Previewing

Interacting with new knowledge can be challenging for students. How do you help them identify what is important, process new content, and record their thinking and knowledge? Once students have had time to process the information how do you get them to reflect on their learning both in terms of content and the thinking routines they used to navigate the new content (meta cognition)?

KWL/RAN Chart - " K-W-L is an instructional reading strategy that is used to guide students through a text. Students begin by brainstorming everything they Know about a topic. This information is recorded in the K column of a K-W-L chart. "

• When to use it: Use this strategy prior to reading text.

• What it encourages: It encourages students to activate their prior knowledge and prepare to make links between what then know and what is about to be learned.

• How to use it: Walk and observe students as they create their K-W-L charts, combine it with another strategy like Think-Pair-Share for students to share what they know.

• Resources: Article, Video

Anticipation Guide - "An Anticipation Guide is a strategy that is used before reading to activate students' prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new topic. Before reading a selection, students respond to several statements that challenge or support their preconceived ideas about key concepts in the text. "

• When to use it: Before reading a selection of text.

• What it encourages: Anticipation Guides are loved by teachers because of their ability to engage all students in the exploration of new information by challenging them to critically think about what they know or think they know about a topic. In doing so, anticipation guides set a purpose to the reading, even for those students who initially may not be engaged by the topic.

• How to use it: Circulate and scan anticipation guides as students complete them and again when they return to the guide to review their knowledge gain and clarify misconceptions.

• Resources: Article, Video

Skimming or First Lines- "Previewing is a simple yet effective reading strategy that involves skimming the assigned reading before you begin reading in earnest. The strategy helps you activate background knowledge and define a purpose for your reading. "

• When to use it: Before reading text to help students limit their attention to the first sentence of each paragraph.

• What it encourages: This encouraged reading comprehension and amount of time required to analyze text. It can also help struggling readers because it reduces the amount of text they must process.

• How to use it: Students read the first line a paragraph to get the main idea of a text. After they make predictions as to what the text is about then go back and re-read the remainder of the paragraph to check the accuracy of their prediction. This can also be extended to higher levels of rigor and group work as described in the article below.

• Resources: Article, Video

Brief Teacher Summary - "The teacher can briefly summarize in writing or verbally as a way to preview content before a critical-input experience. "

• When to use it: When previewing new content.

• What it encourages: It encourages making connections to prior knowledge.

• How to use it: Teachers will briefly summarize in writing, verbally, or with photos content to help students anticipate key ideas and provide focus. Students can write down on index cards “Do’s and Don’ts” as to what they know about the content presented and what they do not know or think they misunderstand. Sort cards to ensure students can describe the patterns in and the main ideas of upcoming content.

• Resources: Article, Video

Informational Hooks - "Summary"

• When to use it:

• What it encourages:

• How to use it: Use a Think-Pair-Share activity to have students relate information presented in the hook to what they already know. Circulate and listen to shared conversations to ensure students make links from what they know to what is about to be learned.

• Resources: Article, Video

Preview Questions - "Summary"

• When to use it: When previewing new content or assessing student's prior knowledge.go

• What it encourages: It encourages students becoming curious about new content.

• How to use it: Use whiteboards or some other individual response method to review answers to questions posed to verify links are being made to prior knowledge. Teachers will ask questions that help students connect their prior knowledge to new learning.

• Resources: Article, Video

Think or Ink-Pair Share

• When to use it: When previewing new content or assessing student's prior knowledge.

• What it encourages: It encourages student voice (discussion), cooperative learning, and engagement around a topic, issue, or problem. The strategy can be used by teachers to gauge conceptual understanding and it can activate prior knowledge or help students curious about new content.

• How to use it: 1. Students are given a short and specific timeframe (1-2 minutes) to think or ink (write) freely to briefly process their understanding/opinion of a text selection, discussion question or topic.; 2. Students then share their thinking or writing with a peer for another short and specific timeframe (e.g. 1 minute each).; 3. Finally the teacher leads a whole-class sharing of thoughts, often charting the diverse thinking and patterns in student ideas. This helps both students and the teacher assess understanding and clarify student ideas.

• Resources: Article, Elementary Video, Secondary Video