1. Activating Prior Knowledge
Presented by: Lucy Castañón

2. Did you know?

3. “Each student brings to the classroom a rich storehouse of knowledge about the world.”

4. “Tapping experiences enhances meaning.”

5. “Activating Prior Knowledge increases comprehension”

6. Pair work
In pairs work and activate your knowledge about this workshop
Use the following K-W-L or
K-W-H-L

7. Report your answers

10. When I assign reading/listening …
What do I ask students to do?
Vocabulary
When do they do it?
Before they read/listen

11. Categories of Reading Strategies
Pre Reading
During Reading
After Reading
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER

12. Pre-Reading Strategies
Activate Prior Knowledge
Prepare the brain for new coming information
Help the students why they are reading the material
Introduce new vocabulary
Help students make connections

13. Pre Reading Strategies Featured Strategies
Activate Prior Knowledge
Context clues
Decoding
K-W-L-chart
Predicting

14. What’s schemata?

15. “Schemata” the reader's/listener’s preexisting concepts about the world and about the text to be read or heard. Into this framework, the reader/listener fits what s/he finds in any text.

16. If new textual information does not fit into a reader's/listener’s schemata, the reader/listener misunderstands the new material, ignores the new material, or revises the schemata to match the facts within the text.

17. “Developing comprehension helps bridge the gap between what is known and what is new. It opens students to new learning by reassuring them that the concepts are within their grasp. It gives them a reference point for assimilating new material and adds greater meaning to the new concept.”

18. LEVEL OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Students generally fall into three categories: MUCH, SOME, or LITTLE prior knowledge.

19. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
MUCH: super ordinate concepts; definitions; analogies; linking. 
SOME: examples; attributes; defining characteristics. 
LITTLE: associations; morphemes; sound alikes; firsthand experiences. 

20. In each instance, the teacher will make specific instructional decisions based on what is discovered in the prior knowledge part of the lesson.
To check out what prior knowledge exists about a topic, idea, or concept, you may choose to do some of the following activities: 

21. *BRAINSTORM the topic. Write all the information solicited from the students on the chalkboard, a piece of paper, or transparency. 

22. ASK specific and/or general questions about the topic
*ASK specific and/or general questions about the topic. See what responses are given. 

23. Questioning
Developing inquiries about the text that will direct readers/listeners towards the purpose of reading.

24. Four types of questions:
Memory
Convergent thinking
Divergent thinking
Evaluative thinking

25. Memory questions Signal words: who, what, when, where
Cognitive operations: naming, defining, identifying, designating
Examples: What’s the definition for democracy?
Ask a memory question to your neighbour

26. Convergent Thinking Questions:
Signal words: why, how, in what ways
Cognitive operations: explaining, stating relationships, contrasting/comparing
Examples: In what ways is “coffee” similar to “tea”
Ask a convergent thinking question to
your neighbour

27. Divergent Thinking Questions
Signal words: imagine, predict, if...then, how might, what are some possible consequences
Cognitive operations: predicting, hypothesising, inferring, reconstructing
Example: What are some possible consequences of drinking coffee?
Ask a divergent thinking question to your
neighbour

28. Evaluative Thinking Questions
Signal words: justify, defend, judge
Cognitive operations: valuing, judging, defending, justifying choices
Example: What do you think of capital punishment for drug dealers?
Ask and evaluative question to your
neighbour

29. POST a PROBLEM or a SCENARIO
*POST a PROBLEM or a SCENARIO. Based on this description, find out what the students know about the idea presented. 

30. Once the data is collected, a decision about the appropriate forms of instruction can be made. The following diagram can be helpful: 

31. Teachers should remember to:

32. (1) Present information which builds:. Background ideas. Concepts
(1) Present information which builds:  *Background ideas  *Concepts  *Principles 

33. (2) Show, don't tell through-- *Demonstrations *Multi-media *Graphics

34. (3) Use outside resources, trips and speakers

35. (4) Tell about topic from your experience

36. (5) Use any combination of the above!

37. Can your prior knowledge tell you what this graphic means?

38. What can your prior knowledge tell you what these photos mean?

39. Activating Prior Knowledge
Let’s read the heading of “State TV: China quake death toll could hit 50,000” and let’s set a purpose for reading and activate our Prior Knowledge.

41. Write your questions. Include all three types.

42. Report your answers

43. GROUP WORK

44. “Myanmar junta warns people not to hoard aid”
Pretend you have to use the
second text :
“Myanmar junta warns people not to hoard aid”

45. Based on what you learned today activate your students Prior Knowledge about the topic.
Report your ideas