Now repeat these four steps through the five phases (5Ps): preview (phase 1), participate (phase 2), process (phase 3), practice (phase 4), and produce (phase 5).

The learning process is broken down into 5 phases because you can’t possibly make sense of a large topic in one sitting. It’s only after a number of “visits” to the same topic, looking at it from different perspectives and examining it by asking different questions, that the topic begins to make sense. Scientists have found that only when lab rats take a break from their exploration of a maze do they process the patterns they have encountered in a way that seems to create a persistent memory.⁸ Similarly, breaks between phases are critical to allowing the brain to consolidate and synthesize information, make connections between ideas, and facilitate retrieval of existing knowledge. Although the phases are described as sequential, often that is not the case. For example, as you’re learning about a concept, you might get ideas you can begin applying right away, which might trigger new questions that require additional learning. There is constant movement among the phases and the 4 repeating steps, creating a dynamic, messy interaction that produces learning.

Here is a more detailed look at the 5 phases.