4 Activities to Build Background Knowledge

Robust and dynamic reading instruction not only focuses on the main idea of stand-alone texts but also 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. 

To learn more about the research cited in the video, check out the resources below.

• James S. Kim et al.’s research on how topic knowledge improves reading comprehension in elementary students (2023)

• Xue Wang, Richard E. Mayer, Pu Zhou, and Lin Lin’s study on the benefits of interactive graphic organizers and how visual organizers can lead to deeper learning outcomes (2021)

To get more information about hexagonal thinking, an activity developed by educator Betsy Potash, look up Sarah Gonser’s article for Edutopia titled “Using ‘Hexagonal Thinking’ to Deepen Classroom Conversations.” To dig more deeply on the book study resource tables activity, read social studies teacher Tim Smyth’s “Building Students’ Background Knowledge With Station Rotation.” For even more activities that build background knowledge in the classroom, read Youki Terada’s “How to Move From the ‘Main Idea’ to ‘Background Knowledge.’”