Knowledge is like glue that sticks information as well as learning together. When we have prior knowledge about a topic, we understand it better.

It plays an important role in students’ life, especially in school. If they don’t have related knowledge, they face difficulties in understanding the text.

Four Types of Background Knowledge

Well, there are four types of background knowledge that need to be instilled in students from a very early age

1. General Knowledge

It helps children in developing their knowledge about what is happening in the world. Its main advantage is that they can relate background knowledge with contextual one.

It is essential for understanding a normal language. The meaning of a word in the mind depends on the knowledge and the background of the reader. Reading is a good source of knowledge. It not only increases the meaning of words but also makes comprehension easier to read.

2. Vocabulary knowledge

As already said, reading is the best source of knowledge. It is also a key to developing the vocabulary skills of students.

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The more they read, the more they learn different words and how & where to use them. The importance of prior knowledge in education can be understood. Background knowledge enables the readers to have more options between multiple meanings of words.

3. Concept-based knowledge

Prior background knowledge about a subject can also be taken by the means of conceptual understanding. Giving hands-on experiences is a great source for understanding concepts while reading.

In other words, it takes students away from the classroom and brings them closer to the outside world. Discussions and envisagement are also helpful in developing the conceptual knowledge of students. This helps in collecting different views and information about the world.

4. Knowledge from books

Many good books are filled with a lot of information which consists of deep meanings of the words and are filled with a good amount of knowledge.

Background knowledge about the geographical settings of a place, history, political movements, and religious and cultural environment of the world might not be learnt in the textbooks being taught in schools. Even the languages used in these books make a huge difference in understanding the text.

Thus, parents play a vital role in providing prior knowledge to their children. It is due to the fact that a child’s education starts at home and their parents are their first teachers. After parents, teachers play an important role in the learning process of a child. It is essential for them to understand, evaluate and analyze what the students already know about a topic.

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