269: Before Reading Routines that Build Confidence and Curiosity


Have you ever found what seems like the perfect reading for your students, only to watch them immediately react with some form of “I don’t understand this?”  Sometimes the problem isn’t the text, it’s that students are not prepared to read it. In this episode, we’re kicking off a three-part series on reading by focusing on what happens before students even read the first sentence. We’ll look at why preparation matters, five simple pre-reading activities, and how to help students approach a text with more confidence. 

Topics in this Episode: 

  • Sometimes students don’t struggle with reading because the text is too difficult, but because they are not prepared to read it and lack the confidence to take it on.
  • Once we change the purpose of reading, we also change how we prepare students.
  • Preparation helps students build interest., activate background knowledge, preview essential vocabulary and structures., develop a purpose for reading.
  • 5 Pre-Reading Routines: Picture Predictions, Title Talk,  Essential Vocabulary,  PersonalConnection, Reason for Reading
  • Mistakes to avoid
  • “A Day in the Market” Reading Text (Spanish, French)
  • Quick Win Course: Engaging Reading Activities That Build Proficiency

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