Toward an Educationally Relevant Theory of Literacy Learning, Essay Example

The notion of ‘prior knowledge’ refers to the background knowledge learners obtain throughout their early years of life, infancy, and even the last trimester of pregnancy from their mothers (Nevills & Wolfe, 2009). The process of obtaining prior knowledge allows the brain to adapt and to change its neural patterns in the response to the changing environment, which actually constitutes the process of learning. In case prior knowledge has not been formed during the early childhood, there may be serious problems in learning, since the child’s brain is not responsive to the external informational stimuli, and the neurons responsible for comprehension and learning may have atrophied or migrated to another more actively involved brain area (Nevills & Wolfe, 2009).

The model of learning designed by Cambourne takes these issues into account, as it is primarily focused on the stimulation of a wide variety of stimuli for the learners (Rushton, Eitelgeorge, & Zickafoose, 2003). The model presupposes full immersion of children in the learning process, which will make their brains more responsive to it as an environment and not as an outside impetus from teachers. In addition, Cambourne () made a strong emphasis on the demonstrations for learners, both through the application of visual materials, and by presenting behavior models by more knowledgeable peers or teachers. Therefore, following the model of Cambourne, children perceive the learning process as the non-intrusive reality, and learn much easier.

Finally, one has to mention that the fit of Cambourne’s model and the prior knowledge concept can be seen in the comprehensive targeted influence teachers conduct on children during the learning process, making them synthesize their prior knowledge with the newly introduced data. The environment modeled by Cambourne, due to its friendly climate and full immersion in experiential learning with peers, becomes an incentive for children to use their skills. Prior knowledge is targeted in Cambourne’s model, since the latter is directed at its involvement and active enrichment.

References

Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward An Educationally Relevant Theory Of Literacy Learning:  Twenty Years Of Inquiry. The Reading Teacher, 49(3), pp. 182-190.

Nevills, P. A., & Wolfe, P. A. (2009). Building the reading brain: PreK-3. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Rushton, S. P., Eitelgeorge, J., & Zickafoose, R. (2003). Connecting Brian Cambourne’s conditions of learning theory to brain/mind principles: Implications for early childhood educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 31(1), pp. 11-21.