Connecting to Background Knowledge

Strategies for Initiating

Research Based Comprehension Strategies

• Making Use of Prior Knowledge and Using Mental Imagery • Recognizing Text Structure • Answering and Generating Questions • Using Graphic and Semantic Organizers • Summarizing • Monitoring Comprehension

Teachers as Readers

• Skillful, experienced, mature readers • Undergraduate/graduate degrees • Newspapers • Memos/emails • Textbooks/supplementary materials • Students’ work • Magazine/journal articles

Content-area Reading from Your Students’ Views

Read this text: The Batsmen were merciless against the Bowlers. The Bowlers placed their men in slips and covers. But to no avail. The Batsmen hit one four after another along with an occasional six. Not once did their balls hit their stumps or get caught.

Pop Test!

1. Who were merciless against the Bowlers?

2. Where did the Bowlers place their men?

3. Was this strategy successful?

4. Who hit an occasional six?

5. How many times did the Batsmen’s balls hit a stump?

Congratulations!

• You probably got 100%.

• Did you

really

understand?

• This is content-area reading from a kids eye view: students can read every word on a page without deep understanding; they can pass tests on concepts they don’t really grasp; they can go through a whole unit with no long-term memory of what they have studied at all.

Background Knowledge

• Like a backbone for comprehension • Necessary to construct meaning • We must connect the text’s information to related knowledge and experience in our brains.

• Authors expect readers to possess and use certain pieces of background knowledge.

Read the following text:

With hocked gems financing him, our hero bravely defied all scornful laughter that tried to prevent his scheme. “Your eyes deceived,” he had said. “An egg not a table correctly typifies this unexplored planet.” Now three sturdy sisters sought proof. Forging along sometimes through calm vastness, yet more often over turbulent peaks and valleys. Days became weeks as many doubters spread fearful rumors about the edge. At last from somewhere, welcomed winged creatures appeared, signifying momentous success.

1

st

Component of Instructional Framework

• Activating and building upon prior knowledge • Purpose-setting • Creating a need to know • Stimulating curiosity • Providing opportunities for reflection and assessment

Important Reminder

When students feel that they are not starting from scratch and that they already know something about a topic, they will be much more likely to be interested in learning a little more about it – especially if they feel that it relates to their lives in some way.

Using Academic Language for Building Prior Knowledge

Teachers might encourage students to use the following: This relates to what I learned in my other class about . . . .

I remember when I had a similar experience.

Before I form an opinion, I need to learn more about . . . .

In my family, we . . . .

Anticipation Guide

Activates prior knowledge before reading and uses statements instead of questions Students respond individually before reading text Teacher initiates discussion but remains nondirective as students respond and support their answers

Anticipation Guide

• Also called prediction guides or reaction guides • Students respond based on their prior knowledge and previous experiences • Helps create a need to know and provides a purpose for learning new information

Quick Write

• A short, focused writing in response to a specific prompt • May be used to introduce a concept and connect this concept with prior knowledge or experiences • Also an opportunity for students to discuss and learn from each other • Informal and low-stress way to jump-start the brain

K-W-L Variations

• Widely used strategy designed (Ogle, 1986) to foster active reading • Long and effective history in the scaffolding of expository texts • Teaches students to connect to background knowledge • Also can develop habits of summarizing, questioning, predicting, inferring, and figuring out word meanings