Gina Cervetti discusses the role content knowledge plays in the science of reading with EdWeek

In recent years, many states have passed laws or implemented new policies related to evidence-based reading instruction, reports Sarah Schwartz in EdWeek. However, some advocates argue that schools must support students’ background knowledge—a key factor in their understanding of any text—as well. 

“Imagine being a kid who has read lots of texts, but every text you encounter is unfamiliar ideas and unfamiliar words,” said Associate Professor Gina Cervetti. “You get through the text and you walk away having understood something about that text. But probably not enough to be a better comprehender.”

She argues that deep content area knowledge and students’ ability to use comprehension strategies reinforce each other. 

With topically disconnected texts, the student doesn’t have the chance to practice the strategies that good readers use, Cervetti said, like making connections or asking questions prompted by prior knowledge. But if the texts work together to build a bigger conceptual understanding, they do present those opportunities. Knowledge, she hypothesized, “builds momentum” for kids to practice the comprehension strategies that research shows are powerful tools.