NLGL Creative Synthesis Project
RESEARCH
What does research have to say about the impact of background knowledge on students' reading comprehension?
Research from Experts the Field
Samuels and Farstrup (2011) emphasize the connection between background knowledge and reading comprehension, stating, "An individual with significant background knowledge about a topic needs only to update her preexisting situation model with the new information provided in the text; an individual with no previous background knowledge must construct a new model" (pg. 200).
​
The concept of a reader's situational model was further explored in Dr. Davis' classes on literacy assessment and intensified instruction. In those classes, I learned how background knowledge (among other factors) helps a reader construct his or her mental model of a text. The graphic below is a helpful representation of the levels of meaning a reader can derive from a text, beginning from the most basic structure of the text (Surface form) to how the reader interprets the text through the lens of his or her background knowledge (Textbase). From there, background knowledge aids in inference making in order to create a "coherent mental representation of the text" (Situation model).
This text from Dr. Huffman's course "Reading In the Content Area," provides some great insight about the role that background knowledge plays in the evolution of reading difficulties. Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz (2014) emphasize the importance of considering students' background knowledge, world knowledge, and language skills when assessing reading comprehension difficulties. They also encourage teachers to attend to the areas of vocabulary and knowledge development as they plan instruction, especially for those students who may have limited opportunity to develop in these areas. I was able to use this information to develop the Before-Reading part of my Scaffolded Reading Experience by using an anticipation guide to gauge how much prior knowledge students had about ocean life before conducting my lesson.
Dr. Steven Layne (2015) expounds upon Rosenblatt's "Transactional" Theory, saying, "What we bring to the text as readers is an important consideration in the transaction that occurs during the reading process. The meaning on the page has not been brought to life until my experience as a reader begins to interact with it. Our experiences, beliefs, predispositions, and passions all play a role in how we experience a text.." (pg. 54). Reading Layne's book further impressed upon me the importance of planning instruction and assessment with the awareness that each of my students interact with texts differently because of their unique background knowledge. Reading this book has challenged me to incorporate discussions and activities into my literacy instruction that would allow me to better understand my students' background knowledge. Some examples of activities I have used are picture walks, carousel walks, and inquiry-based learning projects.
Aguilar (2013) discusses how teacher leaders can transform their schools in her book The Art of Coaching. Reading this book truly changed my perspective on my role at my school. I realize that the more I conduct research and gain experience, the more expertise I have to share with colleagues at my school for the purpose of achieving learning goals for students. My hope is that I can utilize my role as a teammate and mentor to share effective strategies for building students' background knowledge. I have learned so much throughout the past two years, and I plan to implement the principles discussed in this book to support other educators in my school in any way I can!
According to Neuman et al. (2017), the following are examples of why readers need background knowledge:
Background knowledge gives readers access to multiple meanings of the same word.
In the process of constructing meaning, readers must be able to supply missing knowledge and make inferences.
Readers must be able to differentiate between metaphors, idioms, and phrases which retain literal meaning.
Students must be able to apply previously learned concepts to informational texts.