What is your philosophy on pre-reading/front-loading before starting a new text?

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boccaela

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With the implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards, one instructional strategy that became the subject of intense debate is the appropriateness of pre-reading/front-loading before beginning a new text. As a general principle, what position do you hold regarding pre-reading? Please feel free to discuss specific strategies, too! Thanks for the input!
 

Tdol

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I come from a different educational background, and have only seen it as one strategy and never the subject of intense debate- what's the controversy?
 

boccaela

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I come from a different educational background, and have only seen it as one strategy and never the subject of intense debate- what's the controversy?


There are many teachers who will pre-teach extensively before beginning a text - historical context, thematic lead-in questions, vocabulary support, etc. - and the Common Core Standards are challenging that notion, arguing that almost no pre-reading should be done and that the text should largely speak for itself. If you're interested, here is a brief article on the matter:

http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/...should-talk-about-texts-before-they-read-them
 

misswildner

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With the implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards, one instructional strategy that became the subject of intense debate is the appropriateness of pre-reading/front-loading before beginning a new text. As a general principle, what position do you hold regarding pre-reading? Please feel free to discuss specific strategies, too! Thanks for the input!

As a history teacher, most of the documents I have my class read come from sources with a brief introductory/contextualizing blurb. Much of the reading process has to do with making connections to the text, and activating prior knowledge or recalling past experiences in front-loading can be an effective way to do it. For some texts, though, it's better to have students read and be left with a curiosity to build upon; I think that might apply more to ELA than to history. I generally want my students to have the context from which to better analyze the sources.
 
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