Activity: Consider the importance of prior knowledge when extracting meaning from a text.
Background
Learning to read and write in English involves more than decoding, it requires the learner to make meaning from the text.
Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons and McKenzie (2006) describe the role of reader as text participant to involve drawing on two types of knowledge; ‘the topic at hand (content) and knowledge of how the text at hand is organised (structure).’ The first type of knowledge is the focus of this activity.
According to Miller and McCallum (2015), the first stage of introducing new material to students who speak English as an additional language (EAL learners) involves activating and engaging their prior knowledge. An essential part of this phase is to build on student’s prior knowledge when it is not the same as mainstream learners. We all bring prior knowledge to texts, but what if your prior knowledge does not match the knowledge needed to make sense of the text or does not match the prior knowledge of the other learners for this particular text? Without the appropriate orientation to the background knowledge within the text, some students will be at a significant advantage.
Case study activity
Consider the following case study. (You’ll need a copy of the book Handa’s Surprise or watch the video below).
youtu.be/XyIV_xYi0as
Ian is a new teacher in a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia. His class is a composite Reception/Grade 1. Ian works with Kukika, who is the class Indigenous Education Worker (IEW). Kukika tells Ian that of the 15 children on his roll, 13 speak an Aboriginal language as their first language (predominately Pitjantjatjara). Two students speak Aboriginal English as their first language and also speak Pitjantjatjara with their peers. For all the students English is a second, third, fourth language.
Ian is very keen to start the first literacy topic. This is how he plans to start the unit. Let’s go through each step that he goes through and discuss what his rationale for each step might be:
Ian goes to the school library and chooses the big book, Handa’s Surprise. In groups read Handa’s Surprise. Discuss the appropriateness of this choice.
Ian discusses the book with Kukika. (Why would he do this?)
Ian and Kukika talk about and brainstorm the background information (concepts and ideas) in the story that they want to orient the children with. They consider what prior knowledge the children bring to the text, what might be familiar and what be unfamiliar. (Why would they do this?)
Kukika tells the children what happens in the story. (Why would she do this?)
Ian reads the story to the children. The educators note any questions and or comments that demonstrate prior knowledge and areas in which they can include in the next stages of planning.
Kukika chooses some words out of the book to translate into Pitjantjatjara. (Why would she do this?)
Ian organises to buy the different fruits from the store (Why would he do this?)
Ian and Kukika show the children the seven delicious fruits in a basket plus some tangerines. The children feel the fruits, smell the fruits, describe the fruits, and draw the fruits. They then cut up the fruits for the children to taste (Why would they do this?).
Here is a different group of children discovering the fruits from Handa’s Surprise
youtu.be/8BN4seoh_aI
The children talk about which fruit they like best (Why would they do this?).
Ian reads the story to the children again. (Why would he do this?) The educators note any questions and or comments that demonstrate prior knowledge and areas in which they can include in the next stages of planning. (Why would they do this?).
Kukika and Ian talk with the children about the animals in the book (Ostrich, chickens, butterflies, monkeys, cattle, zebra, elephant, giraffe, goats, dogs etc. Using cuts outs of all the animals Ian and Kukika helps the children categorise which animals live in the local area, Australia, and/or Kenya. Can they think of Australian animals that are similar to animals in the book (Emu/Ostrich etc.). Using picture they talk about how they are similar and how they are different. (Why would they do this?).
Ian reads the story to the children again. (Why would he do this?) The educators note any questions and or comments that demonstrate prior knowledge and areas in which they can include in the next stages of planning.
They repeat step 11 for Handa and Akeyo’s village. They compare and contrast; what is similar to their community and what is different. The children draw pictures of both. (Why would they do each of these steps?).
Your turn – Presentations
Now each group can select a literacy text and you would begin the literacy unit by orienting children to the background information in the text (concepts, ideas etc.).
Include the following:
A very brief description of the context of the class (you could use Ian and Kukika’s class or a local context)
A brainstorm/list of the background information, ideas and concepts that you think will be familiar and unfamiliar to the children and information that they could use to make meaning of the text.
A few activities/learning experiences that will help orient children with the background to the text, with your justification of why you have chosen this activity.
Choose one or two activities to do with your class.
References
Brown, E 1995, Handa’s Surprise, new edn, Walker, London.
Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons and McKenzie 2006, 2nd edn, Reading in the primary school years, Thomson Social Science Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.
Miller & McCallum 2015, Classrooms of possibility: Supporting at-risk EAL students, Primary English Teaching Association Australia, Newtown, NSW.
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Background
Learning to read and write in English involves more than decoding, it requires the learner to make meaning from the text.
Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons and McKenzie (2006) describe the role of reader as text participant to involve drawing on two types of knowledge; ‘the topic at hand (content) and knowledge of how the text at hand is organised (structure).’ The first type of knowledge is the focus of this activity.
According to Miller and McCallum (2015), the first stage of introducing new material to students who speak English as an additional language (EAL learners) involves activating and engaging their prior knowledge. An essential part of this phase is to build on student’s prior knowledge when it is not the same as mainstream learners. We all bring prior knowledge to texts, but what if your prior knowledge does not match the knowledge needed to make sense of the text or does not match the prior knowledge of the other learners for this particular text? Without the appropriate orientation to the background knowledge within the text, some students will be at a significant advantage.
Case study activity
Consider the following case study. (You’ll need a copy of the book Handa’s Surprise or watch the video below).
youtu.be/XyIV_xYi0as
Ian is a new teacher in a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia. His class is a composite Reception/Grade 1. Ian works with Kukika, who is the class Indigenous Education Worker (IEW). Kukika tells Ian that of the 15 children on his roll, 13 speak an Aboriginal language as their first language (predominately Pitjantjatjara). Two students speak Aboriginal English as their first language and also speak Pitjantjatjara with their peers. For all the students English is a second, third, fourth language.
Ian is very keen to start the first literacy topic. This is how he plans to start the unit. Let’s go through each step that he goes through and discuss what his rationale for each step might be:
Here is a different group of children discovering the fruits from Handa’s Surprise
youtu.be/8BN4seoh_aI
Your turn – Presentations
Now each group can select a literacy text and you would begin the literacy unit by orienting children to the background information in the text (concepts, ideas etc.).
Include the following:
References
Brown, E 1995, Handa’s Surprise, new edn, Walker, London.
Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons and McKenzie 2006, 2nd edn, Reading in the primary school years, Thomson Social Science Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.
Miller & McCallum 2015, Classrooms of possibility: Supporting at-risk EAL students, Primary English Teaching Association Australia, Newtown, NSW.