3 Steps to Activate Prior Knowledge
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As a primary school teacher, activating prior knowledge is a crucial step in a structured lesson. It helps students connect new information to what they already know, making it more meaningful and easier to understand. One effective structure for activating prior knowledge is to review previous learnings, apply the knowledge and link to current concepts. This structure is based on the principles of Explicit Direct Instruction, a teaching method developed by John Hollingsworth.
Why Activate Prior Knowledge?
Activating prior knowledge refers to the process of connecting new information to what students already know. This makes content more meaningful and easier to understand. According to the principles of Explicit Direct Instruction, activating prior knowledge is an essential step in the learning process. By pre-teaching and reviewing previously learned information, students can relate new content to what they already know. Additionally, interactive and hands-on activities for prior learning builds the understanding of relevance and application. Furthermore, students can understand new concepts more easily by relating them to what they already know.
3 Step Approach
Review Previous Learning
The first step in this structure is "We have previously learned." This reviews and reminds students of related prior knowledge. According to Hollingworth's Explicit Direct Instruction, activating prior knowledge through pre-teaching helps students understand new information by relating it to what they already know.
Apply Previously Learning
The second step is "Apply previous knowledge". This step encourages students to use their prior knowledge to solve problems, answer questions, or complete tasks related to the new content. This step helps students to see the relevance of their prior knowledge and how it can be applied in new situations. Hollingworth's Explicit Direct Instruction emphasises the use of interactive and hands-on activities to engage students, and this step aligns with that principle.
Link to New Content
The final step is "Link to new content". This step is where the teacher introduces the new information and helps students to make connections between it and their prior knowledge. This step helps students to understand the new information more easily by relating it to what they already know. Hollingworth's Explicit Direct Instruction stresses the importance of clear and concise explanations in teaching, and this step aligns with that principle.
For example, a primary school teacher teaching about the solar system can activate prior knowledge by first reviewing what the students have learned about the planets. Next, they can have the students apply their previous knowledge by drawing a solar system model on paper. Finally, the teacher can introduce the concept of the Milky Way galaxy and link it to the previously learned information about the solar system.
Resources to Activate Prior Knowledge
Use these free resources to activate students' prior knowledge.
By incorporating the "We have previously learned, Apply previous knowledge, Link to new content" structure, primary school teachers can activate prior knowledge in their students, making learning more meaningful and effective. This structure aligns with the principles of John Hollingworth's Explicit Direct Instruction, and can be a powerful tool for primary school teachers to use in their classroom.
