CommonLit 360 CommonLit 360 Foundations: Building Background Knowledge to Build Buy-In through Discussions, Slide Decks, and More
Here at CommonLit, we have 4 Guiding Principles that represent our foundational beliefs about teaching and learning. Our team of curriculum writers - all experienced former educators - have carefully developed CommonLit 360 to align with these guiding principles and ensure that each unit and lesson is designed to support the growth and success of all learners.
In this blog series, we have invited CommonLit’s Senior Curriculum Writers and Leadership Team to share a bit more about the practices that support the design of our curriculum. This article is connected to Guiding Principle 3: Deep Engagement Fosters Deep Learning. Deep learning happens when students are genuinely engaged with content that matters to them. We look to ignite curiosity and encourage students to delve deeper into topics and themes they explore. Learn more about our Guiding Principles in our CommonLit 360 Program Guide!
Building Background Knowledge to Build Buy-In through Discussions, Slide Decks, and More
At CommonLit, we believe that Deep Engagement Fosters Deep Learning—our third guiding principle. This means that real learning happens when students are not just compliant, but truly connected to the content. In this blog post, we sat down with curriculum writer Leah Tribbett, a former middle school educator, to talk about how our CommonLit 360 Foundations lessons are designed to build background knowledge, foster authentic student buy-in, and support strong pacing and engagement throughout a unit.
Why Student Buy-In Matters
“Student buy-in is essential for students’ learning,” Tribbett shared. “If students are engaged, they’re learning—even when they don’t think they are.”
In her classroom, Tribbett focused on making lessons personally relevant. Whether she was connecting skills to life beyond school or simply giving students space to bring their own voices into the room, it all came back to helping students see the purpose behind their learning.
This is exactly what CommonLit 360’s Unit and Text Introductions are designed to do: help students understand why the upcoming texts, topics, and skills matter to them. These lessons use videos, discussion prompts, slide decks, and other tools to build both content knowledge and curiosity before diving into a core reading.
What Deep Engagement Really Looks Like
For Tribbett, deep engagement doesn’t look like a silent classroom.
“I used to think a successful classroom was silent—everyone with their noses in books. But I quickly learned that’s not what true engagement looks like.”
Instead, she describes the “hum” of a productive beehive—where students are leaning into tasks, having authentic debates, referencing texts, and reacting emotionally to what they’re reading. It might look a little messy from the outside, but inside it’s electric with learning.
“I remember watching my kids read something independently, seeing them react, and knowing what part of the text they just got to. That moment—when they’ve forgotten they’re in a classroom—is beautiful.”
Unit Introduction Lessons and Text Introduction Decks Set the Stage for Deeper Learning
When asked how she tries to recreate those moments as a curriculum writer, Tribbett emphasized the importance of crafting rich entry points into each unit.
“When we’re curating a unit, we’re trying to pick texts that lend themselves to real investment and rich discussions. Then when we’re writing, we make sure the lessons create space for student voice and multiple perspectives.”
In Unit Introduction lessons and Text Introduction Decks, students might be asked to consider essential questions, watch context videos, explore key vocabulary, or engage in debates that get them thinking deeply before they ever touch the core text. These lessons serve as the foundation for the reading and writing that follow—and they do more than just build knowledge, they build interest.
Building Buy-In Beyond the First Lesson
While Unit Introduction lessons set the stage, CommonLit 360 doesn’t stop there. Building student buy-in isn’t a one-time task—it’s a continuous thread that runs through each unit. That’s why related media, discussion opportunities, and thoughtfully designed slide decks appear throughout the unit—not just in the introduction.
Tribbett emphasized how important it is to meet students with the right content at the right time to create access points for students to engage with the lesson.
“We put things where they’ll be most supportive. That might mean embedding a video or a map in the middle of a lesson, right when it matters most.”
In the A Raisin in the Sun unit, for example, students encounter a video and primary sources on 1950s residential segregation during a key turning point in the play. This allows students to immediately apply that new context to their reading and discussion, deepening both comprehension and connection.
And it’s not just what students see—it’s how they see it. Tribbett highlighted how visual tools like slide decks can create consistency, accessibility, and a sense of purpose.
“Slide decks don’t just deliver information—they create a rhythm. Students know what to expect, and they’re more likely to stay engaged when they feel like they’re in the driver’s seat.”
By including these supports across lessons, CommonLit 360 ensures that students are continuously discovering new ways to connect, question, and care about what they’re learning. Engagement isn’t just sparked at the beginning—it’s sustained all the way through.
Why Discussions Matter
Tribbett emphasized the role of discussion-based questions in fueling engagement. In her words:
“Whether it’s a discussion question, analysis prompt, or short response question—we want students to be able to bring multiple perspectives to the table. If every question has one right answer, it’s boring. And students check out.”
As a writer, Tribbett and her team intentionally design debate-worthy questions that allow for rich conversation. Many reading lessons contain a discussion prompt that could be argued from different angles. She pointed to the A Raisin in the Sun unit as an example of how “spicy” questions like “Is Walter being self-righteous?” draw students in by giving them something provocative—and authentic—to grapple with.
“It’s juicy. Kids love calling out a character for bad behavior. That kind of question invites them to speak up, take sides, and listen to each other.”
That last point is key: Tribbett noted that real engagement in discussions isn’t just about talking—it’s about listening, too. Students must actively respond to their peers, adjusting their thinking and supporting their views with evidence from the text.
Pacing and Connection Across Lesson Types
A powerful benefit of beginning a lesson with the text introduction deck is how they set students up for success—not just in terms of comprehension, but in terms of pacing and continuity. When students enter a complex story or informational text with the context they need, they can engage more confidently and deeply from the very first line.
Tribbett pointed out that the time spent early on in these lessons often pays off later in the unit.
“We want students to be able to refer back to ideas they’ve explored earlier in the unit. Whether it’s a discussion question or an exit ticket, the goal is always the same: support deep, critical thinking and meaningful interpretation.”
Because students already have a foundation of background knowledge, vocabulary, and personal investment in the themes, teachers spend less time later on reteaching, clarifying misunderstandings, or filling in conceptual gaps. In other words, by investing a bit of time to build background at the start of the unit and each reading lesson, teachers are able to move faster and more confidently through the core texts and writing tasks.
Tribbett likened it to something every teacher knows well: teaching classroom routines.
“It’s like those first weeks of school when you take time to teach routines. It feels like it slows everything down—but you know that once they’re in place, everything moves faster after that.”
CommonLit 360’s deliberate pacing also makes it easier for students to see how the unit fits together. Discussion questions, reading analysis, and writing lessons in CommonLit 360 are carefully designed to build on one another, echoing essential questions and key concepts introduced in the beginning. This helps students form a more cohesive understanding—and teachers don’t have to constantly backtrack to fill in the gaps on their own.
Taking the time to invest in building background knowledge and engagement for students early on doesn't slow a unit down—it speeds it up by preventing confusion, deepening learning, and keeping students on track from day one through the final essay.
Final Thoughts: Engagement as the Engine of Learning
The best moments in any classroom come when students are driving their own learning—posing questions, forming opinions, and collaborating with each other. That’s why Guiding Principle 3: Deep Engagement Fosters Deep Learning is so central to the design of CommonLit 360.
Whether it’s a debate over Creon’s actions in Antigone or a passionate conversation sparked by a video in a Unit Introduction lesson, every moment of engagement is a step toward long-lasting understanding.
“I think the best sign of engagement is when students don’t want to stop,” Tribbett says. “They want to keep reading, keep talking, keep going. That’s the dream.”
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