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Thinking Before Starting
METABefore starting something new, stop and think: what do I already know about this topic?
Mastery Evidence
- prior knowledge activation research
- Ausubel meaningful learning
Assessment Prompt
“When [child] is about to learn something new — say a new topic in science or a new type of word problem — do they first think about what they already know?”
Prerequisites1
- Persisting When It's HardhardAges 5—6
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- Persisting When It's Hard hard
Activating prior knowledge requires the foundational habit of persistent engagement with new material
Unlocks4
- Connecting New & Old IdeashardAges 7—8
- Connecting reading to experiencesoftAges 5—7
- Teaching It BackhardAges 7—8
- Evidence from the PastsoftAges 6—7