Building Content Knowledge to Boost Comprehension in the Primary Grades

The potential of background knowledgeThe amount of information or knowledge someone has on a particular topic. to support linguistic and reading comprehensionThe ability to understand what you are reading. has been a relatively neglected topic in the science of readingA comprehensive body of research-based knowledge about how children learn to read that draws on decades of study, with contributions by experts from a wide variety of disciplines including cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, education, linguistics, and neuroscience. . The authors clarify why knowledge building in English language arts instruction (i.e., content‐rich instruction) can support language and content knowledge, leading to better linguistic and reading comprehension, based on theoretical arguments and empirical studies. The authors review the evidence on this claim, paying special attention to experimental trials conducted in K–2 settings. The authors also share preliminary findings from a novel interventionAdditional small group or individualized instruction that is tailored to children's needs so they can make progress and be on track to meet grade-level learning goals. study testing the example of a widely used content‐rich English language arts curriculum. While a growing literature base demonstrates evidence of promise, additional rigorous trials are needed to examine the effectiveness of this integrative approach to teaching reading for understanding.