Reading: Prior Knowledge and Context Clues

• Reading requires the brain to decode words, form sentences, and use working memory.
• The activation of prior knowledge is an unconscious part of reading.

Prior Knowledge Defined

• Prior knowledge consists of past experiences and information that we utilize when reading.
• Prior knowledge can be recalled from a broad range of topics.
• Provides a foundation that helps readers to understand new information, especially when reading about broad topics.
• It helps when reading novels by creating connections to other works of literature.
• It is helpful when reading historical fiction by aiding in our understanding.
• Understanding the history of slavery in the Southern United States aids in understanding novels.

Context Clues Defined

• Context clues are used when readers are faced with unknown words, using the context to infer meaning.
• Context clues allow a reader to make an educated guess about a word's meaning.
• Using context clues as a reader can continue reading with less disruption, without having to check a dictionary..
• Context clues help readers infer the meaning of "appendages" in Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook.

Word Structure Defined

• Word structure is the way words are formed, broken down into component parts.
• Words can be broken down into a root word, a prefix, and a suffix.
• Breaking down words helps in understanding meaning of words.
• Knowledge of word parts helps readers figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• The root "geo-" comes from the Greek for "earth description".
• We can infer "geocentric" has something to do with the center of the earth or the earth being the center of something.
• Ancient Greeks believed in a geocentric universe.