Building Background
In Background Knowledge by Fisher and Frey, they state that what a reader already knows about the subject is probably the best predictor of reading comprehension. When readers engage with a text that they know little about, the text is much more difficult to understand than one for which they have ample background knowledge…research indicates that children continue to spin their wheels when they don’t have the background knowledge required to understand what they are reading (2009, p. 2).
So, how important is background knowledge? According to Robert Marzano, "What students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content" (2004, p. 1). John Guthrie states that comprehension is impossible without prior knowledge (2008, p. 11), and the National Research Council decisively reports that, "All learning involves transfer from previous experiences. Even initial learning involves transfer that is based on previous experiences and prior knowledge" (2000, p. 236).
So, how important is background knowledge? According to Robert Marzano, "What students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content" (2004, p. 1). John Guthrie states that comprehension is impossible without prior knowledge (2008, p. 11), and the National Research Council decisively reports that, "All learning involves transfer from previous experiences. Even initial learning involves transfer that is based on previous experiences and prior knowledge" (2000, p. 236).
- When possible, build background through direct experience (field trips, experiments, classroom visitors)
- When direct experience is not possible, use virtual field trips, video, pictures, books, and media
- Activate prior knowledge