English Learners
Find debate questions, verbal response frames, and graphic organizers to activate prior knowledge in English 3D.
English Learners
All students come into the classroom with a collection of lived experiences, which vary—sometimes drastically. Say there’s an upcoming unit on ocean ecosystems. We can’t assume all students come in with the same knowledge about an aquatic environment. One student may have had the opportunity to travel to the Caribbean and snorkel among sea creatures in a coral reef. Another student may have only seen a school of fish on a tablet screen. So how can we bridge gaps and ensure all students develop an understanding of the topic at hand?
Before diving headfirst into a lesson, it’s essential to access and activate students’ existing knowledge. Doing so better supports students in building on their understanding and making connections. And for English language learners, who come with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, building on the rich background knowledge they bring with them supports their comprehension of new information presented in English.
A note on language: we use the common phrases multilingual learner, English learner, and English language learner, along with the acronym ELL, but we also recognize that students who are learning English do not fit neatly into a single label.
Background knowledge, also referred to as prior knowledge or content knowledge, is the information students bring to the classroom, either learned formally at school or informally through real-world experiences. Students can gain background knowledge through reading a book, watching a movie, or chatting with family.
Students’ background knowledge serves as the foundation for their learning. In fact, studies indicate that the more knowledge learners have on a topic, the better they will understand and retain new information.
Support multilingual learners in learning new information and building on their background knowledge with the following strategies.
Before introducing new information, teachers should gauge what is already known by activating prior knowledge. Activating prior knowledge is the process in which teachers elicit students' content knowledge and make connections between what they know and what they will learn.
Students may need support in tapping into their background knowledge. Consider the following strategies to help ELL students activate their prior knowledge.
Find debate questions, verbal response frames, and graphic organizers to activate prior knowledge in English 3D.
Whatever background knowledge students bring with them, it’s important tap into their experiences and build on them through purposeful learning activities.
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Address the range of English learners' needs with our English language development programs.
Download our free guide to using response frames with multilingual learners.
Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor
Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor
Alexandra Lebensburger
Educator, Attorney, and Mediator
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