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The 'Do Now'
Make Every Minute Count [FREE CHECKLIST]
Jamie Clark
May 02, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
👋 Hello there!
Many thanks for opening another edition of ⚗️DistillED!
In this issue, we’re looking at a deceptively simple but powerful retrieval routine to start your lessons with momentum: the Do Now (or sometimes known as the Silent Starter).
As we learnt in the previous edition, Attention Please!, anchoring attention and establishing a thinking-focused tone from the very first minute is crucial. The Do Now offers the perfect vehicle for this—combining retrieval practice with a predictable routine to help students transition smoothly into the lesson.
Let’s take a closer look.
What is a Do Now, and why does it matter?
A Do Now is a short, focused task (around 3–5 minutes) that students complete immediately upon entering the classroom. Once embedded as a routine, there’s no instruction needed, no explanation. It’s quiet, independent, and purposeful cognitive work. Doug Lemov, in Teach Like a Champion, explains the Do Now perfectly:
"A Do Now allows the learning to start before the teaching has begun, maximising instructional time by getting students on task right away.”
However, the benefits of an effective Do Now go deeper this. When used to prompt retrieval practice—that is, asking students to recall previously learned content—the Do Now helps to activate prior knowledge and strengthen schemas in long-term memory. Examples of Do Now activities vary:
A short retrieval quiz on last lesson’s key concepts
A quick multiple-choice question linked to prior learning
A single challenging problem or equation to solve
A short writing prompt to reactivate vocabulary or ideas
A diagram to label from memory
How does a Do Now support learning?
Retrieving information from memory offers powerful benefits. It not only makes that information easier to recall in the future, but also strengthens connections to related knowledge—deepening understanding and improving long-term learning. The diagrams below illustrate the retrieval process: information is drawn from long-term memory into working memory, strengthened through active recall, and re-encoded more securely for future use.
Diagrams adapted from InnerDrive’s ‘Working Memory vs Long-Term Memory’.
Robert and Elizabeth Bjork’s work on Desirable Difficulties shows that retrieval is most effective when it feels effortful. This mental challenge strengthens memory traces and makes learning more durable—far more so than passive review or re-reading. In other words, when a Do Now prompts students to think hard to bring information to mind, it strengthens and cements their knowledge for the future. Robert Bjork puts it best:
"Effortful retrieval makes learning stronger… Learners need to produce information rather than just have it presented to them — if you want it to become part of their long-term repertoire.”
Even when students can’t recall the correct answer, research into the pretesting effect shows that making a plausible attempt before learning can improve memory—as long as questions are connected to prior knowledge and followed by feedback. The act of trying helps students tune into what matters when new information is introduced.
How do I embed and design an effective Do Now?
Well-constructed Do Nows should:
Reinforce prior knowledge through focused retrieval practice
Prime students for new learning with pre-questions or generative tasks
Establish a calm, purposeful start with predictable routines
Make student thinking visible—surfacing gaps and misconceptions
Signal the tone for learning: focused students, focused teaching
Here are three principles with examples for making the Do Now routine count:
Principle | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|
Embed it as a routine | Students should know that every lesson starts with a short Do Now—no explanation needed. Use a consistent layout and location for responses to build routine and independence. | Display familiar Do Now slide as students enter the classroom. Display time limit or start timer for the task. Students write answers at the back of their books. Use of mini-whiteboards for low-stakes practice. |
Promote retrieval practice | Craft questions that encourage active recall. Include a mix of prerequisite knowledge, last lesson content, and prior unit material. | “Explain why…” “List 3 key features of…” “What’s the difference between X and Y?” “What mistake do you need to avoid when doing...?” |
Use it to check for understanding | Review responses to spot and address any misconceptions. This helps you decide whether to move on or reteach key content. | Engage students in ‘turn and talk’ before cold-calling responses. Circulate the room while students work. Use peer or self-assessment strategies. |
Where can I find out more?
The Do Now Checklist
Grab a PDF copy of my exclusive A4 Do Now Checklist, the key areas to maximise success when embedding this effective routine.
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The Do Now - Tips for Teachers Top 5s
Watch Craig Barton’s five tips to improve the Do Now at the start of your lesson
Until next time — stay curious, stay clear!
Jamie
P.S. If this issue sparked something useful, feel free to forward it to a colleague.