Listen to Audio

Before starting to read, students need to have the background knowledge which will be important to comprehend the reading.

One cannot assume that all students come into class with this background knowledge. Significant information for the comprehension of the reading is presented in the Build Background section of the Chapter.

The Use Prior Knowledge section stimulates students to think about a situation they may have encountered which is similar to the one in the upcoming reading.

The questions range from factual to more interpretive. The end result is better comprehension of the story to come.

Graphic organizers are often used in this section and students can work in pairs or small groups to complete the task.

This careful building of background knowledge and activation of the student’s prior knowledge greatly enhances the comprehension of the reading which follows.