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The More We Know, The More We Grow:
The More We Know, The More We Grow:
Why Background Knowledge Matters
Why Background Knowledge Matters
When my multilingual learners open a new book or article, I often notice a spark in their eyes or sometimes a look of uncertainty. That spark, I have come to realize, often depends on one thing: background knowledge. The experiences, vocabulary, and cultural understanding that students bring with them quietly shape how they make sense of new learning.
I notice this most vividly when we read about American traditions or historical events. My students from Guatemala, China, and the Middle East may not have grown up celebrating Thanksgiving or learning about the Civil Rights Movement, but they bring their own rich stories of family, migration, and resilience. Before we even open a book, we explore these stories through visuals, short videos, and class discussions. One student might describe how their family cooks together for holidays, while another shares memories of Ramadan celebrations. These personal connections quietly transform the text from something foreign into something meaningful.
I often begin lessons with a KWL chart, where students reflect on what they know, what they wonder about, and what they have learned. Watching them connect ideas from their own lives to new vocabulary and concepts reminds me that learning is never just about the words on a page. Brittany Schwartz explains that tools like RAN charts help students organize what they know, what they wonder about, and what they are learning, giving them a clear path through challenging nonfiction texts.
In my ESOL classroom, I often bring in real objects, photos, or short bilingual texts to make abstract concepts more tangible. When we studied environmental issues, a simple plastic bottle, a reusable cup, and a photograph of a polluted river sparked stories about water use in their home countries. These stories became the foundation for understanding the reading about conservation. Semantic maps provide another way for students to see how words, concepts, and personal experiences connect.
I have learned that background knowledge transforms the classroom into a bridge between cultures. Every experience, no matter how small, becomes a stepping stone toward understanding. Families play a crucial role in this process.
When parents take the time to talk with their children about school, share stories, or connect lessons to home life, they are quietly helping their children build the most powerful tool for learning: knowledge that grows with them. Even simple actions, like asking what your child learned today, sharing a family tradition, reading together, or showing objects and photos from home, can help students make sense of the world in deeper ways. In my experience, it is these small reflective moments that often make the biggest difference.
References
References
Schwartz, B. (2022). Using RAN charts to reimagine nonfiction learning. Education.com Teacher Blog. https://teacher-blog.education.com/using-ran-charts-to-reimagine-nonfiction-learning-cfc98f36809e
Hiebert, E. F. (n.d.). The Semantic Map: Essential tool for building knowledge. TextProject.org. https://textproject.org/frankly-freddy/semantic-maps-knowledge-building
Edutopia. (n.d.). 4 activities to build background knowledge. https://www.edutopia.org/video/build-background-knowledge-reading-comprehension
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