The Preschooler

Build on What They Know

Imagine listening to a speech where every sentence had one word in it that was spoken in a language you did not know.  Although you may be able to use context clues to figure out the meaning behind some of the words, overall the speech would be difficult to comprehend.  This is precisely what happens when young children are read a story about which they have little background knowledge.

Reading comprehension is greatly increased when questions that engage prior knowledge are asked before reading (Christen & Murphy, 1991).  As young children, these questions most often come from parents and caregivers.  As they get older, teachers may supply a list of oral or written questions that achieve the same outcome.

You don’t have to hold any special degree or certification in order to come up with these questions.  Before you read the story to your child, quickly read through or even browse the book looking for topics or vocabulary that pertain to the theme or may be challenging to your child.  As you begin to read with your child, have your child look at the cover of the book and predict what he thinks the story will be about.  Get your child thinking about any experiences he may have already had that pertain to the story.  A trip to the zoo, the beach, the museum, a relative’s or friend’s, a sibling, the weather, etc. are all topics, among many others, which are often used in children’s literature.  Everyday situations can be used as a base upon which you can build.  The key is to relate what they already know to the new information that is presented.

Resource: Christen, William L. and Murphy, Thomas J. (1991).  “Increasing Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge.”  Accessed on April 19, 2010 at http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9219/prior.htm.

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Written by BRWI Staff on April 21, 2010