What  is  an  Anticipation  Guide?
Why  does  it  work?

An anticipation guide is a comprehension strategy to use pre-reading.  This strategy activates students’ prior knowledge about a new topic or idea.  Students’ interest and curiosity will be sparked when this strategy is used correctly.  Stimulating background knowledge encourages students to make connections, which is a vital part of the comprehension process.  

In Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement, authors Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis stress the importance of activating prior knowledge.  “In the 1980s cognitive psychologists devised the term schema theory to explain how our previous experiences, knowledge, emotions, and understandings have a major effect on what and how we learn.  Our schema—the sum total of our background knowledge and experience—is what each of us brings to our reading” (2007, p. 17)

In this strategy, students read or listen to statements about key themes, concepts, or ideas that will be presented in the text.  Students are often asked to agree or disagree.  Asking students to explain their thinking promotes a lively discussion on the topic.

People try to anticipate what is going to happen before it actually happens, and this translates into reading for most students as well.  Proficient readers purposefully try to anticipate what a text is about before reading.  They will look at the cover, the title, the back; they will ask friends if the book is "good."  

Struggling students, however, sometimes do not do this.  Kylene Beers, author of When Kids Can't Read, writes, "Dependent readers... are told to read something, and once the text is in hand, they just begin.  They often skip titles and background information... They'd read better if they would bring to reading what they bring to the rest of life: the need to anticipate" (2003 p. 74).  Anticipation guides help these students begin to anticipate what they are reading. 

 

Videos

In this video, 7th Grade Science Teacher, Brad Aurand uses an anticipation guide to motivate students to learn his lesson.  Mr. Auraund then leads the class in a discussion based on the students' responses to the statements.  The video displays active engagement for all students, as they are seen working with peers, as well as a whole-class discussion. 

This Reading Rocket's video shows a second grade classroom using an anticipation guide.  The teacher uses the strategy to get students excited about the story they are about to read.  The students in the video seem interested in the task, and thoughtfully consider each statement.  The teacher models the activity and gives clear directions. 

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How can I use this strategy? 

In a reading class, an anticipation guide could be used prior to reading a novel, such as Gary Paulsen's Hatchet.  Questions on the anticipation guide would refer to themes from the book, such as survival, parent-child relationships, and perseverance.  Students would complete the anticipation guide prior to reading, and a class discussion would follow.  This activity would stimulate the ideas students will soon read about in the book.

In a history class, prior to a Holocaust unit, an anticipation guide could get students to begin considering some of the crucial aspects of the Holocaust.  In this case, it is important to note that the statements should not have a right or wrong answer, but rather be something anyone could agree or disagree with.

Resources

• Reading Rockets website provides great information regarding Anticipation Guides here.  They have steps to incorporate the strategy, extensions, and differentiation ideas available. 
• Las Cruces Public Schools has an amazing website that briefly provides background and directions for how to use an anticipation guide.  The exciting part of their webpage is the free anticipation guides for over 100 book titles!

Incorporate Writing

Writing is tied to this standard best by asking students to write an explanation of why they agreed or disagreed with the statement.  Depending on the ability level of students, and the length you would like the assignment, this could be a sentence, a paragraph, or even an essay.  Common Core Standard ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 states “Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence”  (English Language Arts, n.d.).  

Examples of Anticipation Guides: 

This Hatchet  Anticipation guide is designed for a middle level reading class.  Students write true if they agree, and false if they disagree.  The statements connect to themes the students will encounter while reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. 

This anticipation guide is designed for a history class studying the Holocaust.  Students write yes to agree, and no to disagree with the statements.  This activity will be repeated after the unit.  It would be interesting to see if students' opinions change. 

References: 

 Anticipation Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide#watch

 Anticipation Guide. (2012, March 19). Retrieved May 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQCKXQUquTc 

 Anticipation Guide Teaching Strategy. (2011, January 11). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=297&v=s7ztfDG5fec 

Beers, K. (2003). When kids can't read, what teachers can do: A guide for teachers, 6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

English Language Arts Standards » Writing » Grade 6. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/6/

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work teaching comprehension for understanding and engagement (2nd ed.). Portland, Me.: Stenhouse

Las Cruces Public School District. (2010, March 11). Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://old.lcps.k12.nm.us/Departments/Prof_Dev/anticipationK-5.shtml#spanish