This professional learning session will focus on strategies that educators can use to build background knowledge, a critical strand in Scarborough's Reading Rope, which supports reading comprehension and language proficiency. Teachers will learn how background knowledge helps students make connections to new content, enabling them to decode and understand more complex texts. Participants will explore practical, research-based strategies for activating prior knowledge, making content relevant, and bridging gaps for diverse learners. Through hands-on activities and discussions, teachers will gain tools for integrating background knowledge-building techniques into daily instruction to support students' reading development, comprehension, and overall growth. By the end of the session, educators will have a clear understanding of how to strengthen this essential strand of the Reading Rope to foster student success in literacy.
We are learning how building background knowledge supports the language and cognitive skills that contribute to reading comprehension so that all students, especially English learners can link prior knowledge to new learning.
