Access Prior Knowledge

Accessing prior knowledge is probably the single most important step in the educational process. If the student is to retain the information long term, it is imperative that they connect it to something that they know and can comprehend. There are many ways to do this.

If the prior knowledge is something universally known. For example pets, or food, the activation of that knowledge could be as simple as a classroom discussion or a journal prompt. However if the topic is something that some or even most of your students don't already have prior knowledge of, there are several ways to frontload this information.

1. Realia, if the subject is camping for example, you can bring in a tent, lantern, sleeping bag etc. When teaching a third grade classroom one time I brought in a dome tent, and set it up in the back of the classroom. I put a sleeping bag, flashlight, and air mattress inside the tent. On the outside of the tent, I put out a lantern, paper plates, a camp stove and lawn chair. Then we made solar ovens out of pizza boxes to make 'smores. The kids had a blast and were then able to understand the novel we were getting ready to read.

2. Show a video. I have found that movies are a great way to frontload. The more entertaining the movie, the more successful the unit. A perfect example of this is the Disney movie Pocahontas. I know that a lot of schools/districts have rules about movies, so please make sure you understand your school's policy before showing a video.

3. Picture books and/or fairytales and fables. The older the kids the more they enjoy picture books. Trust me on this one. Picture books work better on middle school and high school kids than they do on elementary school kids. Find something with a similar theme, character, plot, etc.

4. Take a field trip. If you can take a field trip this is preferable, however you can always take a short walk around the school or surrounding community. There are so many things in your immediate area that will a little thought and creativity you will be able to frontload for many subjects.

5. Invite a guest to speak. I have found that if you ask people they will be more than happy to come talk to a classroom. Most people are excited to come in and tell your kids about their area of expertise. I have had rangers, hunters, mailmen, AIDS victims,train engineers, scientists, college students, etc. come to my classroom and talk to my students.

Front loading is limited only by your imagination. It is more often than not fun and will pay off more than you can imagine. If there is nothing you take from this website, please make sure you understand the importance of accessing prior knowledge.