Brainstorming

This may be done following this process:

In groups, students brainstorm ideas relating to the topic of the text.
All members of the groups contribute to the generation of ideas about the topic.
All ideas are to be accepted.
The teacher sets a time for the brainstorming process.
After generating enough ideas, groups organize their ideas and form sentences.
Finally, they share their ideas with the whole class.
This procedure can also be done as a whole class activity.

Discussions
This may be done as follows:
• The teacher prepares contrasting opinions about the topic of the text, or simply provides
a quote related to the topic of the reading.
• Students work in groups to discuss and react to these opinions or quotes.
• They then write a short report to be read by the representative of each group.
• Groups react to each other’s opinions.

Pictures
Here is how pictures can be used as a pre-reading activity:
• The teacher provides pictures related to the topic of the text.
• In groups, the students work together to make sense of the pictures and guess what the
text will be about.
• The representative of each group takes turns presenting their ideas.
Another alternative would be to:
• Provide a series of pictures representing a series of events in the text.
• The students work in groups to put the events in the correct order.
• They then try to write a short paragraph about what they think the text will be about.

Pictionary
To prepare students for the topic and vocabulary of the reading activity, the teacher may use the
Pictionary activity:
• The teacher creates a list of vocabulary terms or concepts relevant to the current topic or
unit.
• The teacher asks one student from each group to come to the board.
• The student gets secretly the first word or concept from the teacher.
• The student draws a picture representing the term or concept.
• The teacher sets a short amount of time for the student’s group to guess the word or
concept.
• When their group correctly identifies the word or concept within the time limit, they get a
point.
 Predicting
The teacher can prepare the learners to predict what the text will be about using different
elements of the text:
• The teacher raises the learners’ attention to only the title, the subheadings, the pictures,
and/or the illustrations accompanying the text.
• They discuss in groups to predict the topic.
• Groups report their predictions

KWL chart (Know, Want to Know, Learned)

KWL chart is an excellent reading strategy to guide learners through a text. KWL stands for
Know, Want to Know, Learned. The aim is to elicit learners’ prior knowledge of the topic of
the text and set a purpose for the reading activity. Here is how to proceed:
• Students draw a chart like the one below.
• They start by writing everything they know everything they already know about a topic
on the K (Know) column.
• Students then list questions about what they want to know about the topic in the W (Want
to Know) column.
• During or after reading, students answer the questions that are in the W (Want to Know)
column and record them in the L (Learned) column.

Cloud of words
This is an excellent activity to prepare students for the topic of the text and the vocabulary they
are going to encounter.
• The teacher provides the title of the text.
• The learners work together in groups to make guesses about the topic.
• Then, the teacher provides a cloud of scattered words (relevant and irrelevant words to
the text)
• They try to identify which ones of these words the learners will find in the text (they may
use their dictionary).

Videos
Videos are an excellent tool to create a context for the reading activity and to bridge the gap
between listening, writing, speaking, and reading skills.
• Choose a short video related to the topic of the reading.
• Set a purpose for students while they are watching the video. For example, ask a focus
question, or ask them to complete a chart while they are watching the video.
• After watching the video, students work in groups to agree on their answers.
• After correction, students may discuss the video.