Activating prior knowledge.

“Teachers must be capable of planning and implementing effective and relevant learning that builds on the prior knowledge of students” (McLeod & Reynolds, 2003). 

By activating the prior knowledge of learners their new learning experience becomes more meaningful. For Example, before teaching my students about plants, I planned a nature walk in the school garden.  During the walk, my students got an opportunity to experience, touch, and feel the plants. When we returned to the classroom, the students expressed their creativity by drawing the plants they had seen during the walk. The next day when I introduced the topic, I asked them questions related to the nature walk. By doing this, they were able to make sense of their new learning by linking it to their existing knowledge. Checking the prior knowledge not only helps the teacher to avoid repeating the information that students already know but also adjusting the learning objectives accordingly.