One of the foundational elements of teaching someone something new is activating prior knowledge that will be relevant to the new learning. Activating prior knowledge serves several purposes:
Classroom ExampleLet’s say I’m teaching my 4th grade class how to multiply ¾ x 6. I would start the lesson by saying things like:
Parenting ExampleA few weeks ago, I was helping my niece write an essay for admittance into a summer program she’s hoping to be selected for.
Coaching ExAmple
Teach AnyBody AnythingIf you can imagine yourself in any of the three situations I provided above, you’ll probably notice that, in all three cases, the learner probably didn’t feel like they were learning anything new. The activation of prior knowledge made all three learning experiences seem like extending knowledge the participant already had rather than learning something unfamiliar. That’s exactly how the brain works - it seeks to “hang” new knowledge onto old knowledge in a cumulative way. Want to teach anybody anything? Hand the learner that hanger before you hang something on it. Remind them of what they already know. Provide a starting point to build from. Activate prior knowledge first. Interested in more ways to teach anybody anything? Click here If you enjoyed this post, please share it! If you would like to receive notifications of future posts, follow me on Twitter (@ddougd), Facebook (Doug Doblar), Instagram (@ddougd1), or your favorite RSS feed.
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About MeI'm an award-winning teacher in the Atlanta area with experience teaching at every level from elementary school to college. Categories |