Pre-Reading Strategies

Self-Selection

I believe that allowing students to self-select their reading, within structured parameters, is a great means of fostering engagement and a genuine love of learning. By capitalizing on their individual interests (Ranck-Buhr, 2012), I can help students activate what they already know and build a bridge to new ideas and perspectives. In my classroom, I provide a diverse library of options and take frequent class trips to the library where the librarian and I help guide students to make thoughtful choices through brief book talks and discussions. This not only activates their existing knowledge but also sets the stage for deeper exploration and growth as readers.

Anticipation Guide

As suggested by Wilhelm (2016, p. 250), anticipation guides are one of my favorite ways to connect to readers' prior knowledge and engage them before reading a new story. I have used them to facilitate small group conversations, as well as whole group ones. My students have most enjoyed me treating anticipation guides like a "four corners" activity. After I read a statement aloud from the anticipation guide, students move to one corner of the room if they agree and one corner if they disagree. I set a timer for them to discuss their ideas with peers in the same corner as them before taking a couple of minutes for each side to share the highlights of their discussion with the whole class. I especially like using anticipation guides because it makes readings personally relevant to each student, no matter where they fell on agreeing or disagreeing with each statement. Students are quick to point out when they recognize parts of the readings that align with our previous anticipation guide discussions as we read, and it is interesting to revisit everyone's previous stance once the reading gives it context.

Quick-Write (journaling)

I often use quick-write journaling as a warm-up activity to help students get their thoughts flowing and connect with the day’s lesson. Sometimes, I tie it to a single statement from an anticipation guide, using it as a prompt for students to reflect and write freely for a few minutes. For example, I might ask them to respond to a statement like, “It’s okay to break the rules if it means doing the right thing,” before we dive into a story where this theme is central. This approach not only activates prior knowledge but also encourages students to engage personally with the ideas we’ll explore in the text.