Mastering Reading Comprehension

The purpose of activating prior knowledge when reading is to provide a foundation to build upon and enhance understanding of the text.

Prior knowledge can assist in reading historical fiction by providing context and background information about the past, which can enhance comprehension of the story.

Making connections to other works of literature when reading a novel helps to recognize literary conventions and develop expectations of specific genres.

To determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word or phrase.

How words can be broken into parts like word roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Context clues, word structure, and prior knowledge.

Context clues provide readers with enough information to infer or make an educated guess about the meaning of a word. By examining the surrounding words and phrases, readers can understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word without having to consult a dictionary or other reference material.

Knowledge of word structure allows readers to break down unfamiliar words into smaller parts, such as prefixes, roots, and suffixes. By recognizing these components and their meanings, readers can then infer the meaning of the entire word. For example, the prefix 'dis-' has a negative or opposite effect on a word, so 'disenchanted' means the opposite of being delighted or under a spell.

Prior knowledge refers to all of the collective experiences and knowledge that we bring to the table when we read. This includes everything we have previously read and studied. Prior knowledge helps us make connections, understand references, and comprehend the text more deeply. It allows us to draw on our existing knowledge to make sense of new information.