Building Background Knowledge

Background knowledge is extremely important in producing literate children. Daily experiences, trips, interactions, conversations, television shows, and books are just some of the ways that we build background knowledge. Our brains store away this information, and through multiple experiences with something the brain builds strong paths in order to access the stored information. Our brain is like a computer - every file is in a folder, which is in another broader folder, which is in an even more general folder. For example, if I think about peaches my brain automatically brings up an image for it. That image is stored in the "peach" folder. The peach folder is stored in the "fruit" folder. The fruit folder is stored in the "food" folder. And we get more general from there.
Peach>>Fruit>>Food>>Eating>>Taking Care of Body

When we just learn a new concept or object, our brain doesn't have anywhere to store the item until it defines the more general qualities of the item. After multiple interactions with the new item it moves from the short term memory into the long term memory (the filing system)

Today we went to the zoo with some friends. Going to the zoo with 6 children under 3 years old is not the most intellectual experience, but it is certainly educational. All of the kids want to see their favorite animals (monkey, gorilla, elephant, horse) But none of them have the stamina to stay at an exhibit for more than 3 minutes to just watch and enjoy the animals. This trip, my friends, was a building background knowledge trip! We were able to work on the "zoo" folder today. What is the zoo? What is not the zoo? What will we see there? What will we discover?
Now, when we read about zoo animals we will use our new background knowledge to rediscover the book.
Some things we learned at the zoo today

• horses, monkeys, baby chicks, chickens, tortoises, goats, donkeys, sheep, ponies>>animals in the zoo
• We can't touch baby chicks, but we can look at them>>babies and mommies

Another thing that I find amazing. Kids remember their visits to places. We frequently visit the zoo, and Patrick will ask for the horses. Today when we were approaching them he wanted to get out, and he ran to the exact spot where we watched them before. I noticed my friends' child ask, "Ride the choo choo?" Because he knows there is a choo choo train, from previous trips. One idea that may be fun is to take pictures while on these trips, get the prints, and make them into a learning book. I've never done this because I never take enough pictures, but this would really help build the synapses that strengthen the short term to long term memory.

Your challenge - 2 parts! Plan a background building trip with your friends (those who went to the zoo today can check this part off!) Once you arrive home, find a related book, and read it with your new background knowledge. Notice how the book changes since your background knowledge trip. Want a real experiment? Read the book before your trip, then read it after!