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Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement, Marzano, 2004.

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Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement, Marzano, 2004.

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"...what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content." (p.1)

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Building Background Knowledge, Reading Rockets

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Building Background Knowledge, Reading Rockets

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"Previous studies have shown that background knowledge plays an enormous role in reading comprehension."

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To comprehend a story or text, young readers need a threshold of knowledge about the topic, and tougher state standards place increasing demands on children’s prior knowledge. This article offers practical classroom strategies to build background knowledge such as using contrasts and comparisons and encouraging topic-focused wide reading.

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How Knowledge Helps- Daniel T. Willingham

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How Knowledge Helps- Daniel T. Willingham

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"Thus, background knowledge makes one a better reader in two ways. First, it means that there is a greater probability that you will have the knowledge to successfully makes the necessary inferences to understand a text. Second, rich background knowledge means that you will rarely need to reread a text in an effort to consciously search for connections in the text."

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Knowledge does much more than just help students hone their thinking skills, it actually makes learning easier. Factual knowledge enhances cognitive processes like problem solving and reasoning, and once you have some knowledge, the brain finds it easier to get more and more knowledge.

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Achieve the Core: Research Supporting Shift 3:Background Knowledge

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Achieve the Core: Research Supporting Shift 3:Background Knowledge

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"Building knowledge systematically in English language arts is like giving children various pieces of a puzzle in each grade that, over time, will form one big picture. "

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NWEA Literature and Nonfiction Comprehension

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2022-23 Comprehensive Data Review By School

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https://www.bcscschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=872&dataid=12783&FileName=Bartholomew%20Strategic%20Plan%209-21-2022.pdf

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TITLE:  How can we hold stakeholders accountable?

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TITLE:  How can we hold stakeholders accountable?

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BICS/CALP - Vocabulary, Proficiency for ELLs

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BICS/CALP - Vocabulary, Proficiency for ELLs

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The acronyms BICS and CALP refer to the length of time required by immigrant children to develop conversational skills in the target language and grade appropriate academic proficiency in that language. Understanding the difference between social language and academic language acquisition is an important concept for teachers working with non-native students. Learn more in our academic language resource section.
BICS = social language
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) refer to linguistic skills needed in everyday, social face-to-face interactions. For instance, the language used in the playground, on the phone, or to interact socially with other people is part of BICS. The language used in these social interactions is context embedded. That is, it is meaningful, cognitively undemanding, and non-specialized. It takes the learner from six months to two years to develop BICS.
CALP = academic language
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) focuses on proficiency in academic language or language used in the classroom in the various content areas. Academic language is characterized by being abstract, context reduced, and specialized. In addition to acquiring the language, learners need to develop skills such as comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, and inferring when developing academic competence. It takes learners at least five years to develop CALP. Research from Collier and Thomas (1995) has shown that it may take children with no prior instruction or no support in native language development at least seven years to develop CALP.

The distinction between BICS and CALP was made by Professor Jim Cummins.

Learn more in Explaining BICS and CALP from EverythingESL.

Video: BICS and CALP

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The acronyms BICS and CALP refer to the length of time required by immigrant children to develop conversational skills in the target language and grade appropriate academic proficiency in that language. Understanding the difference between social language and academic language acquisition is an important concept for teachers working with non-native students.

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Background knowledge is a reader's understanding of the specific concepts, situations and problems associated with the words encountered in the text. Knowledge of the topic provides readers enough understanding to make meaning and build onto what they currently know.

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Background knowledge is a reader's understanding of the specific concepts, situations and problems associated with the words encountered in the text. Knowledge of the topic provides readers enough understanding to make meaning and build onto what they currently know.

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Organic/intentional opportunities provided by the teacher 

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Organic/intentional opportunities provided by the teacher 

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NWEA Vocabulary as well as IREAD and ILEARN 

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NWEA Vocabulary as well as IREAD and ILEARN 

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Artifacts of practices in classroom as well as conversations in team meetings

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Artifacts of practices in classroom as well as conversations in team meetings

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Speaking and listening is a MUST!

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Essential Question
Vocabulary
Listening comprehension passages
Turn and Talks
Background reasoning

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Scarborough's Rope
Intentionality

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KWL Charts to get to know you
Build practices to go along with lessons

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Essential words routines
Frayer model vocabulary
Semantic mapping
Vocabulary review activities
Morphemic analysis routines

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Did you know that typically, only 5% to 10% of instructional time is devoted to vocabulary instruction, yet students, especially struggling students and English learners (ELs), need between 12 and 14 exposures to words and their meanings to fully learn them (Durkin, 1978/79; Roser & Juel, 1982; Scott, Jamieson, Noel, & Asslin, 2003)? Teaching the meanings of important words before learning new content activates students' background knowledge and prepares them for learning and comprehending. In other words, teaching vocabulary provides the "Velcro" for new information to "stick to."

What Research Says About Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Vocabulary instruction must be explicit. Explicit vocabulary instruction includes an easy-to-understand definition presented directly to students along with multiple examples and nonexamples of the target word, brief discussion opportunities, and checks for understanding.

Vocabulary instruction must include multiple practice opportunities for using words within and across subjects. That is, instruction must be extended over time with opportunities for students to hear, speak, read, and write words in various contexts. This builds students' breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge.

Vocabulary should be taught schoolwide and across all subject areas. Each subject has a unique set of vocabulary terms, and students need to know their meanings and how to use them in various contexts.

Word Selection

Instructional time is precious, and teachers are not able to address every unknown word students might encounter, so careful word selection is key. When deciding which words to target for explicit instruction, consider words that are

essential to understanding the main idea of the text or unit,

used repeatedly or frequently encountered across domains, and

not part of students' prior knowledge.

ELs may require even more careful word selection and extensive vocabulary instruction because they may be learning conversational language and academic language at the same time. Colorín Colorado provides additional information about selecting vocabulary words to teach ELs.

Some of Our Favorite Vocabulary Instructional Activities for ALL Content Areas

The five activities described below are effective ways to teach vocabulary for all students, but especially for struggling students, students with learning disabilities, and ELs.

1. Essential Words Routine

Teachers use a simple graphic organizer to preteach the meanings of important words in about 5 minutes per word. During this routine, teachers introduce target words with definitions, visual cues, and examples. Students engage in immediate practice using the words through collaborative student turn-and-talk activities.

Resources

2. Frayer Model

One way to have students extend their knowledge of important words is through a Frayer model. This graphic organizer builds vocabulary and conceptual knowledge across content areas. The strategy requires students (not the teacher) to define a vocabulary word and then list its characteristics, examples, and nonexamples. Frayer models can be completed in collaborative groups using textbooks and other subject-matter materials while the teacher circulates around the classroom and assists students.

Resource

Online module, examples, and templates from the IRIS Center

3. Semantic Mapping

Semantic maps visually display and connect a word or phrase and a set of related words or concepts. Implementing semantic map activities in your classroom will help students, especially struggling students and students with learning disabilities, recall the meanings of words and understand how multiple words or concepts "fit together." Teachers will find that using a semantic map, combined with explicit instruction and practice opportunities, is an effective way of expanding students' vocabulary and supporting their content knowledge.

Resources

4. Vocabulary Review Activities

Multiple opportunities to practice using new words is an important part of vocabulary instruction. In previous TCLD research studies, brief review activities were built into novel unit lesson plans to help students practice (and remember) the meanings of important words. Each of these activities takes 5 to 10 minutes and is easy to prepare.

Partner Review Routine: Partners work together to quickly review words learned the previous day.

Sentence Review Routine: Partners create sentences using words assigned by the teacher.

Examples and Nonexamples: The teacher tells students scenarios or shows pictures and students respond chorally to each scenario, indicating whether it is an example or nonexample.

What Word Fits? The teacher asks a question and student partners hold up an index card with the word that fits or answers the question.

Resource

Each activity is described in more detail beginning on page 33 of the TCLD booklet Reading Instruction for Middle School Students: Developing Lessons for Improving Comprehension

5. Morphemic Analysis Routine

Explicit instruction of words is important, but it is impossible to teach all the unfamiliar words students will encounter. One way to help students develop strategies for approaching unfamiliar vocabulary is to teach morphemes (prefixes, roots, and suffixes). Students can be taught the following morphemic analysis routine to help them engage in independent word study.

Resource

Learn more about the morphemic analysis routine by reviewing this online learning module from the Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies.
Have questions? Feel free to drop us a line!

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Texas Center for Learning Disabilities: Five Research-Based Ways to Teach Vocabulary

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The Texas Center for Learning Disabilities (TCLD) website disseminates resources on learning disabilities to parents, teachers, and researchers.

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Monthly Strategies on how to build background knowledge in Curriculum newsletter or Monday Newsletter

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Monthly Strategies on how to build background knowledge in Curriculum newsletter or Monday Newsletter

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Curating tips and putting on newsletters or in PD

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Curating tips and putting on newsletters or in PD

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Example from an author who has written several books on the topic of background knowledge and vocabulary:
1. Informal conversations
2. Anchored word learning
3. TIP charts
4. Save the last word for me
5. Snap mini lessons
6. Vocabulary self-collection strategy
7. Word talks
8. Digital tools for independent practice

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PD or tips for how to collect data/information on student background knowledge

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PD or tips for how to collect data/information on student background knowledge

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Training for staff on the power of anticipation guides and how they can create different tools, resources to help them gauge background knowledge to use it to plan for the future

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Training, tips for how to best support ELLs

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Training, tips for how to best support ELLs

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Colorin Colorado has many resources

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When students learn new information, they need a hook to hang it on. Background knowledge is that hook.

Having the right background knowledge is critical to ensuring that students understand a lesson. This knowledge provides a foundation on which the rest of the lesson can be built. For ELLs, it can make a significant difference in their comprehension of the lesson and any related materials or texts.

When thinking about background knowledge and ELLs, it's helpful to think of two areas:

accessing students' existing knowledge

building new knowledge.

Finding out what your students know about a particular topic can help you figure out how to make meaningful connections to their experiences, which is an important step in making your instruction more culturally responsive. This can also help you be strategic about which background knowledge to provide.

Here's a step-by-step process to help you think through important considerations for ELLs when looking at the background knowledge needed for your lessons.

Recommended reading

To see more research about the academic and cognitive benefits of culturally responsive instruction, see Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond.

1. Identify key background knowledge needed for the lesson

Review your lesson plan and:

look for key concepts, events, and references that students will need to understand the lesson

take a second look for areas that you may be taking for granted, such as names of places, daily activities that may vary across countries, cultural customs, and events from pop culture, etc.

identify vocabulary needed to comprehend the content

determine what background knowledge is most critical for students to understand the lesson.

Video: An overview of background knowledge and ELLs

ELL teacher Amber Prentice discusses the necessity of accessing and building students' background knowledge before a lesson begins.

2. Identify students' existing background knowledge

Find out what background knowledge your students have on your lesson plan's topic. You can do this by:

Note: Choose strategies that match your students' language and literacy levels. For example, having students speak in groups may be a good fit for younger students who aren't writing yet or for older students with interrupted formal education who are still developing literacy skills. Graphic organizers are helpful to use with younger students who have some language background or older students who are acquiring new language skills.

During this process, keep in mind that:

ELLs bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their classrooms.

ELLs' background knowledge varies greatly from one student to another.

ELLs' background knowledge will likely differ from students who were raised in U.S. (and that students' background knowledge will vary by U.S. regions too!)

By getting individual student input, you will have a better idea of what students know about a topic. Then you can look for ways to connect the content to things that are familiar, students' experiences, and their funds of knowledge.

For many more ideas on accessing and activating students' background knowledge, see How to Connect ELLs' Background Knowledge to Content.

Note: ELLs may bring different perspectives or frames of reference to the topics you are discussing, such as in the example at the end of the article about how many continents there are. It's important not to frame background knowledge as a question of what's "right" or "wrong," but to approach these teachable moments with an open mind and encourage all of your students to do the same.

Video: Story setup: Pre-reading strategies for comprehension

Buffalo teacher Michelle Lawrence Biggar shares pre-reading strategies that will help lay the groundwork for ELLs before tackling a new text. Strategies include previewing vocabulary, activating background knowledge, and introducing academic concepts (such as literary elements) important to the text in an ELL-friendly way.

3. Build background knowledge students need

Once you have identified some areas of background knowledge your students need, build that knowledge by:

using pictures, real objects ("realia"), maps, or personal experiences. Relate material to students' lives when possible.

pre-teaching important vocabulary words and concepts

explaining concepts and labeling them with key words ELLs can remember. For example, "This is the Statue of Liberty. Liberty means freedom. Liberty means libertad. The people of France gave us the Statue of Liberty..."

Home language connection

You can also use resources in students' home languages, such as books or videos. If you work with bilingual colleagues, such as teachers, paraprofessionals, or family liaisons, ask them if they have any recommended resources. And if you don't have any bilingual support available, considering connecting with a PLC online to find more resources. Other ELL educators around the country have a wealth of knowledge to share, particularly around low-incidence languages where there might not be as much material.

Video: Pre-teaching concepts and vocabulary before a lesson

ESOL specialist Katy Padilla collaborates with a fifth-grade team to plan a science lesson about vascular plants. You can also hear more about the planning process from Katy's related reflection interview.

Video: Teaching ELLs the names of all 50 states

ELL teacher Amber Prentice explains how she teaches ELLs the names of all 50 states in her middle school geography lesson.

4. Target background knowledge needed to understand texts

When reading grade-level text with ELLs, it's important to think carefully about which background knowledge (and how much) to provide.

Build text-specific knowledge by providing students with information from the text beforehand, particularly if the text is conceptually difficult or has an abundance of information that is important. For example, if there are six main topics on the animal kingdom, highlight them beforehand.

Establish the purpose for reading (e.g., "Now we are going to read to find out about a country called France. What are some things we might learn about France as we read?")

Select a specific comprehension strategy for students to use.

Look for books that students will find relatable. For more recommendations on selecting these books, see our related tips on using "mirror" books with students.

For more in-depth discussion of how much background knowledge to provide when reading grade-level texts, take a look at these blog posts from Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner, which discuss an American Educator article from Dr. Tim Shanahan on this topic:

5. Avoid assumptions

It is critical to avoid making assumptions about what background knowledge students do or don't have. Not only is this important for instruction, but it is critical for creating a welcoming classroom environment in which students feel respected.

For example, Dr. Ayanna Cooper shares a story in the video below about U.S. history teachers who mistakenly thought their Haitian student was an African American student who had a deep knowledge base about U.S. history. As mentioned above, the better you know your students, the better you can plan lessons that will give all students access to grade-level content.

Videos: ELL educators speak about background knowledge

Recommended Resources

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Background Knowledge and ELLs: What Teachers Need to Know

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When students learn new information, they need a hook to hang it on. Background knowledge is that hook. Having the right background knowledge is critical to ensuring that students understand a lesson. This knowledge provides a foundation on which the rest of the lesson can be built.

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Morphology/Word Work

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Tapping into student schema

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Integrate literacy instruction into content areas

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Building Administrators
UDL Coaches
Title Coaches

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Taking Virtual and Live Field Trips

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Using text sets based on topic

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https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/use-realia-esl-classroom/#:~:text=Realia%20is%20a%20real%2Dlife,teach%20a%20word%20or%20concept.

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ELL teachers

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Freerice, Quizlet, Flocabulary

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Check out the vocabulary terms for each lesson in Studies Weekly and suggestions for instruction

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If students have a better understanding of topics and vocabulary..we should see an increase in how they score on general comprehension.

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Weekly and Module test would show if they are increasing comprehension scores.

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Creative use of Essential Question for each module. Students can add to the essential question as the module goes. They can then relate the different stories back to the essential question.

Knowledge Map- How can this be visible in a classroom and built upon each week?

All Items in Red are Building background
All items in teal blue are related to vocabulary.

How can we use a consistent routine to teach vocabulary? There is one on the back of the cards provided by HMH.

How can we select a group of words from the TE that are essential for that week? What words will be for exposure?