SIOP Feature #7: Explicitly link concepts to students' backgrounds & experiences

The first feature that falls under this component of SIOP asks the teacher to explicitly begin a lesson by linking the concepts of the lesson to the students and their lives.  Taking time at the beginning of a lesson to do this supports the learner in a variety of different ways:
  • Building Background mollifies anxiety. 
  • ​It also helps students draw connections between their lives and school content.
  • It gives the teacher a great chance to assess where the students are in relation to the lesson.
  • Building Background engages students as their curiosity builds. ​
It's interesting to note that this feature begins with the phrase:  "explicitly link".  This is a challenge to the teacher to make things as transparent as s/he can.  Some students need the transparency more than others;  all students benefit from it.  Some actions we take as teachers are more explicit than others.
  • Not Explicit:  The teacher writes the topic on the board and tells the students what they should have already learned about it in previous classes.
  • Explicit:  The teacher shows students the topic and a list of vocabulary terms associated with it.  S/he then, asks students to share one thing they know about the topic with a partner.

Ways to Explicitly link concepts in the classroom

  1. Class Web.  Creating a web on the board with ideas the entire class has is a safe way to take the pulse (globally) of the student body.  Students write anything they know about the topic on a post-it note and stick it on the board.  As class, the teacher can review the web, add any information, and then dive into the lesson.
  2. Predicting. Anytime students predict, they ante up.  Their interest spikes as they begin to focus on whether or not their prediction was right.  With vocabulary, pictures, or
  3. Word Splash.  A word splash is a set of key vocabulary words and phrases from the lesson.  In addition to reviewing the vocabulary, students can use these terms to
  4. Carousel.  A carousel is an activity where students move from statiuon to station completing some kind of task.  As a way to build background, students form groups and carousel around the room.  At each station there is is flip sized piece of chart paper and markers.  Each paper has a different question (what is something you know about ‘x’?).  Students discuss the question, write down an answer and move to another station repeating the task.
  5. Turn and Talk.  Students can turn to a partner and discuss a question or set of questions related to the topic.  They may do this orally, or they may even jot down a few of their partner’s responses to share with the class later on.

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