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Monday, September 13, 2010

Anticipation Guide

As a teacher, when introducing a new piece of literature it is important to be creative with its introduction.  With constant repetition, students tend to become bored and uninterested.  One helpful example I have found in When Kids Can''t Read is making and Anticipation Guide (example shown below). Getting students thinking and discussing themes in the coming text will get them to better identify them and analyze them.
Romeo and Juliet

Before Reading:                         Situation:                                   After Reading:

                                       1. Would you date someone your family hates?

                                       2. Do you believe in arranged marriages? 

                                       3. Would you betray your family's trust  if you
                                        think they are being unreasonable?
                                     
                                      
Questions like those above underly the main themes in Shakespeare's play and get students thinking about what they would do if they were Romeo or Juliet before knowing the plot.

(Chapter 6)
                                       
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2 comments:

  1. Kay.Coy27September 14, 2010 at 7:19 PM

    I think think this Anticipation Guide is such an awesome idea. This can get the students to begin thinking about the text without exactly knowing what it is. When they are allowed to become personally involved with learning they will open up and participate more in discussion and maybe become more interested and excited about what they are reading.

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  2. Ashley MoodySeptember 15, 2010 at 4:06 PM

    I also agree that the Anticipation Guide is a great idea. I didn't realize how important it is to get students, especially dependent readers, involved in interacting with a text prior to read it. But, it makes perfect sense now. If I was someone who hated reading, I can't imagine a teacher giving me a brief synopsis of a text or about the author of a text would be a good incentive to get me interested in reading the text. This is why I know understand the importance of getting all students engaged before having them read a text. The Anticipation Guide seems to be a great strategy to use to get students thinking about a text because it allows them to agree or disagree with statements about a text. I also like the fact that the Anticipation Guide can be used during and after reading a text. It allows students to compare their responses before reading to after reading. Maybe reading the story will completely change their original thoughts about it?

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