Imagine picking up a book written in French. How much would you understand? How about the same book in English? Even if there are parts you don't understand, you could get the gist. This is because you know enough of the words to help you comprehend.
What you know is a key to understanding as you read. Using background knowledge, or your experiences, help make connections to the text, and then comprehension increases. Good readers constantly try to make sense out of what they read by seeing how it fits with what they already know.
As you are reading, think of connections from your experience to the text. This is the foundation, that will help you understand new facts, ideas, settings, and characters. As good readers read, they think about what they are reading and consider how it fits with what they already know.
New facts or information only makes sense when we connect it to what we already know. Using prior knowledge helps make sense of the text.
As you read today in Reading Workshop, consider what you already know that helps you understand your book. What facts and information (prior knowledge) are you using to understand the text?
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Today when I was reading my book this is what happened . This is how I can use my Prior knowledge.
Angie is a skater and she met this preppy rich guy. He asked her on a date. How I used my prior knowledge is I have met a preppy rich guy before, but I didn't go on a date with him. But I have been on a date and so I know how that feels to like someone a lot.
Angie is a painter and she likes to pain graffiti on skateboards where she works, by using my prior knowledge i know what its like to paint a picture but not graffiti.
Angie and her friends don't like preppy kids so I know what that feels like because I don't like preppy kids either.
Angie's friend Buzz is really jealous that Angie likes someone else and not him.I know what that feels like when I like someone but they don't like me.
I am reading Guts by Gary Paulson and I know that he is an out doorsy type and that he has been hunting and fishing. From reading a book called Hatchet I know that Gary Paulson has encountered animals and had tried stuff like Brian like eating a turtle egg and spear hunting fish. From reading other books that Gary Paulson wrote like Dosong I knew that Gary Pauson has run an Ididarod dog race.
Today when I was reading Then again, maybe I won't,, Prior knowledge helped me to understand the book:
*Tony, the main character, was faced with problems when his friend Joel was doing something bad. I know what this feels like because I have done something I shouldn't have done before.
*Tony got a new bike and he did nothing but ride it all day. I know how it feels to get something new because, believe it or not, I've gotten something new before.
*Tony's family moved into a different city and Tony had to leave all of his friends. I had prior knowledge about that because I have moved before.
*Tony plays basketball for fun at the YMCA everyday. I have some prior knowledge on this because I've played basketball for fun at the YMCA before, too
*Someone in Tony's family had a baby and Tony is not all that siked about it. I have some prior knowledge about this topic because someone in my family is going to have a baby.
*Tony has friends that are boys and I can relate because I have friends that are boys.
So far, I have a lot of prior knowledge about Then again, maybe I won't.
Some of the prior knowledge I had with my book Stormbreaker was, that I know of how hard a boot camp is because I plan to join the military one day, so when Alex went to boot camp I knew how hard it was.I also can relate to him by when he was at Salye's house he was sleeping in a new bed in a new room, I can relate to this by when I have to stay some where new I hve to get use to it. Something as that I knew that helped me understand was that there are some places in the book where there is different languages like German or French, and by watching movies and reading other books I knew some of this other language. I also can relate to him by when Alex was looking around in restricted areas and got caught I can relate to this because I have been places and went where I wasn't allowed.
I can relate to my book Eggs, cause these two friends (Primrose and David) fight all the time like my friend and me. It's one thing after the other. First it's fighting over the TV channel then it's fighting over a worm. Then they both got the worm, half of it.
I can also relate to my characters because Primrose is the oldest of the two friends and it's hard to get along with somebody that is younger than you. I know that by having younger siblings. It's are sharing with younger siblings.
I'm reading Warriors by Erin Hunter and he is a cat person because he wrote 6 series of the book called Warriors and it's about cats.
Fireheart (a warrior) is an adventures cat because he wants to live in the forest and I know this because I read it in the first book and that he's not afraid.
The Name of the book I am reading is called Define "Normal".
I can relate to my book when Antonia has to take care of her of her brothers cause her Mom is sick, and she has no Dad. I have had to take care of my sisters when my Mom is sick, and when dads at work.
I can also relate to Antonia when she has trouble dealing with a stubborn girl who thinks that consoling is a wast of time, when Antonia is giving up her time to help Jazz. I have trouble dealing with my sister when she is being stubborn, when I am giving up my free time to help her.
I am reading the book Silver Fin . I really like it. I can really relate and use my prior knowledge to know what the book is about. Silver Fin is a book that takes place in mainly Europe. I can understand what life is in Europe, because I have seen movies and read other books that are about Europe and are in Europe. The time period is about five years after World War 1. I have watched a lot of documentaries that have been about World War 1. So I know what life is like for people after World War 1. I know what weapons they were using and what kind of automobiles they are driving.
This book Silver Fin has James Bond as the main character. For those of you who know who James Bond he is a great actor and a great person. James is mainly Scottish and part American. I know a lot about James Bond so it is not so hard to know how James Bond is and how he acts.
I really like the book Silver Fin and I hope that if you are reading this comment that you too will read "Silver Fin".
When I was reading Refugees today, I was thinking about some of my prior knowledge that helps me understand the setting, plot and character.
-I know about all the settings because I have good geography skills.
-The setting is in Manhattan, where it takes place during 9/11.
-The main character, Dawn, takes a plane ride over to Pakistan and I have ridden in a plane too.
-I know the big words that they put in the story, because I hear those kind or words on the news, from my parents, etc.
-I know what it feels like to suddenly not like your parents because of something they do.
-Dawn likes playing the flute and I know what the flute is because of my friends being in band.
-Dawn is a foster child and it helped me that I knew about how that stuff works.
As I was reading in class today my teacher made us think about what you already know that helps you understand the text. So the following sentences are about what helped me understand the text of the book Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Dog Days.
One thing that helped me understand the text is that Greg's friend's parents still treat their child like a seven year old. What helps me understand that is that some of my friends parents sometimes treats them like seven year olds. Another thing that helps me understand my book is that Greg always gets in trouble with his parents and teachers and trust me, I have a lot of experience with that too so I know what it's like and what is going to happen. The last thing that helped me understand the text I was reading today was that Greg went on a ride that does a whole lot of spinning and I knew from experience what was going to happen before I even read it. What I knew what was going to happen was that he was going to get horribly sick.
Today while I was reading Stuck in the 70's Here is some prior knowledge that helped me understand my book.
Shay(main character) is faced with a choice of staying with family or going with somebody different. The prior knowledge because I had to make that same choice.
When I read the book I can really picture the setting I can see all of the people in the house.
I can tell that me and shay are not the same so I can see what see looks like.We both like different things.
The book I am reading is Spiderwick Chronicles #2
In the book they have goblins invading their house. And they run to the woods and they get scared and worried about Simon and I know what it is like to be scared in the woods.
I think that it is also important to for readers to give a new book a chance. Don't stop reading a book just because you have hit a boring spot or can't get a grip on it. Sometimes when you read through those parts you'd be surprised how the book can change into a real page-turner. The book may turn out to be one of your favorites.
Today while I was reading Comeback Kids. Here is some prior knowledge.
* Pedro was playing soccer with his dad. I can relate to this because I play soccer with my dad.
*Pedro ran for class president. I can relate to this because I am in student council.
* Pedro played basketball for school. I relate to thus because I played school basketball for Columbus.
* Pedro never gives up easily. I relate to this because I don't give up easily.
* Pedro tries his best on everything. I can relate to this because I tries my best on everything.
I can relate to my book Diary of a wimpy kid because when it talks about him sleeping late over the weekends and then somebody ending up waking you up or something has happened to me before.
I can also relate to the book Diary of a wimpy kid because when it talks about when he has to set between these people and the teacher says "I hope you like your new seats because this is your permanent seat" and that happened to me before where you can't set be who you want to.
I also can relate to my book because when your friend says something embarrassing and you don't know what to think or what to do because you freeze and have nothing to think about. But then again you can't go back in time and change something that he says be covering his mouth!
The book I am reading is called Travel Team. Wile I read it I came up with some facts that helped me understand the book. Here they are.
*Danny loves basketball. I can relate to this because I love playing basketball.
*Danny gets rejected from his basketball team a lot because of his size. I can relate to this because I have failed to make a basketball team.
*The author puts a lot of nice details that helped me understand the book.
*Finally, I can relate to how Danny feels because both of our parents are divorced.
Today I was reading The Car, and Terry was describing a 3 quarter ton dodge. When he said that I automatically thought of My dads truck.
When Waylon described the cowboys that they were fighting, I automatically thought of the guys I see down in Tar Hollow Horseman's Camp.
In the beginning of the book, Terry described Baby(The Harley). I pictured my Uncle's brother in law's, custom made chopper. If the characteristics of the Harley fits what I picture, then the two bikes must look exactly alike.
1. I am reading the book Being. I can relate to the main character Robert because one time he is walking around at a festival and there are fireworks. I can relate to that because when it is the fourth of July, I walk around sometimes.
2. Another time is when he is waiting for his friend, Eddi to get off work. I relate to that because I have to wait for my mom to get off the computer. I wait because I want to get on it, and She yells at me when I try to talk to her.
3. The last time is when Eddi is driving the car and he doesn't know where they're going. I relate to that because when I go on vacation my mom will yell for everyone. when we get outside she is sitting in the car and telling us that we're going somewhere. She doesn't tell us where we're going though, so I'm impatient.
I am reading the book Takeoffs and Landings by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I can relate to the main character, Lori Lawrson because:
1. When Lori rode a plane that was jerking around and she thought that she was going to crash, it reminded me of when I rode my first plane because I felt like someone was punching me in my stomach during every little move that the plane made.
2.Lori's brother Chuck, threw up on the airplane and when I was sitting on the airplane someone threw up too, I was really gross and I felt sick then too.
3.Lori and her mom got and a fight and she really wanted to tell her sorry, but it was really hard for her, I have got in a fight with my mom and I love her but I was afraid to say sorry because I would feel really guilty.
3. When Lori was in Chicago all by herself,with no one she knew and everyone just walked by, it reminded me of when I was at Wal-Mart, and I thought I was lost, but I wasn't.
4.When Chuck secretly liked Art, and Lori didn't tell on him, because she felt bad for him it reminded me of the secrets that me and my brother share.
As I was reading Hero.com.In the book there was things I can relate to.
In the book The kids saw a robbery and I can relate to this because I saw a robbery.
The second is the kids mom is a diabetic I can relate to this because I know somebody who is.
The third thing is in the book there are these giant glue blobs and the kids get stuck in them I can relate to this because I got my hands stuck together with a super sticky glue.
Today while I was reading Comeback Kids. Here is some prior knowledge.
* Pedro was playing soccer with his dad. I can relate to this because I play soccer with my dad.
*Pedro ran for class president. I can relate to this because I am in student council.
* Pedro played basketball for school. I relate to this because I played school basketball for Columbus.
* Pedro never gives up easily. I relate to this because I don't give up easily.
* Pedro tries his best on everything. I can relate to this because I tries my best on everything.
As I read the book If You're Reading This, It's Too Late I had some things that helped me understand the book.
First is that the character Cassandra asked her mom a lot of questions and I can relate to that because I ask my mom a lot of questions.
Second, one of the characters take a test and at school I take test that is a little hard.
Third, Cassandra and Max-Ernest find all these stories and I like to find stories and read them.
Today I was read Snarf Attack, Underfoodle and the secret of life. Here is some prior knowledge.
*When the Riot brothers were laying down they didn't want to go to bed so they said that they were going to stay up. That's what I try to do when I don't want to go to bed.
* When the boys taped white paper on the windows to make it look like snow,sounds like something I would do.
* When Wilbur Riot has a weird dream it reminded me of all the times I had weird dreams.
* The boys said that they like to let the adults think they're right sometimes. I can relate to this because I always let my parents think they're right because if I try to correct them they like to argue with me.
I am reading the book Vill@in.net . In this book there are some things that I can relate to.
The first thing is, in the book he was looking out the window I can relate to this by I am looking out the window when I take a ride somewhere.
The second thing is, in the book they have been to a nice warm, watery beach I can relate to this because a few years ago I went to a beach.
The third thing is, in the book Jake(the main character) gets woke up by a alarm clock and I get woke up by a alarm clock all the time.
The forth thing is, in the book Jake goes into a small shed I can relate to this by my room is a small room.
Today in class while I read
I'd tell you that I love you, but then I would have to kill you. I thought of some prior knowledge.
This is the prior knowledge I thought of.
When Cammie went into the carnival I thought of my first time I went to a carnival or my first ice cream cone from the carnival.
The book that I am reading is called Bang. We had to think of some prior knowledge while we read our book. This is what I thought of...
When Kee-lee and narrator 1 takes a car and they have never driven before I was thinking that they were going to crash, or something bad was going to happen. And they did crash. So I used prior knowledge and knew that they were going to wreck.
Today in class while I read Killing Mr. Griffin, I read this:
"We have to go back." "If we don't we will get into serious trouble."
From prior knowledge, I knew that they were going to end up going back to release Mr. Griffin. I was right because, they ended up going back to free him.
In the book Vet volunteers #4 One of the main characters Brenna dives in to the canal to help Gretchen with a baby manatee that was caught on a buoy. When she jumps in Dr. Mac yells at her to get back in the boat, but she keeps on swimming. When she gets to Gretchen she yells at her to go back to the boat. So when she gos to get back on the boat after she had helped with the baby manatee I new she was going to get hollered at. So I used prior knowledge to know that Brenna was going to get hollered at.
I'm reading Bystander, I have just started it today so I do not have a lot of things to talk about other than the first 14 pages.
One way I used prior knowledge during SSR, was when I found out that he moved from Ohio to Long Island. From that piece of information I could tell that he would be pretty upset. Also when the boy who had ketchup all over him was running with nothing behind him, and looking back over his shoulder. I could tell that he must have been running from somebody, since that usually when someone's running and there's no one behind him/her it usually turns out there's a group of people after them.
Those are some ways I used Prior Knowledge today during SSR.
Today when I read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I had to have prior knowledge to figure out the book.
1.Malfoy punched Harry and prior knowledge helped me understand why he would punched Harry is because they are not friends.
2.Hogwarts has spells all around the school because of Voldermort. I know why they would have spells all around the school is because Voldermort is a dark wizard and killed Harry Potter's parents.
As I read my book Double Identity today I thought of some prior Knowledge that I needed to know to understand what I read better. Here it is,
I read that Bethany reseved a package from her father and on the back it said that he made a deal with the devil and that he's chasing him and that her father can't lead him to Bethany so he can't call or see her. I know that I have never gotten anything like that I wonder how she feels.
Another thing is that she was running in the dark and fell,she cut her ankle. This made me remember when I was little and I was playing in the dark and I fell and twisted my ankle.
I am reading a book called On The Court With Michael Jordan
Today when I read about Michael making a big decision I thought of prior knowledge. It made me think of a time that I had a hard time making a decision.
Michael also shot basketball in his back yard almost everyday in the summer. This also made me think of prior knowledge. I thought of when I shoot in my back yard in the summer.
Michael always gave his best effort. I can relate to this because I always give my best too.
More prior knowledge is that we me and Michael both play basketball.
I am reading Star Wars Republic Commando: True Colors. Prior knowledge that helps me understand the book is:
1. When Darman and Atin are following Sull around Eyat I knew they would try to arrest him.
2. When Darman and Atin bring Sull back to A'den, he lets Sull go because Republic Intelligence will kill him for being a traitor.
I am reading the book Bad News/ Good News . My prior knowledge helps me to understand that the girls always disappear because they have a secret meeting place that no one else knows about. That helps me know that when they disappear that is probably where they go.
My prior knowledge also helps me to understand that the girl's classroom is making blankets for the homeless shelter because they want to help out and keep other people warm. That helps me to know that they are very helpful.
Today in The Reading Workshop I was reading Twilight.
I was at the part when Edward saves Bella from geting hit by a van, when I read that part I thought of my brother saving his girl friend from geting hit by a car when she was crossing the road.
When I was reading today I read apart when Bella and Edward hands touched and his hands was ice cold. I r ember when and my friend Brandon was out side all day and his hands were ice cold
Here are some things that I used for this article called Harsh winter a sign of climate change
1)It is always cold in the winter
2)It is always some times snowing
3)My dog would die in the cold because he is tiny.
4)You can get barred in the snow because it can snow to much and you can go out side and die.
5)You can freeze from being out side if the tempter is under 0degress.
6)The coldness can freeze water and you can skate on it.
Today in the Reading Workshop I was reading,The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid.
I had to know prior knowledge to understand my book.
1. I new that the main character was a dork. So that let me know that the main character wont be that popular
2. Also I know that the main character only has one friend. So that let me know that he barely has that much fun.
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