The Theory of Prior Knowledge

“Read the following paragraph once through, and then read the questions at the bottom before re-reading the paragraph. Then fill in the answers.”

Most of us are familiar with these instructions. We saw them on the SATs, on reading comprehension quizes, and sometimes even heard them repeated by teachers. But why is re-reading considered so valuable? What are students expected to get out of the paragraph that we couldn’t see the first time?

The Theory of Prior Knowledge

The answer is less “what” and more “why.” Educational theory hypothesizes that students are more likely to understand what comes before them if they have prior knowledge. Prior knowledge may come in many shapes and forms:

• Having read the questions, I have some prior knowledge of what possibilities to expect as I analyze the text.
• Having heard of one element in the text before, I will more easily understand related elements. For example, if I use a cell phone at home, it will be easier for me to learn about rotary phones when I read about them.
• Understanding context can make learning easier. For example, if I’m learning about economic shifts in the 1800s and I’ve already learned about the Civil War but not the US-Mexican War, I’m more likely to remember the economic shifts that happen during the Civil War than the US-Mexican War. I have context for those economic shifts.

How Can We Use Prior Knowledge?

Prior knowledge can be put into practice by any teacher at any time. Although students come from all different backgrounds, and therefore may have different knowledge bases, a simple KWL sheet will help the students to connect their own backgrounds to the new information.

There is also a strong argument for video games and computer games as sources of prior knowledge. Since these games can easily incorporate a story component both visually and auditorily, students can connect their own memories and experiences to what they see and hear. From there, the interactive nature of the game allows students to associate their newfound knowledge with the context of the game. Think, for example, of the simple game Oregon Trail. For any student who played Oregon Trail, there was immediate context when learning about the US’ expansion. There were people, clothed as in the game to imagine, and activities such as the game portrayed to associate with the history learned.

What prior knowledge activities have you seen used in a classroom?