Recitation helps a student to memorize information by causing him to think about the material in his own words. If a student knows that he will have to recite something aloud, he will pay closer attention to the material he is learning. Even if a student recites something word for word, he will be forced to learn the material more thoroughly than he would if he simply read it to himself.
Recitation helps a student with her presentation skills by forcing her to speak in public. While this can be an uncomfortable experience, it is also valuable because there are many times when a person needs to speak in front of others in her lifetime. Reciting material word for word provides a safe situation for a student to practice these presentation skills that will come in handy over time. A classroom is a good place to learn these valuable skills because they occur under the guidance of a teacher.
At times recitations cause a student to show mastery over subject matter. This depends on the age of the student and the subject, but ranges from reciting poetry word for word to teaching a class to other students. At the college level, a recitation is often held by graduate students to help undergraduates master the subject. In turn, the graduate student is able to show his personal mastery of the subject that he is teaching to his professors.
Small recitations are held for students to learn more about a subject that is difficult to grasp. This extra time and attention to the subject can help students become more adept, particularly in areas of mathematics and science. In this instance the entire class period is thought of as a recitation on the subject, with different kinds of hands-on projects being used for learning. This occurs often on college campuses along with lecture classes that are too large for hands-on learning.