Before Reading and After Reading

Pre-reading strategies
 

Make predictions about the book based on the cover page or title:  “What do you think this book will be about?”

• Discuss student’s prior knowledge about the topic of the book:  “What do you already know about ________?”

• Have the student develop questions about the book.

• Story retelling, sequencing of events: “What happened in this story?”
   
• If the student starts flipping back through the book to answer this question – there is a comprehension problem
• Discussing or writing about favorite parts of the book: “What part did you like best?”  “I liked the funny part” is a starting point – press for more details – why was it funny?
   
• Comparing to another story: “Is this like anything you’ve heard or read before?”
   
• Creating a new ending: “What is a different way that this story could end?”
   
• Draw a picture about the story in a journal.
   
• Critique: “I liked this story because…/I didn’t like this story because”
• “I liked this book because I learned a lot” is again, a starting point. Press for details. What did you learn? What did you think before you read the book and what changed after reading it?