RESOURCES

Instantly improve a lesson or reading assignment: Activating prior knowledge and building background
It is hard to find enough time to change.  So we need instead to find leverage points. We need small, manageable changes that produce big results.

One leverage point is the beginning of a lesson or reading assignment. Small changes here can produce big results. By connecting new information immediately to the student, and injecting rich ideas at the very beginning of a lesson, all remaining time and effort spent on the topic will be positively affected…higher order thinking in, higher order thinking throughout.

Activating prior knowledge is critical to teaching and learning (Slavin, 2003; Marzano, et al. 2001; Jensen, 2005; Wolfe, 2001; Joyce, et al., 2000). On their own, young learners do not connect new learning to what they already know. It is up to teachers to activate these existing schemas (networks or patterns) and help students make these important connections. It is up to the teacher to make the brain ready for new learning and show students how to use what they already know to build more knowledge. It is up to teachers to build a framework of understanding to make new learning accessible.

Main Ideas – Supporting Details – Organizational Patterns
Another leverage point is approaching reading and writing by focusing on main ideas, supporting details, and organizational patterns. Not only is this getting right to the heart of purpose and meaning in the text, Ideas and Organization are also two writing traits students must have to begin articulating their ideas.

More Leverage Points
To find more Leverage Point strategies and tools, download the Activating Prior Knowledge booklet or visit Preston’s blog.

LITERACY WORKSHOP HANDOUTS
Handouts	Charts/Presentation
Activating prior knowledge booklet (tools) Classroom outcomes Evidence types Instructional design key terms Language arts design standards Evidence worksheet Lesson template Main Idea & Organization worksheet Material analysis worksheet Note-taking tips	Expository chart Presentation PPT Presentation notes Reading chart Idea frame Reading and writing frame Research-based chart Student work sample analysis form Instructional Design Example Example Article (2.5mg) Design notes and material outline
READING STRATEGIES
Purpose/importance Clear objectives/goals Using existing knowledge Activating/Building Vocabulary Before/During – Deep/Shallow	Questioning (I wonder…) Engaging curiosity Inferring Educated guesses