Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement

Everyone knows that students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are not well prepared for school, have the toughest time making the grade. But what hasn't been so clear is what schools can do about it . . . until now. Here is a book that spells out how to overcome the deficiencies that hamper the achievement of so many students.

Learn why insufficient background knowledge is a chronic cause of low achievement, and discover how a carefully structured combination of two approaches—sustained silent reading and instruction in subject-specific vocabulary—can help rescue low achievers and boost the academic performance of all students. Drawing from 35 years of research, Robert J. Marzano uses detailed vignettes to provide you with the tools you need to close achievement gaps:

• Characteristics that determine the success of a sustained silent reading (SSR) program


• A five-step SSR program that extends through grade 10


• Eight characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction that enhance academic background knowledge


• A six-step process for vocabulary instruction in 11 subject areas


• The vocabulary terms that are critical to students' success