Anticipation Guide to Reading

Spanish III is about to dive into the next chapter of the book, ¡Viva el toro! There were mixed reviews with the embedded reading the last time we did it so I wanted to engage them a bit deeper. They were also struggling with the vocabulary as there were many interruptions to the schedule this week and kids were affected by these changes in routine.

This strategy has been around for a long time, but I pulled it out again this week. The Anticipation Guide is a strategy that is revisited multiple times during a reading. The first time using this, students identify their opinion on what they think will happen in the chapter by marking "Sí" or "No" in the antes column. There is no right or wrong answer. Discussion can take place as to why they think these events will happen.

Frase del capítulo	antes	después	evidencia
El Sr. de Marco trabajaba a la plaza de toros.	Sí         No	Sí         No
Carmen no habló más con Ana	Sí         No	Sí         No
Pedro y Ana son novios	Sí         No	Sí        No
Ana era acostumbrada a todo ahora	Sí         No	Sí         No
Ana quería ver a Julio Barquero nuevamente	Sí         No	Sí         No
Ana y Julio estudiaban juntos	Sí         No	Sí         No
Ana era experta en la Guerra Civil Española	Sí         No	Sí         No
Julio conoció a unos presidentes, como Washington, Clinton, y Lincoln	Sí         No	Sí         No
Ana fue a una corrida con Julio.	Sí         No	Sí         No
Ana y Julio se casarán	Sí         No	Sí         No

After doing the first version of the embedded reading, students identify which comment can be verified in the text. Using the después column, students verify with textual evidence what is accurate or what is not. Keep in mind that to make this effective, only reveal a few facts when you choose to what to include in each version. This keeps the students wanting to read more; it keeps the versions novel and interesting. Having them identify textual evidence makes them really interact and read more analytically throughout each version. It also gives them purpose for what they are reading.

What other strategies do you use to engage students with a reading?