Activating Prior Knowledge and

Making Connections

All readers have personal experiences, knowledge of the world, and some previous experiences with text.

They bring this prior knowledge to the text to help them understand.

Readers connect new information to their existing knowledge base.

For CLD students something as simple as picture can help activate what they already know.

Imagine you are a fourth grader on the carpet for read aloud with a room full of other students and a teacher who speak languages other than yours.

Today we are going to read a book about sommerfugl's. Let's think about what we already know about sommerfugl's and make a list. Tell me what you know about them...

What we Know

It's a chacter from Harry Potter.I've never heard that word before.

I think it's a food.It's a place in Egypt.maybe it's an animal.

Now imagine your teacher provides you with with visual support to help activate your prior knowledge and make connections.....

Today we are going to read a book about sommerfugl's. Here are some pictures of sommerfugl's you may have seen before.Think about what you already know.

Now, tell me what you know about sommerfugl's. Share out and we'll make a list of Everything we already know.

What we knowthey are caterpillars firstthey flythey have wingsmy grandma collects themthey eat bugsthey have cocoonsthey are fuzzy

Just asking students to tell you

about what they know isn't enough if they don't have a

visual connection to the words you are using.

Providing charts, pictures, and picture walks prior to new knowledge will increase understanding.