Essential Questions:
In order to build background knowledge for all students schools must be willing to dedicate the necessary time and resources while addressing the curriculum. It seems in order to develop student success we need to build the six principles into our daily teaching. How can this be done?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Since we as teachers can in no way provide all outside and background experiences for our students, it is definitely tricky to try and provide students will all of the background knowledge that they will need to master the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI have begun to notice, especially this year, the immense difference in vocabulary between my special ed, regular ed, and AP students. I personally feel that the lack of vocabulary directly impacts student learning and understanding. Wendy Kirby and I have discussed including "vocabulary lessons" at the start of each new unit to better prepare the students not only for key words that relate to the subject matters, but for words that they will need and use in everyday life.
I also believe that the more we can relate classroom material to student experience and understanding the easier it will be for them to learn (obviously!) As a class, brainstorming a list of information about a topic or person in history, and compiling a diagram on the board would give students who are lacking background knowledge the chance to contribute what information they might know, while adding additional pieces of information to their permanent memory.
Those are just a couple of ideas I thought about-am I way off base?!
True there are giant gaps in student experiences and we know that the best way for a student to learn new information is to attach it to something they already know. I find in social studies there are many concepts that when taken down to the essential can be connected to previous knowledge. For example imperialism is a difficult concept but when connected to bullying students have a better chance of learning it and retaining it. Most of my students are visual, hands on, mechanically inclined students that need to see connections.When I teach golden age I use a gold trophy as a representation. Many of my studensts are non readers or reluctant readers so I try to read to them from books and try to get them to act out what was read. At the beginning of the year I like to find out about student intrests- hobbies, sports, music etc so that I can try to connect what I am teaching to something they like. Would love to hear other ideas that will help build on background knowledge and increase learning
ReplyDeleteGiven the incredible amount of new content vocabulary to place in permanent memory, we have students engage in a variety of word games. These games allow student at least 3 or 4 exposures to practice the words and associations. It's cool to see these games used in different content areas. We make it a a contest by trying to beat the clock. Seventh graders LOVE competition! One thing my students lack, however, is the ability to use these words correctly in a written format.
ReplyDeleteSo, I believe they are unable to elaborate-to make new or varied connections. According to Marzano it is the quality of processing that determines the likelihood that information will reach permanent memory. I think I need to work on adding detail-one component of working memory.
We really have to provide our students with virtual experience since many of them have not been exposed to a background of experience needed to draw on to be successful. Reading is one of the best ways to provide this. Cathy and I share some of the same poor and reluctant readers. Her practice of reading books to them is one I use as well. One of the components of Read 180 is the silent reading station. This requires some reading ability along with the motivation to read something. We don't always have success with this station or with the books on tape. Many prefer to be read to. It is actually easier to monitor how much comprehension is going on reading to the students. Another virtual experience mentioned in the book was telling stories or telling about experiences. This usually works quite well in my classes. I also use educational television to provide virtual experiences. This is often in the form of documentaries or speeches. One of the strategies to build vocabulary that has been successful in my classroom is brainstorming. For example, to learn the word controversial, we brainstormed different issues that had 2 sides or that people had different opinions about.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we can build background knowledge not only through teacher instruction, but by incorporating activities into our lessons where the students can learn from each other. With each story we read together as a class, I encourage the students to make connections. Students share and discuss these connections with one another as partners or in small groups. They do this orally or through their writing. When new vocabulary words are introduced, we define them and then discuss how each vocabulary word pertains to our everyday life by writing sentences or drawing pictures that go along with each word. Because repetition is important, these vocabulary words are written in their writing journals where students are encouraged and praised for using these words throughout the year in their speech and in their writing.
ReplyDeleteI came from a "forced reading" background -anyone remember the SRA kits in elementary school?. I was an average reader, but learned to hate to read. One shining example was freshman English: Cry the Beloved Country. I was completely lost. I didn't know what they were talking about and to this day haven't picked it up (or watched the movie). There was a most definite lack of background knowledge. I probably would have enjoyed it or at least tolerated it, if given some background-something a freshman kid from the city could dig her teeth into. Each of us probably has a “horror story” of a project, reading assignment -something that was tossed out for us to muddle through. I try to think of the half full meaning in all of it. It made me a better teacher!
ReplyDeleteI am coming to this blog from a school library teacher perspective. Our district school library teachers are constantly on the look out for quality books and media for a variety of reading levels. Luckily, publishers have recognized the need for high interest/low reading for recreational reading. They’ve also learned to make the books visually appealing for the age of the reader, not necessarily the reading level (that’s why business is booming in graphic novel land).
Currently, due to the changes in our third grade social studies curriculum one of our third grade teachers is working with me to develop “culture kits”. These will be especially helpful throughout the unit to introduce and reinforce various objects from particular region. Should really help out those visual and tactile learners.
Cvanslyk- I am happy to hear that kids enjoy being read to. Often, we assume once the student learns to read, they should be on their own. Great for their listening skills.