Knowledge Rating Guide

Knowledge Rating is a simple literacy strategy that can easily be incorporated into instruction in any content area. It can be deployed as a pre/during/and post-reading activity in which students analyze their understanding of vocabulary words or concepts from a body of text or unit of study. This strategy helps students comprehend expository text routinely found in different subject areas.

The strategy is used to:

· Introduce list of key terms to students

· Determine students’ knowledge of a word or concept

· Activate existing background knowledge

· Help students make connections to new concepts

· Assess learning when used before and after reading.

Implementation

1. Before students read a section of text, the teacher selects a list of vocabulary important words or concepts and displays them in a visible location.
2. The teacher has students rate their knowledge about each item on the list on a 1-3 scale (3: I can define and explain this; 2: I’ve heard about this; and 1: I don’t have a clue about this).
3. This approach alerts the instructor to areas of instruction that may need more scaffolding than others.
4. The Knowledge Rating strategy should be introduced to the students and modeled so they will understand the steps involved in the process.

Classroom Management

1. Choose a list of vocabulary words that cluster in some way around a particular section.
2. Display the words for the students.
3. Ask students to copy the list and rate the words according to the scale.

4. Use student ratings for a group discussion about meanings of the words and predictions about what the author may write regarding the terms.

5. Read the selection, watching for the words.

6. After reading, students should re-rate themselves.

7. Clarify the meanings of words for further study.

8. Example:

• Term
• Know it/Use it
• Can describe it/Don’t use it
• Don’t know it/Don’t use it

9. Extensions

· Ask students to write definitions or explanations for the terms they marked in the Know it/Use it column.

· Before discussing the terms as a class, have members of each small group discuss the terms and explain them to one another

· Only discuss as a class the terms no one knows.

 

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