4 Activities to Build Background Knowledge

When students build their understanding of new topics on knowledge they already have, they are able to draw inferences and make connections that can boost reading comprehension and performance. Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: Robust and dynamic reading instruction not only focuses on the main idea of stand-alone texts, but allows for the development of a deep reservoir of vocabulary and thematic knowledge that becomes the foundation for meaningful reading comprehension. This establishes a student’s ability to connect ideas across literature, compound learning by linking subjects, and improve factual recall. Through activities that guide students to explicitly look for connections, similarities, and differences between ideas and details, teachers can help their classes build a framework for tapping into prior knowledge to help them understand new topics.