Anticipation Guide

An Anticipation Guide presents 4-6 statements related to a text. Students mark each as Agree or Disagree BEFORE reading. After reading, they revisit their responses and change any that their reading has updated. The contrast between before and after reveals how reading changed their thinking.

Anticipation Guides activate prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading. Instead of reading aimlessly, students read to test their predictions. The before/after structure makes learning visible -- students see how the text changed their minds, which makes reading feel powerful and relevant.

Based on pre-reading schema activation theory -- activating prior knowledge before reading improves comprehension. Also based on the prediction effect: making a prediction creates a knowledge gap that the reader is motivated to fill. The before/after contrast also promotes metacognition.

Based on pre-reading schema activation theory -- activating prior knowledge before reading improves comprehension. Also based on the prediction effect: making a prediction creates a knowledge gap that the reader is motivated to fill. The before/after contrast also promotes metacognition.

Use before reading informational texts, stories, or textbook chapters. Best for grades 3-12. Works for any subject where a text presents ideas that might challenge students' assumptions. Ideal for science, social studies, and English.

Avoid making statements too obvious (everyone agrees or disagrees). Also avoid statements that are not actually addressed in the text. Don't skip the after-reading discussion -- the power is in the contrast.

Grades Grade 3 to Grade 12

English, Filipino, Science, and more

• Activates prior knowledge before reading
• Sets a purpose for reading -- students test their predictions
• Makes learning visible through the before/after contrast
• Promotes discussion and engagement
• Works for any subject and grade 3 and up

• Requires well-crafted statements -- not any statements work
• Can take time from the actual reading
• Some students may not take the before-reading seriously
• Statements must connect to the text's main ideas
• Quality depends on the statements chosen

• Making statements too obvious or too obscure
• Not connecting statements to the text
• Skipping the after-reading discussion
• Not discussing why students changed their minds
• Using it for every single reading -- variety matters

Adapt the text complexity, group size, and role assignments based on students' reading levels and experience with the strategy.

This strategy requires no technology. If desired, enhance with digital tools such as Google Docs for collaborative writing or Padlet for sharing responses.

Assess through observation of participation, quality of pre-reading, and formative checks such as exit tickets or quick writes.

• Readence, T., Bean, T., & Baldwin, R. (2004). Content Area Reading. Kendall Hunt.