Stimulate the Recall of Prerequisites

Many good teachers begin each class by asking "What did we do last time?" This forces an immediate engagement of the student's attention. More importantly, it recalls more than material: Reviews can recall the mental structures that organized the material. Through questions and answers, good teachers shape these recollections in such a way that, while still familiar, they point toward the topic to be introduced. Students may then experience the extremely memorable experience of "discovering" new material that has been carefully placed under their noses. Such structured reviews are effective throughout the presentation of new material (not just at the beginning).