OM DENNE EPISODE
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Why do some students understand what they read more easily than others? Background knowledge may be a much bigger part of reading comprehension than we realize.
Katie talks with longtime history educator and education consultant Lauren Brown about why building knowledge through science, history, and social studies can help children become stronger readers.
They explore how background knowledge supports reading comprehension, why struggling readers benefit from knowledge-rich instruction, when memorization can be useful, and simple ways parents can build their child's knowledge at home.
About Lauren Brown
Lauren taught U.S. history for more than 20 years and spent another eight years working with future social studies teachers. Today, she works as an education consultant and writes about teaching, learning, and social studies.
Lauren's Links
MiddleWeb Writing & Consulting Services
Chapters
00:00 Why Background Knowledge Matters
00:45 Meet Lauren Brown
04:19 Why Science and Social Studies Matter
08:12 What Parents Should Ask Schools
10:02 Helping Struggling Readers
13:02 Should Kids Memorize Facts?
20:17 How Knowledge Makes Learning Easier
28:16 Building Knowledge at Home
35:22 Connecting School and the Real World
37:32 Where to Find Lauren
