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Pre-teaching

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What is it?

Most people find it easier to learn something new when they have a bit of background knowledge. Pre-teaching is a strategy that involves teaching students concepts or skills prior to a lesson on the subject. Examples can include:

  • teaching new vocabulary items related to a lesson on geography
  • explaining new maths concepts prior to a maths class.

The idea is to give the student a ‘preview’ of the lesson that will allow them to put their knowledge to work during the lesson. Pre-teaching can provide students with more knowledge and confidence when approaching a new topic. This can help to increase engagement and reduce frustration.

How do I use it?

Steps in pre-teaching include:

  1. Identify tasks that cause difficulty for the student
  2. Identify skills that the student may be missing. These could include skills that they haven’t yet learnt or skills that need more practise before the lesson
  3. Identify opportunities for teaching the content or skills prior to whole class lessons. Options include;
    • lessons with the teacher assistant during class time (out of the classroom)
    • small group lesson (2 -3 students only) with the teacher during independent work or group work time
    • one-to-one time with the teacher during other sessions.
  4. Teach the student the information. Consider the use of explicit teaching (explaining), visual supports (e.g. to show the student the information), prompting (see factsheet) and reinforcement (see factsheet).
  5. Teach the lesson to the whole class as planned. Monitor the student for comprehension (e.g. by asking questions, checking understand of key concepts).

Age group

Appropriate for all ages.

PreschoolYes
P-2Yes
3-6Yes
High schoolYes

Where can I learn more?

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Last updated 24 September 2020