When I first started teaching, I would hear it said that we needed to provide background knowledge. What background knowledge? Like Milo, I felt that there was so much for students to learn. Then I read E.D. Hirsch's book Cultural Literacy. Finally, someone answered my question. The Core Knowledge sequence outlines the background knowledge students need to be literate.

Through teaching science, history, geography, Latin, math, music, art, and literature, we are providing the background knowledge needed for students to be able to comprehend what they read and hear. E.D. Hirsch in his article Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge of Words, and the World explains how background knowledge impacts reading comprehension.

As a teacher it is exciting to have a student come up and share something they found in a book that connects to content being taught in class. This year the students have found the following connections:

                                  Vini Vidi Vici (Ancient Rome)

These fantastic books are on the LCS 3rd-4th Grade Reading List. We encourage students to choose books from the reading lists for many reasons, vocabulary, rich sentence structure, depth of the story, and its connection to background knowledge.

       Finally, in order to immerse students in word knowledge and expose them to many well-written, diverse and meaningful works of literature, we have supplemented the Core Knowledge Sequence with (primarily) classic works of fiction - stories which have withstood the test of time. In accordance with Liberty's Charter, "The literature suggested by the Core Knowledge Sequence, as well as other literature that will be introduced, is chosen not only for its place in the core body of knowledge, its multi-cultural representation, and its rich use of language, but also because it provides access to deeper meaning of universal human problems, particularly those which preoccupy children's minds." (LCS Literacy Policy)

In Cultural Literacy Hirsch states, "Background knowledge does not take care of itself. Reading and writing are cumulative skills; the more we read the more necessary knowledge we gain for further reading." The Core Knowledge Sequence outlines the background knowledge students need to learn in order to communicate effectively both in reading and writing. The books listed on the reading lists provide rich background knowledge, vocabulary, and sentence structure. But even more than that, they help students see the connection with what they are learning in class. The excitement we see when a student connects content from class with a book he/she is reading is priceless.

The Phantom Tollbooth

ndybzinski@libertycommon.org.