Anticipation Guides (Beers)

According to Beers, an anticipation guide is “a set of generalizations related to the theme of a selection”(P74). I have used anticipation guides to introduce every single text my students and I read this year, and I absolutely love them. Anticipation guides are general statements that relate to the theme of a text; statements that are open to debate and spark students’ interest. Students have to say whether or not they agree with the statement, and then you discuss the various responses. In addition, Anticipation guides “activate students’ prior knowledge, encourage them to make a personal connection to what they will be reading, and give them a chance to become an active participant with the text before they begin reading” (P 75).

I have found that anticipation guides also increase student motivation in regards to reading a text that they initially thought of as boring or difficult to understand, and they also give students something meaningful (and relevant to the curriculum) to talk about. I have had students discuss answers to anticipation guides as a class and in small groups, but I found that this activity works best as a whole class activity, since everyone gets to hear each other’s perspective on a topic.

One tip for managing this activity: make sure to explain that just because you don’t agree with a statement, that doesn’t mean that the other person who does is wrong; be ready to model this before you start discussing. Also, Give students plenty of time to discuss…don’t just have students raise their hand if they agreed or disagreed; have a few students explain why they think so. 
                                                      
Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do:  A Guide for Teachers, 6-12. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2003. Print.