By Beth Richards 

As students become advanced readers, they can pick up a book and start reading without any preparation. However, for students who are still learning to read, pre-reading activities are crucial. Pre-reading activities help students understand how a book is structured, enable teachers to provide background knowledge, and spark students' excitement to read and learn more. The examples provided in this blog are tailored for upper elementary students, but the concepts can be easily applied to readers of any age. Below are four areas to consider incorporating into pre-reading activities. 

Genre

Think about students’ experience with the genre. What are the most complicated features students need to understand about this particular book? Explain to students how a book is organized in a specific way because of its genre. In addition, point out and explain unique layouts or text features placed in the book to aid comprehension. You may incorporate simple activities encouraging students to use text features to find specific information. 

For example, when reading the biography Maya Angelou: Writer, Actor, Singer, Dancer, students need to hear the following information before reading to help process the text. “This book is a biography of Maya Angelou. Biographies are books that tell the story of a person’s life. Usually, biographies are written in order. First, the author will tell us about Maya as a child, then as a teenager, and then as an adult. We will get to see how Maya grows and changes throughout her life. The author of this biography has included a few special features to help us read this book. You can see actual photographs of Maya at different stages of her life. In addition, on page 30, a timeline shows the most important events from Maya’s lifetime. As we read, we will learn more about these important events.”

Reading the timeline before diving into the book can help students get excited to learn more details about intriguing events. 

Essential Concepts and Vocabulary

Which words and concepts will readers need to understand before reading the text? You may need to build students' background knowledge of a topic by using maps, photographs, or diagrams to illustrate a particular concept. You can discuss previously taught content that would assist in understanding the new text. Making connections between students' life experiences and information in the story also helps students relate to the book.  

Before reading How to Write a Great Poem by Kenn Nesbitt, build background knowledge by reminding students that poems are pieces of writing with words arranged in separate lines. Poems often encourage readers to use their senses. Try examining and reading a poem, then ask students to share what they notice. Finally, discuss the writing process for creating a poem and review essential vocabulary, such as rhyme, syllables, and exaggeration. You can even encourage students to try writing their own poem.

Unusual or Unexpected Language Structures

Note any language structures outside students’ understanding or natural language. Point them out, model them, and rehearse them before reading. 

For example, when reading the how-to book mentioned above, there are many examples of sentences with commas in a series. Explaining and practicing one or two beforehand will help students understand that the author is listing and that they must pause at the commas. In addition, rehearsing more complex sentences like the one on page 19 (“When rhymes have just one syllable at the end that sounds the same, like cat/hat and moon/spoon, this is called a single rhyme.”) can provide a model and practice for navigation. 

How Words Work

Readers may need continued work decoding multisyllabic words and applying phonics principles. Ask students to locate challenging words in the book before reading. Then attend to the syllables, vowel team, orthography, or affixes of those words. This will reinforce how words work and remind them what to do when encountering similar words while reading. 

For example, in Maya Angelou's biography, students can review the word "scholarship." Remind students about the phoneme sch by referring to a familiar word, such as school. You can also break the word "scholarship" into syllables to see if students can recognize the small word, ship, as the last syllable.  

Consider these areas when planning pre-reading activities to provide strong scaffolds for your readers and prepare them for success when reading their book. In turn, your readers will become more confident, and the comprehension conversations after reading will show deeper understanding.  

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The Inspire! Collection features 19 biographies of extraordinary trailblazers, each paired with a unique nonfiction chapter book that explores a key theme related to the individual's life. An effective way to dig deep into comprehension with students in grades 2–4.

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Beth has been teaching for twenty years. She has been a literacy interventionist and Reading Recovery teacher for the last nine years. Prior to that, she taught kindergarten, third, and fourth graders. She loves spending her days helping her students develop and share her love of reading.