1. Arousing curiosity and interest in students is a crucial component of engaging students with content texts.

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1 47 CHAPTER 6 Prereading Strategies PURPOSE The purpose of this chapter is to provide teachers with meaningful learning activities that will pique student interest and raise their expectations about content area reading so that students will read with purpose and anticipation. UNDERLYING CONCEPTS 1. Arousing curiosity and interest in students is a crucial component of engaging students with content texts. 2. Helping students learn content through activities that help them anticipate and predict what they will learn is important. 3. Prereading activities that engage students in asking questions are effective ways to help students develop purposes and motivation for reading texts. STUDENT OBJECTIVES 1. Students will learn hands-on prereading strategies that can raise interest and motivate their students to read textbooks. 2. Students will develop an understanding of what meaningful learning activities are. 3. Students will gain an appreciation for the importance of developing curiosity, arousal, and motivation for understanding content textbooks. 4. Students will be able to demonstrate prereading lessons using prediction strategies, question strategies, and motivation strategies. ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Prereading 1. Using the graphic organizer at the beginning of the chapter, explain how the content of the chapter relates to the chapter title.

2 48 2. Have students brainstorm reading strategies that they use when they read to learn new information. Use their comments as a springboard for discussion on engaging readers. 3. Have students share topics that they enjoy reading. In an autobiographical format, askstudents to reflect on what motivates them to read about these topics. Allow time for small group sharing as a springboard for discussion on what motivates people to read. 4. Have students share the times and places that they read. Do they read in the library? In the kitchen? In the bedroom? Discuss environmental conditions that they feel are important with respect to their own reading habits. Use the discussion for a more focused discussion on environmental conditions that effect one s prereading frame of mind. Following the discussion, have the students brainstorm classroom environmental conditions that contribute to setting the stage for reading. How might this vary according to the type of reading i.e. narrative and expository texts? 5. Selected true false statements and/or multiple choice test questions might be used as a pre-assessment. 6. Selected true false statements might be used as a springboard for discussion and to determine student prior knowledge. During Reading 7. Use the following quotation from the textbook as a springboard for discussion on how teachers can use topics about which students are curious to engage them in learning: Schools do not pay enough attention to students curiosity and imagination. As a result, students disengage from active participation in the academic life of the classroom because there is little satisfaction from schoolwork. 8. Ask students to bring in content textbooks of their choice and,working in small groups, have each student select a chapter from a textbook in a content area other than their own. After previewing the chapter, have each student orally respond to the following questions: What do I need to know? How well do I already know it? Repeat the exercise with a textbook in their own content area. How do the results change? Why? What are the implications for the classroom? After Reading 9. Have the students bring in content textbooks. Working in small groups have them examine the illustrations and photographs in the texts. Have students discuss how the pictures might be used to arouse curiosity about the topic.

3 Have the students bring a children s picture book to class. Using the Story Impression example in Figure 6.1of the textbook, have the students design a Story Impression for the story. Students might trade Story Impressions with a partner, complete them, and then read the story to compare and contrast information. 11. Have the students bring in illustrated nonfiction trade books or informational CD ROM of their choice. Each student should design a motivating prereading activity using the illustrations to introduce a content area topic. Students can share in small groups. 12. Have the students bring in content textbooks of their choice. Have each student create a guided imagery for a chapter of the text. Students may read their compositions aloud. 13. Use the following quote from the textbook as a springboard for discussion on schema: Readers can derive meaning from text because they bring expectations about meaning to text. 14. With the cooperation of a local middle or secondary school, collect content textbooks currently in use. Have the preservice teachers design an anticipation guide to accompany a chapter. Send guides back to teachers for use in their classrooms. 15. Model for students the ReQuest strategy using a human interest story from the newspaper. Working in small groups, have students practice the strategy with children s literature. Chapter 6 SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS True/False Test Items 6.1 Most students would like to use reading to learn but don't believe that they have much chance of success. 6.2 Ability is the key indicator that determines if students will use reading to learn. 6.3 Reading is defined as a process and most readers understand the process they go through when interpreting text.

4 Meaningful learning with textbooks occurs when students develop a feeling of satisfaction with textbooks and a sense of accomplishment. 6.5 Learning occurs as conceptual conflict resolves itself. 6.6 Story Impressions allow students to explore concepts by making initial associations, reflecting on associations, and reformulating knowledge. 6.7 Making predictions before reading helps readers to bring expectations about meaning. 6.8 The purpose of an anticipation guide is to help readers summarize their thoughts after reading. 6.9 Creating problematic situations encourages readers to generate their own questions while reading Whenever readers are involved in asking questions, they are engaged in active comprehension Reciprocal questioning is essential for guided imagery It is better to have the teacher generate questions before reading than the reader The expectation outline strategy is best implemented when the teacher facilitates discussion throughout the process.

5 Motivation and commitment play an essential role in purposeful learning Students skilled in reading and knowledge about a subject have the motivation, a sense of direction, and a purpose for learning To reduce any uncertainty that students bring to reading material, the teacher can help them raise questions and anticipate meaning by showing them how to connect what they already know to the new ideas presented in the text. Multiple Choice 6.1. When students believe they have,they are more willing to read. a. confidence b. ability c. subject knowledge d. vocabulary understanding 6.2 Which of the following is least likely to reduce the mystery of learning with texts? a. decoding skills b. student interest c. subject knowledge d. strategy awareness Answer: a 6.3 When students ask themselves, "What do I need to know?" and "How well do I already know it?" they are engaging in. a. subject knowledge b. decoding skills c. metacognitive awareness d. self motivation

6 As students ready themselves to learn with texts, best facilitates this learning. a. teacher asking questions b. teacher lecturing about the topic c. teacher providing instructional scaffolding d. teacher reading the text aloud 6.5 Which of the following is not developed by Story Impressions? a. curiosity b. retelling c. prediction d. anticipation 6.6 Which of the following is not developed by arousing curiosity before reading text? a. students learn technical terms b. students generate questions c. students consider what they already know about the material d. students recognize conceptual conflicts Answer: a 6.7 Which of the following is not a step in establishing problematic perspectives? a. discuss the problem b. raise questions c. seek possible solutions before reading d. read the material to help answer test questions Answer: d 6.8 Which of the following is a strategy that arouses curiosity? a. freewriting b. guided imagery c. ReQuest d. expectation outline

7 Which of the following is a strategy that encourages students to generate questions? a. PreP b. ReQuest c. Story Impressions d. anticipation guides 6.10 Which of the following is the best strategy to elicit predictions? a. guided imagery b. active comprehension c. anticipation guide d. analogies 6.11 depends on the students ability to arouse curiosity, elicit predictions, and ask questions. a. metacognitive awareness b. buddy reading c. meaningful learning d. decoding words 6.12 In a three-phase plan needs to be followed in order to foster group discussion and an awareness of the topics to be covered. a. Story Impressions b. problem situations c. guided imagery d. PreP Answer: d 6.13 Modelling is essential for the strategy. a. anticipation guide b. expectation outline c. ReQuest d. brainstorming

8 Which of the following is not a motivational technique utilized to create conceptual conflicts in a reader? a. developing a role or perspective b. adapting a rate of reading c. creating a problem to be solved d. examining students' beliefs and attitudes 6.15 Which activity would probably work best for helping students comprehend text? a. discussion of material immediately after silent reading of text b. some discussion of content prior to oral and silent reading of text c. comprehension check following oral reading of text d. vocabulary check during oral reading of text by the teacher ESSAY QUESTIONS Essay questions include a mixture of questions designed (1) to help students apply and synthesize ideas, and (2) to help students clarify and understand ideas. 6.1 When is the student ready to acquire knowledge with content area literacy? Discuss and justify your opinion. 6.2 Explain how conceptual conflicts are the key to creating motivational conditions in the classroom. 6.3 Suppose your school or department decides to put together a resource book for teachers titled, "Teaching Tips For Better Learning," and they require a contribution from you. Describe for your colleagues one of the strategies from this chapter in your own words. Explain how it can be used in your content area. Then briefly explain why the strategy works by referring to some ideas about how students learn that were mentioned in this chapter. 6.4 What do the authors say in this chapter is one of the biggest challenges content area teachers face with students reading to learn? What can tteachers do to overcome that challenge? 6.5 What are the essential elements of meaningful learning? Discuss how each one influences learning.

9 55 Chapter 6 VOCABULARY AND KEY TERMS active comprehension anticipation guides expectation outline guided imagery prediction strategy Prereading Plan (PreP) problematic situations ReQuest Story Impressions student generated questions your own questions