When parents trigger background knowledge they can improve their child’s reading comprehension.
Reading comprehension depends upon prior knowledge, we take from a book what we bring to the book. Our children need lots of prior knowledge experiences before they become expert readers. Fortunately, this is one of the joys of sharing books with our children; talking about our background knowledge, sharing stories and memories. This is an easy, cozy, way to keep in touch with your child while sharing a book.
Building Background knowledge requires only your memories and a book of your choice.
You will be helping your child to relate a new book to prior world knowledge and/or personal experience-your connections take three forms.
•Text-to-Self - When text or pictures remind you of your life. (This story reminds me of when we visited Grandma. Like Red we took a basket of cookies.) Create a connection from something in your child’s life, a memory you both have.
•Text-to-Text -When text or pictures remind you of another book or passage. (This story reminds me of another book we read. Both Red and the Three Pigs have wolves in them.) Create a connection of something your child has read, seen or heard; It could be another book, a movie, television program, song or a wonderful painting.
•Text-to-World -When text or pictures remind you of some information that you know about the world. (The wolf in this story reminds me of an article I read about the introduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park…Later I will see if I can find it.) Create a connection beyond your child’s life, the broader world…a bigger idea.
This is your chance to show your child that reading goes far beyond the written page. Your chance to wonder, to tell stories, to share sweet family memories; this is the time to connect to those comical incidents, and heartbreaking losses. Their reading will grow by relating something new to what they already know. Simply by talking you will be sharing how you think when you read. As parents and teachers we never say, “Remember to use your background knowledge.” We encourage children to use background when we read and reflect about our own personal experiences and our own connections, when we talk about our thinking as we read.
Today is the perfect time not only to introduce the love of reading to your child but to pick up the habit again, yourself.
You do so much every day; you deserve a small amount of time to enjoy reading yourself!
Cozy down and share memories and books with your special child.
R.R.Cratty
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