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Correct Answer: activates student's prior knowledge
when mr. stein encourages his students to ask and answer questions before they begin reading a book on africa, he is employing a powerful educational strategy known as "activating prior knowledge." this strategy is critical because it taps into what students already know, setting a foundation for new learning and helping to make connections between new information and existing knowledge.
prior knowledge refers to the information, no matter how comprehensive or limited, that a student already has about a topic before learning more about it. when students search their minds and available resources to come up with questions, they are essentially taking stock of what they already know and what they need to find out. this process helps them engage more deeply with the new content because it becomes linked to their existing knowledge base.
activating prior knowledge has several benefits:
1. **enhances comprehension**: understanding new information is easier when it can be connected to something that is already known. by recalling what they already know about a topic, students can better understand and integrate new knowledge.
2. **increases engagement**: when students see the relevance of new information to their own experiences or previous learning, they are more likely to be interested and engaged.
3. **facilitates critical thinking**: asking and answering questions encourages students to think critically about the topic. it pushes them to analyze what they know, question their understanding, and predict what they might learn.
4. **guides research and learning**: knowing what they already know helps students identify what they need to learn. this can guide their reading and research, making their learning more targeted and efficient.
in the case of reading a book about africa, asking questions beforehand allows students to consider what they know about the continent, its cultures, geography, history, and more. they might recall previous lessons, stories, images, or facts about africa. this recollection becomes the scaffold on which new information is built. as they read the book, their questions guide their focus, making the reading purposeful and tailored to filling gaps in their understanding or expanding upon what they already know.
therefore, the strategy of asking questions before reading not only activates students' prior knowledge but also enhances their overall learning experience by making it more interactive, directed, and personal. this approach not only prepares them to absorb new information but also helps them to synthesize and apply it effectively.
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