Thinking Before Starting
Before starting something new, stop and think: what do I already know about this topic?
Typical age: 6–7 years
“When your child is about to learn something new — say a new topic in science or a new type of word problem — do they first think about what they already know?”
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- Connecting New & Old IdeasREQUIRED
Making connections between new and old ideas requires the habit of activating prior knowledge first
- Connecting reading to experience
Linking reading to own experiences is the English-domain application of the universal prior-knowledge activation habit
- Teaching It BackREQUIRED
Explaining in your own words requires connecting new learning to existing knowledge already held in mind
- Evidence from the Past
Understanding that knowledge of the past comes from surviving evidence builds on the habit of activating prior knowledge — what do I already know, and where did that knowledge come from?