Focus on Background Knowledge
Learn ways to build background knowledge in young children—what they know and believe about themselves and the world around them. Explore key research and find out how children ages birth to 5 develop these skills.
Background Knowledge
Teachers and caregivers can use these resources to support children as they learn and understand themselves and the world around them based on experiences. Background knowledge is a key skill that includes scientific awareness in addition to cultural norms and expectations.
Background knowledge is one of the five key skills, or the Big 5, in the Planned Language Approach. Resources on the other Big 5 skills cover alphabet knowledge and early writing, book knowledge and print concepts, oral language and vocabulary, and phonological awareness.
Planned Language Approach: Background Knowledge
Discover how young children’s background knowledge is key to learning as well as ways parents and families can support it. Learn how background knowledge develops through the eyes of kindergartener, “Joan.”