students feeling like they are just cramming for exams. When information fails to stick day after day, it makes progress feel impossible and drains confidence.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Connecting to prior knowledge
- 2Using visually appealing anchor charts
- 3Using manipulatives
- 4Employing I do, we do, you do modeling
- 5Using short entertaining videos and clips
- 6Using a research-based protocol for reading instruction
- 7Discussing mind palaces for storing and accessing information
- 8Helping students create visually appealing notes on rules
- 9Using alternative external educational channels on YouTube (such as Tony Bell or Farhat)
- 10Finding open-source ebooks and digital textbooks on platforms like Openstax
- 11Switching back to traditional note-taking, writing things out by hand, and working through problems from scratch
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I feel like I’m not learning much with McGraw Hill, but instead memorizing information for a short period of time and cramming for exams.”source ↗
“I need other study materials besides McGraw Hill because I’m just not retaining anything.”source ↗
“I definitely relate and at first I thought it was just me, but once I saw multiple people commenting they’re having issues with McGraw Hill it reassured me a little.”source ↗
“for the last 6/7 years it is nearly impossible to get the information to stick.”source ↗
“Nothing works, everyday is like groundhog’s day.”source ↗
“I went from being completely confident in the protocol I use and my ability to help every student to feeling really demoralized and nihilistic about my future and those of my students.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Students constantly forgetting materials, am I overreacting?
- 5Why won't students do the reading assignments?
- 3Special education pull-out services during core instruction time
- 4How to handle students falling asleep in class
- 2How to grade trash student work without sugarcoating it
- 2Why am I being forced to give minimum grades for missing work?