Background Knowledge: The Missing Piece of the Comprehension Puzzle

"Background knowledge is too often neglected in our push to raise test scores, despite the fact that we know background knowledge is a critical component of comprehension. Background knowledge simply has to become an instructional focus if we want to help students make sense of school. We will lose a generation of learners if we don't act now."

• Because the Grapes of Wrath is dry reading if students don't know about the Dust Bowl.
• Because the Boston Tea Party is a non-event if students don't know loyalists from patriots.
• Because knowing a triangle has 180 degrees isn't the same as knowing why.

• distinguish incidental knowledge from core background knowledge
• check students' understanding prior to a unit with tools such as opinionnaires, interest surveys, and anticipation guides
• model how to activate and apply prior knowledge so kids can wrestle with new content
• build up students' background knowledge through virtual fieldtrips, YouTube, guest experts, and more
• provide collaborative ways for students to develop expertise, show what they know, and own their learning.