Before You Teach Anything New, Do This First

Before You Teach Anything New, Do This First

Episode Summary Prior knowledge activation is one of the most research-backed teaching strategies available — and one of the easiest to use at home. In this episode, Heidi explains what the strategy is, why neuroscience and cognitive research support it, and gives six specific, age-flexible techniques homeschool parents can use starting today.

What You’ll Learn

* What prior knowledge activation actually is (and why it’s not just a warm-up)

* The cognitive science behind why new learning sticks when connected to existing knowledge

* Six practical techniques — from the Brain Dump to the Anticipation Guide — that work across subjects and ages

* How to handle topics where your child has little or no background knowledge

* The mistake that turns activation into a quiz (and how to avoid it)

Research & Resources Mentioned

* Hattan, Courtney, Patricia A. Alexander, and Sarah M. Lupo. “Leveraging What Students Know to Make Sense of Texts: What the Research Says About Prior Knowledge Activation.” Review of Educational Research, 2024.

* Alber, Rebecca. “12 Ways to Activate Your Students’ Prior Knowledge.” Edutopia, February 2026.

* Guo, Dingrong, et al. “Effects of Prior Knowledge on Brain Activation and Functional Connectivity during Memory Retrieval.” Scientific Reports, August 2023.

* Ausubel, David P. Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968.

* Cummins, Jim. Quoted in Future Educators, “Prior Knowledge Activities,” 2021. https://www.futureeducators.org/prior-knowledge-activities-classroom/

Additional Resources

* Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel — excellent companion reading for understanding retrieval and memory

* Virginia Tech Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Activating Prior Knowledge — practical overview with techniques

* Donna Ogle’s original KWL chart framework (1987) — search “KWL chart Donna Ogle” for printable templates

Key Terms

* Prior knowledge: The information, experiences, and mental models a learner already holds before encountering new material

* Schema: A mental framework — a kind of filing system — that organizes related knowledge in long-term memory

* Subsumption theory: David Ausubel’s 1968 theory that meaningful learning occurs when new information is incorporated into existing mental structures, rather than memorized in isolation

* Working memory: The short-term mental “workspace” where active thinking happens; prior knowledge activation helps move relevant information here before the lesson begins

* Anticipation guide: A pre-reading or pre-lesson tool with true/false or agree/disagree statements that prompt students to surface what they already believe about a topic