The Creative Penn Has Much to Offer Writers

The Creative Penn Has Much to Offer Writers If you are a writer looking for information about the process of planning, writing, publishing and marketing your book, The Creative Penn is an excellent resource. In fact, it was voted one of the top 100 sites for writers by Writers Digest and offers over 1,000 articles and 100+ hours of audio and podcast information, as well as multiple downloads and bonus material. As the mastermind behind the website, Joanna Penn is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under the penname J.F. Penn and offers valuable advice through several free and paid resources available on the website.Navigating the siteWith easy-to-navigate links and enough white space to make the text-heavy site readable, The Creative Penn suggests that visitors start here with a page full of great resources for novice and expert writers alike. At the top of the page, Penn offers her free eBook and video series, Author 2.0 Blueprint, in which she shares everything you need to write, publish and market your book, as well as how to become an author-entrepreneur. Her websites visitors will need to provide and confirm their email address to download the free resource.WritingNext on the sites navigation is a link to Penns free resources on writing and editing. On this page, she offers articles and tips based on the following topics:How to Write Fiction: 7 Steps to Write Your NovelHow to Write a Non-Fiction BookHow to Find Time to WriteHow to Find and Capture Ideas for your NovelHow to Research your Book and When to StopSelf-doubt and Imposter SyndromeYou Have PermissionOn Writing and The Fear of JudgmentWhat is your Definition of Success as a Writer?How to Write More and Create A Daily Writing HabitHow to Use Dictation to Write Faster and Become a Healthier WriterProductivity for Writers: 5 Ways to Become More Productive5 Ways to Get Your First Draft Material Out of Your Head and Onto the Page8 Ways Scrivener Will Help You Become a Proficient WriterUsing Different Author Names or a Pseudonym as a WriterEditing, Revisions and Proofreading: What Happens After the First Draft?How to Find and Work with a Professional EditorTutorial: How to Improve your Writing with GrammarlyMy list of Recommended EditorsAfter following some of the links along this extensive list, I found a wealth of information on all aspects of writing and locating the right professional editor for your work. I particularly enjoyed the information she provides on setting goals and deadlines for yourself to stay productive as a writer and get more accomplished in less time. Many of the links also show videos of the author and guide the reader toward additional resources (both free and paid) that are available online and through Amazon.Self-PublishingThe next page full of links on The Creative Penn relates to self-publishing. In this section, the topics she goes into in depth include:Self-Publishing Overview and TipsPros and Cons of Traditional vs. Self-publishing5 Important Steps Before You Self-PublishWhat is Your Definition of Success? How Will you Measure it?How to Self-Publish an EbookHow to Format an Ebook and a Print Book with VellumThe Pros and Cons of Exclusivity with AmazonHow to Self-Publish a Print BookHow to Self-Publish an AudiobookHow to Record Your Own AudiobookWhat if you need help self-publishing? How to Find the Best Service and Avoid Getting Ripped OffSell More Books with Boxsets and BundlingTurn your Non-Fiction Book into a WorkbookHow Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish?Successful Self-Publishing Tips with Joanna Penn and Mark DawsonTop 5 Mistakes of Indie Authors and How to Avoid ThemThis section contains anything and everything you could ever want to know about how to self-publish your book, including information on recording your own audiobook and creating a workbook for your nonfiction book. I especially liked watching the videos she includes on many of these links, such as this one.Its obvious from Penns easygoing instruction and exp ertise that she knows what shes talking about when it comes to writing and publishing a book, and its nice to have a sort of insiders glance at the world of self-publishing from someone who has done it often and become successful at it.MarketingThe marketing section of the blog is where Penns expertise really shows. In the first part, she discusses the basics and prerequisites for author marketing success, followed by the polarities of book marketing and where you sit on the scale, the book marketing mindset for authors, when to start marketing your book and how to balance your time.She follows that section with topics such as how to attract readers with a great book sales description, how to choose the right categories and keywords for your book, pricing books and offering free copies, using author pseudonyms, using box-sets and bundling, and writing a series.Following this, she offers a great tutorial on how to build your author website in under 30 minutes. Having set up websites on my own and knowing the amount of work that goes into it (especially for a website design newbie), I decided to pay special attention to this section. As with other articles on her blog, Penn offers helpful resources such as a YouTube video and a free downloadable PDF to help authors set up their sites. She even offers a discounted affiliate link through BlueHost.com, which is the hosting platform she suggests for other authors.Its important to keep in mind that to build the website in 30 minutes, as Penn suggests is possible, you have to have a blog already set up on WordPress. Her instructions include a WordPress plugin through Blue Host that allows your WordPress site to basically transfer over. So yes, Im sure this can be done in 30 minutes but if an author is starting from scratch (without a blog already published on WordPress), they should not expect the site to be done within that timeframe.From an online marketing perspective, Penns advice on building and maintaining email lists for steady income includes a case study showing how she grew her own email list as and author. This particular resource is chock full of helpful advice on some of the finer points of automating email marketing campaigns. Penn explains that she went 603 people on her email list in November 2014 to 2,255 in January 2015 following this series of steps, which she clearly lays out for her reader. From a marketing perspective, I found the content to be extremely helpful to decode some of the confusion around email marketing campaigns and their usefulness.EntrepreneurIf you want to know how to make writing your day job and successful career, theres no better person to ask than someone who does just that. Based in Bath, England and a self-proclaimed travel junkie, Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author who has written over 27 books. She is also an international professional speaker and award-winning creative entrepreneur. She has also written and se lf-published several nonfiction titles related to writing, including How To Market A Book, Business for Authors: How to be an Author Entrepreneur, How to Make a Living with your Writing, The Successful Author Mindset, The Healthy Writer, Successful Self-Publishing, Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives and Other Introverts, and Career Change.The Creative Penn PodcastFor writers who prefer to listen to interviews with authors and tips about writing, the podcast available on The Creative Penn website is free and available on RSS, iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and YouTube. With a combination of interviews, inspiration and information, the podcasts are posted every Monday and there are currently over 350 podcast episodes available to listen to and/or download.Some of the most recent podcast episodes listed are:#386 â€" Foolproof Dictation and Zero Social Media with Christopher Downing#385 â€" How to Write Effective Injuries For Your Characters with Samantha Keel#384 â€" The Artists Journe y with Steven Pressfield#383 â€" Tips for Editing your Book with Natasa Lekic from NY Book Editors#382 â€" Redesign your Life to Prioritize your Writing with David Kadavy#381 â€" Writing with Depression with Michaelbrent CollingsCoursesThe Creative Penn website also provides access to three courses taught by Joanna Penn: How to Write a Novel, How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words and Creative Freedom: How to Make a Living With Your Writing.The How to Write a Novel course is described as a step-by-step guide to understanding story structure and the elements of a novel, and then writing and editing your manuscript. The price at the time of this review is $297 or $50 per month for six months. According to Penn, it contains downloadable audio and PDF slides to allow students to learn at their own pace, with five modules along with extra QA videos with Joanna Penn.The How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words course, according to Penn, will save you time , effort and frustration on your author journey. Penn describes the course as one in which she shares the business models of writing non-fiction, mindset issues around writing, the details of how to research, write and edit your book, dictation and productivity tips, as well as publishing, product creation, marketing and more.The Creative Freedom: How to Make a Living With Your Writing course is designed to be used to build a long-term sustainable business as an author entrepreneur and is an advanced-level course, available for writers who have already published a book. According to Penns description, it is specifically designed for writers who have a book or books but arent making money from them or writers who currently make some money from their writing but not enough.

Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince - 854 Words

Niccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince has been both praised and reviled since its publication. In particular, the book’s seventeenth chapter, â€Å"Of Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether it is Better to be Loved or Feared,† controversially posits that an effective leader ought to value being feared over being loved (Machiavelli 43). Though many have questioned the veracity of Machiavelli’s claim, an examination of some of the world’s most effective leaders shows that they led through fear. Alexander the Great, the leaders of the Mongols, and even Hammurabi used fear to maintain their authority and the security of their domains. Alexander the Great led victorious military campaigns from Macedonia to Egypt, Persia, and beyond, establishing a mighty empire all during his brief life of 32 years (Cole et al. 89). He did not accomplish this feat through kindness but through repeated acts of cruelty perpetrated against his enemies, both at home and abroad. The death of Alexander’s father, Philip II, resulted in a number of revolts across Macedonia and Greece (Cole et al. 90). Alexander swiftly established his authority as the new ruler by destroying the city walls of Thebes, the spot of one such revolt (Ibid). This sort of action fits neatly into Machiavelli’s thinking. Machiavelli wrote that, â€Å"†¦ he who quells disorder by a very few signal examples will in the end be more merciful than he who from too great leniency permits things to take their course and so to result in rapine andShow MoreRelatedNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1719 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli’s, The Prince, a book written by Niccolà ² Machiavelli, is a read that most people wouldn’t prefer to read as a first option but in defense to Niccolo, it brings out many themes such as Goodwill and Hatred, Free will, and Human Nature. â€Å"It is known from his personal correspondence that The Prince was written during 1513, the year after the Medici took control of Florence, and a few months after Machiavelli s arrest, torture, and banishment by the Medici regime† (Bio.com). The novel wasRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince892 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli wrote The Prince with the sole purpose of impressing the Medici family and getting on the good side of the new ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici. By writing this â€Å"handbook to ruling,† Machiavelli hoped to sway the Medici to accept him as an ally and possible political advisor. He was extremely convincing as he used examples from the past as a â€Å"political lesson† to further distinguish his ideas as correct. By seeing the successes and failures of those in power, MachiavelliRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince2212 Words   |  9 Pages Niccolà ² Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, politician, writer and philosopher who lived during the Renaissance period. He was a significant contributor to modern political science, specifically in the field of political ethics. He wrote his most famous work, The Prince, after the Medici family had returned to power and he was removed from the political scene. The devious and corrupt sort of politicians he describes in The Prince serve as the inspiration for the now commonplace term â€Å"MachiavellianRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince879 Words   |  4 Pages Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 16th-century. His methods of acquiring and maintaining rule over people are not relevant in today’s modern American society. There are many principles that are still true in politics today, but the methods of ruling can no longer be used in American society today. Niccolà ² Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1496. He was a diplomat in Italy s Florentine Republic for fourteen years. This was during the Medici family exile, and when they returned, MachiavelliRead MoreMachiavelli s The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1943 Words   |  8 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince is a book that examines the qualities and strategies required for a ruler in order to maintain power. Despite being composed in the 16th century, the ideas presented are applicable even to mythical kings from texts over a thousand years ago. Throughout the story of Seneca’s Oedipus, substantial connections could be made between Oedipus and The Prince’s ideas of rule, such as methods in acquiring principalities, channeling subjects’ fear, the use of cruelty and controllingRead MoreSummary On Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 1109 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment - April 19, 2015 Niccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince and Ian Johnston’s Lecture on Machiavelli’s The Prince Niccolà ² Machiavelli, a Florentine, lived between the years of 1469-1527. In 1513, Machiavelli wrote The Prince and gifted it to the Medici family with the original title of About Principalities. He first dedicated the work to Giuliano de’ Medici and later to Lorenzo de’ Medici. It was a political critique that was later printed under the title of The Prince in 1532. The treatise wasRead MoreAn Analysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 941 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli and Karl Marx developed theories concerning wealth and poverty in our society, as well as different types of governments. For instance, Machiavelli supported a capitalist economic system, unlike Marx, who embraced socialism in the society. Machiavelli wrote a book The Prince that explained how to be an effective leader. The theme of the book is the end justifies the means. A person could or should do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired goal. According to MachiavelliRead Mor eNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1293 Words   |  6 PagesBy many, Niccolà ² Machiavelli is infamous for being one of the most controversial political philosophers during the period of 1494-1564. Machiavelli is a realist whose lack of idealistic optimism is the root of his cynicism towards human nature and human weakness. He is a perpetuator of the idea that â€Å"the means justifies the end.† Although an ample amount of individuals criticize his principles, many rational thinkers embrace the political realities he so adamantly acquaints his readers with in hisRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1465 Words   |  6 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli had a very negative view when it came to the nature of humans. He made the weakness of human nature the central message of all his writings. Machiavelli’s mannerist cynicism about human weakness came about from wounded idealism, for life had taught him that his early optimism was wrong. In most of his writings, he is mea ning for human nature to restore sanity to a world that he believed to have gone mad. Machiavelli’s most enduring contribution that left the strongest imprintRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince864 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli, was an Italian diplomat and writer, born on May 3rd, 1469 in Florence, Italy. In his younger years, Niccolo became a diplomat after the downfall of the Medici family in 1494. Machiavelli earned the reputation of vicious since he enjoyed tormenting his associates. In 1512, the Medici family came to power once again and Machiavelli was accused of conspiracy thus was tortured, jailed and nonetheless banished from getting involved in politics and from Florence (Niccolo Machiavelli

Book Review Odyssey - 2531 Words

Alexis Lauren Robinson December 03, 2014 Odyssey Sections Book Thirteen: 1-79: The section of this book in which Alcinous is stunned by how much Odysseus has suffered. Alcinous believes that he will sail home from Ithaca. The king and the rest of his people throw him a type of celebration in which they slaughter an ox, sing, and Odysseus is launched into the sea. 80-212: Royal escorts took the gifts produced by the queen while Odysseus sleeps. Poseidon angered by the Phaeacians talks with Zeus about their punishment for sending castaways into the sea. At the end they reach an agreement that in front of the Phaeacians when their ship returns in will be†¦show more content†¦The swineherd made those walls with his own hands to enclose pigs without the help of anyone. (built of quarried blocks and coped with a fence of wild pear.) Drives stakes, in the yard he built twelve beds to house his pigs and were breed. The suitors’ feast are thinning the population of boars who sleep outside; this keeps the swineherd sending to town his beast hog. A pack of four dogs guards them however. He sends a hog in town and one to the suitors to feast on. 32-83: Odysseus is almost attacked by the pack of guard dogs. But, is saved by the swineherd who invites him in to talk of where he is from and the pains he has endured as well as eat a large quantity of bread and wine. (Thinks that Odysseus is a dead and was traveling to unknown lands unaware of anything. The gods blocked his journey home) Odysseus loves this gesture and thanks the man again. Eumaeus believes no man should ever be sent away eve one in worse shape than him; every beggar comes from Zeus and whatever scrap they receive they are thankful for. 84-191: He talks to him angried that Odysseus is dead and believes that the suitors have no mercy in their hearts. They think Odysseus died and that has caused they to do not want to do their courting fairly or go back in peace. Odysseus’ wealth was vast and no man could ever defeat him. Odysseus questions if he knows he has died for sure and what his name is. As well, he believes he can bring him news. The swine herd said that no

Yvain Free Essays

Yvain or The Knight with the Lion: The Introduction of Literary Strengths There are few novels today that possess the adventure which takes place throughout Yvain (aka The Knight with the Lion). Chretien’s use of structure in this poem has surely influenced the modern day novel. Yvain was one of the first books to introduce the genre of Chivalric Romance, which many authors still mimic today. We will write a custom essay sample on Yvain or any similar topic only for you Order Now The genre capturing this tale clearly defined literature thereafter and was the beginning of a new era in story-telling. In Northrop Frye’s definition of modes, we can see that this poem is clearly in â€Å"Romance Mode†. In the concept of modes, Frye identifies literary works to be classified by the hero’s power of action. By distinction of any novels’ hero, the audience can discern whether the main character or hero has powers greater, less, or roughly the same as the audience’s. The romance mode is the second mode of Frye’s distinction. In this poem, the hero of the story is human, but is certainly superior to normal humans; it is a story in which the hero has marvelous strengths and powers of endurance. The setting of the story may also slightly suspend the laws of nature in a way that allows magical things to happen. As Frye says, this is the world of legends, folk tales, and fairy tales. In this novel, the main character Yvain portrays the essence of these qualities. Yvain has many instances throughout the poem, in which he miraculously overcomes obstacles. There was not one event in which he lost against another knight or creature. The fact that Yvain intruded on a fight between a lion and a snake, is in itself, marvelous. No human in real life, would risk their life for this situation. In this scene, as Yvain chose to slay the snake by chopping it into pieces, and the lion shows a sense of gratefulness. The Lion rose on his hind feet and joined his forepaws in complete submissiveness and then he spread his forepaws out and bowed his head in great humility (pg 95). † It was after this point that they became companions, and the lion would never leave his side. This scene illustrates the Romance mode as the basic laws of nature are slightly obstructed by the lion’s ability to express feelings. Taking a closer look, we can discern the subcategory of this romance mode to be chivalric and contain courtly love. The entire story is full of many events in which even Chretien noted as chivalric. These consist of the knightly values of courage and loyalty as well as extreme respectfulness to others, especially women. In these civilized times, the royalty- living in castles and employing warriors- created these rules of combat and courtly manners that knights should carry out. It was the main goal for every knight to perform the good deeds, because it was the honorable thing to do, not because its adventure was of interest. In the poem, Calogrenant went in search for a marvel to entertain himself with adventure. But when this lead to disaster, Yvain had to stand by his side because they were cousins, and blood relatives were not to be abandoned. Yvain went out in hopes to avenge his cousin Calogrenant, â€Å"The lord did not sit down or pause; he poured some water on the great green stone. The storm came, just as he had known (pg 23). † Here, Yvain committed the same act that got Calogrenant in trouble, yet Yvain did not commit this act in hopes of a marvel, but rather to hold honor because it was the right thing to do for his family. This act reinforced Yvain’s knightly duties, furthering his intent to be chivalrous. Instrumental for the configuration of any chivalric identity in a medieval romance, this genre entices the male audience with its tales of lone adventuring, jousting with common men, killing beasts, rescuing virgins, and fighting in fateful battles. It also introduces a new side (in the medieval time period) to male and female relations, fascinating the idea of courtly love. The behavior of courtly love was a social phase that society engaged during the time of the poem. It was the idea that love was a service that gentlemen carried out for their women. It also reflected the principle that men and women could have conversation, and â€Å"flirt†. One could even fall in love at first sight by a physical process: in through the eyes, and passing down to the heart, and from there taking over the entire body as though captured by love’s poison. In the poem, the audience sees Yvain express his feelings through courtly love. â€Å"A new Love sweetens him with sugar and honey. Love, at whim, has hunted in her lands today, and now she gathers in her prey. His enemy has his heart (pg 38). † By this quote, we see that the force of love is overpowering, and Yvain is the â€Å"prey† wounded by love, because this woman, whose husband he has killed, now has his heart. When Yvain was published, society had just recently become civilized, as opposed to their previously barbaric state. People were becoming accustomed to mannerism and sense of ruling. In the poem, we see a little of both sides of this society. In most of the story, Yvain and his surroundings are civilized, he is a proper knight and he is carrying out duties of society in a refined way. But when Laudine brought shame upon him for breaking his promise to her, we see Yvain turn to the opposite of civilized society. Yvain became so ashamed of himself he turned to a barbaric state of society, â€Å"a whirlwind broke loose in his brain, so violent that he went insane, and clawed himself, tore off his clothes and fled across the fields and rows (pg 79). † By entering the forest in this manner, Yvain indicated his complete abandonment of everything his aristocratic culture stood for—he no longer takes the part of a husband, or even a knight, but merely a wild animal. The entire poem is composed with many individual stories. What made this poem such an inspiration for the future genre was its completeness. Like Aristotle mentioned, a good story must have a beginning, middle and an end. Yvain, is compiled with many intricate stories chronologically placed, perfect and large enough for one to remember them all. The uniqueness of the Chivalric Romance genre had great influence on subsequent literature, but presenting three definite parts in the story is why Yvain or The Knight with the Lion became so renowned. How to cite Yvain, Papers

Unquantifiable free essay sample

The maters of the heart had no fundamental place in the brain, and could never have any solid basis in logic. Logic and love could never coexist with one an other for the simple fact that Love was not logical and Logic knew nothing of love.Keeping that in mind we can understand a bit about the unquantifiable matter of love, love could never be fully processed or understand. But if we realize that love can strike at any moment, and be blitzed away in any instance. Then we as humans should understand that we must hold on to it with both hands, and never let it slip though our fingers.Time by passed by love, and slips thought the fingers of those who can not learn to live, to watch a clock waiting for the hand to tick by. Time slips away when matters of the heart are involved and there was never a solid foundation in the knowledge of anything. We will write a custom essay sample on Unquantifiable or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We move to fast for time, and so we are commanded by it, waiting and plotting, our own execution and extinction, time revels on, but with no one to be there to mark it and know when it is and how it works and let the time slip by. So therefor time is as unquantifiable as love.Time revels on and on, and when dose it end, if we have no need for time, then how must one know anything that is worth knowing about. But is there really anything to know about, and if so, then why do we as humans have to master and know everything.If humans are so imperfect in our own way then why can we not understand such a thing, and if people are impatient why must everything be judged and manipulated, and why must we always know and find and be and have and all the rest else.If the world isnt perfect then why do we seek perfection?Theres no answer key to life, there is no notes to be taken, there isnt a manual, or a secret to anything, we just have to live.Most wars are started because of the human instinct and struggle to be and have and do, and know everything. Our survival instincts have been over ruled by time and money, that has connived us, in our 21st century north American ways.So everything is about survival of the fittest, and we have become fat on what is to be considered modern life but which is mistaken for lazy stubbornness and ignorance.Everything revolves around money, so what if we took away money and time from the equation, then the richest people in the world would be the ones who have there family and friends and are happy in life. We are so focused on everything around us, we forget to live, to be, to let life slip by, to take a back set for once, we crave knowledge, and power. Money plays a key factor in our happiness, but how many people say that they would be that much happier to have time spent with loved ones, and food to eat.What has happened to our world? What happened is we have grown fat on our way of life, on our need to have money, power, and forget that the simple things can bring us the most joy in our lives.What dose all of that have to do with love? Quite a bit actually. Because if we dont learn to slow down and smell the roses, if we dont learn to just live. How can we have or know love, logic would dictate that such an unquantifiable matter is not able to determine all of this; logic would dictate we need time to tell us where to go and to table everything out; logic would dictate by spending our time on things such as work and learning and furthering ourselves then we get money which we can s pend on our loved ones.So really in the end it all comes down to who has the most because people think that if they have a little more money they can by the respect and love of there family; the people they love.

What We Know Be True About humans. essays

What We Know Be True About humans. essays What is a human or a characteristic that makes a human? Human, Humane may refer to which is, or should be, characteristic of human beings. In thus, describing characteristics, human may refer to good and bad traits of a person alike. When emphasis is placed upon the latter, human is thought of as contrasted to divine. Humane takes into account only the nobler or gentler aspects of people and is often contrasted to their more ignoble or brutish aspect. A humane person is benevolent in treating fellow humans or helpless animals. Ever since evolution, humans have made a lot of progress in becoming what we are today. Even though we have, in fact, come a long way, we have so much further to go to reach perfection. Personally, I dont think that humans will ever reach perfection. Our weaknesses have not been overcome for thousands of years, nor will they ever. No matter how far we come technologically, medically, or intellectually, our human nature is simply full of weaknesses. Our emotions as human beings prevent us to grasp the social skills that are required for social perfection. For example, jealousy, anger, and sadness all come in the way of our social skills. Even though most of us have been taught social skills at a young age, we still do not possess the skills of self control. Every person is different. How can someone judge what good manners are? If one person is taught one thing and another is taught the opposite, who is right? The answer is not easily understood. For each person, the answer lies within. Human beings have never been able to get along together. Even though we are all the same deep down, different groups of people do not accept other groups of people. This is very juvenile and closed-minded. All we have to do is think and analyze different situations to view things in a rational and legitimate way. A problem we face today is the growing population all over the world. ...

Prior Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension

Prior Knowledge Improves Reading Comprehension Using prior knowledge is an important part of reading comprehension for children with dyslexia. Students relate the written word to their previous experiences to make reading more personal, helping them to both understand and remember what they have read. Some experts believe that activating prior knowledge is the most important aspect of the reading experience. What is Prior Knowledge? When we talk about prior or previous knowledge, we refer to all of the experiences readers have had throughout their lives, including information they have learned elsewhere. This knowledge is used to bring the written word to life and to make it more relevant in the readers mind. Just as our understanding about the subject can lead to further understanding, misconceptions that we accept also add to our understanding, or misunderstanding as we read. Teaching Prior Knowledge A number of teaching interventions can be implemented in the classroom to help students effectively activate prior knowledge when reading: preteaching vocabulary, providing background knowledge and creating opportunities and a framework for students to continue building background knowledge. Pre-teaching Vocabulary In another article, we discussed the challenge of teaching students with dyslexia new vocabulary words. These students may have a larger oral vocabulary than their reading vocabulary and they may have a difficult time both sounding out new words and recognizing these words when reading. It is often helpful for teachers to introduce and review new vocabulary before beginning new reading assignments. As students become more familiar with the vocabulary and continue to build their vocabulary skills, not only does their reading fluency increase but so does their reading comprehension. In addition, as students learn and understand new vocabulary word, and relate these words to their personal knowledge of a subject, they can invoke that same knowledge as they read. Learning the vocabulary, therefore, helps students to use their personal experiences to relate to stories and information they read. Providing Background Knowledge When teaching math, teachers accept that a student continues to build upon previous knowledge and without this knowledge, they will have a much more difficult time understanding new mathematical concepts. In other subjects, such as social studies, this concept is not readily discussed, however, it is just as important. In order for a student to understand written material, no matter what the subject, a certain level of prior knowledge is needed. When students are first introduced to a new topic, they will have some level of prior knowledge. They may have a great deal of knowledge, some knowledge or very little knowledge. Before providing background knowledge, teachers must measure the level of prior knowledge in a specific topic. This can be accomplished by: Asking questions, beginning with general questions and slowly increasing the specificity of questionsWrite statements on the board based on what students have shared about the topicHave students complete a worksheet, without grading, to determine knowledge Once a teacher has gathered information on how much the students know, she can plan lessons to students further background knowledge. For example, when beginning a lesson on the Aztecs, questions on prior knowledge might revolve around types of homes, food, geography, beliefs, and accomplishments. Based on the information the teacher gathers, she can create a lesson to fill in the blanks, showing slides or pictures of homes, describing what types of food were available, what major accomplishments the Aztecs had. Any new vocabulary words in the lesson should be introduced to the students. This information should be given as an overview and as a precursor to the actual lesson. Once the review is completed, students can read the lesson, bringing in the background knowledge to give them a greater understanding of what they have read. Creating Opportunities and a Framework for Students to Continue Building Background Knowledge Guided reviews and introductions to new material, such as the previous example of the teacher providing an overview, before reading are extremely helpful in providing students with background information. But students must learn to find this type of information on their own. Teachers can help by giving students specific strategies for increasing background knowledge about a new topic: Reading summaries and conclusions of chapters in a textbookReading the end-of-chapter questions before reading the chapterReading the headings and subheadingsFor books, reading the back of the book for information on what the book is aboutOlder students can review cliff notes before reading the bookSkimming the book, reading the first line of each paragraph or reading the first paragraph of each chapterSkimming for unfamiliar words and learning definitions before readingReading short articles on the same topic As students learn how to find background information on a previously unknown topic, their confidence in their ability to understand this information increases and they can use this new knowledge to build and learn about additional topics.References: Increasing Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge, 1991, William L. Christen, Thomas J. Murphy, ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills Prereading Strategies, Date Unknown, Karla Porter, M.Ed. Weber State University The Use of Prior Knowledge in Reading, 2006, Jason Rosenblatt, New York University