1 Before You Read (Pre-reading)

What is pre-reading?

Pre-reading, also known as previewing, is an active reading strategy that helps prepare readers for understanding and engaging with a text. It involves previewing or scanning parts of the material to gain an initial understanding of its structure, content, and context. And as a bonus, this part of the reading process is fast. With practice, pre-reading should only take 5-10 minutes.

Why should I pre-read?

In college, students are often reading a variety of texts from different subjects with a range of complexities. This makes reading challenging…not only in the time it takes to read, but in understanding and remembering all the content from the different texts. Pre-reading helps make reading more time efficient and effective. Readers can improve their understanding of texts, retain more information, and gain confidence with reading college materials by making prereading part of their study routine.

How do I pre-read?

Pre-reading involves applying a combination of quick strategies. Readers can apply these strategies in any order that feels useful. These strategies may include:

• Identifying the purpose for reading
• Considering the author and type of text
• Previewing headings, subheadings, and titles
• Skimming introductory and concluding paragraphs
• Examining visual aids such as images, charts, and graphs
• Finding key terms or vocabulary
• Formulating questions or predictions about the text
• Activating prior knowledge related to the topic.

Identifying the Purpose: One of the first things to do when prereading is figure out why you are reading the text and what you are expected to do with the text after reading it. For instance, are you looking for specific information, trying to understand a concept, or preparing for a class discussion? Are you expected to memorize the material, compare the material to another text, or apply the material to another assignment? In college, instructors often directly tell you the purpose for reading or have the purpose listed on assignment instructions; however, if you are ever unsure of the purpose for reading, ask your instructor. Knowing your purpose helps you stay focused and extract relevant information.

It can also help you know how much time to spend on a text or what other reading strategies you may need to use. For instance, if the purpose is to memorize key concepts for an upcoming test, then creating flash cards while you read to help you study may be a great strategy; on the other hand, if you are preparing for a class discussion on the topic, then it may be more beneficial to note interesting passages or quotes that you would like to discuss.

Considering the Author and Type of Text: When previewing a text, check for information about the author’s background or credentials. Understanding the author’s expertise can give you insights into their perspective and it can help you determine the credibility of the text. For example, an article on economic policy may be more credible if written by an economist with relevant experience rather than posted anonymously as a social media post.

Figuring out the type of text can help your brain process the text. Are you reading a short news article, a textbook chapter, a website posting, another student’s work, directions for an assignment, etc.?  Knowing the type of source can help with understanding the purpose and it can help you identify the important information to look for while reading. For instance, if you are reading assignment instructions for a class, it will be important to look for information about the purpose, task, and grading criteria.

Previewing Headings, Subheadings, and Titles: Looking at the headings, subheadings, and any bold or italicized text gives a general overview of the content and the topics that are covered. Plus, it may give hints at the author’s position on a topic. For example, if you’re about to read an article titled “The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity,” the title gives you a clear indication that the main topic of the text will be about climate change is impacting biodiversity.

Subtitles might provide more specific aspects, such as “Effects on Animal Habitats” or “Adaptation Strategies.” A textbook chapter may include headings like “Introduction,” “Causes of Climate Change,” and “Consequences for Ecosystems” which help you identify key sections. Scanning these sections, or really anything in bold or large text, gives you a roadmap of the content.

Examining Visuals (images, charts, and graphs): Scanning is also a great time to look at any images, charts, or graphs to get an idea of the visual elements accompanying the text. When scanning the visuals, it can be helpful to look for captions or labels to understand their relevance.  Visuals can give you hints about the content.

For example, in a scientific paper, visual elements like graphs showing temperature trends or charts depicting species diversity can provide a quick overview while a website article might include pictures or images to help illustrate an idea.

Finding Key Terms or Vocabulary: Similar to looking for visuals, important terms or concepts are often bold or italicized in a text. Identifying these words before you start to read, helps you understand essential vocabulary and concepts. Looking at the key words can help determine how challenging the text will be to read. In textbooks, key words are usually accompanied by the definitions, but in other types of texts, such as online articles, a reader may need to look up key words. For instance, in a legal text, understanding terms like “precedent” or “jurisprudence” may be needed to understand the rest of the content.

Skimming Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs: Another strategy is to skim the introductory and concluding paragraphs. These sections may state the thesis, cover main points, emphasize the topic, or offer insights into the rest of the text.  Skimming these sections also gives the reader and idea of the difficulty level of the text. Sometimes a text that visually looks long might actually be a quick, easy read, while a text that looks short, might use challenging language and concepts that take longer to understand.

Readers may also come across texts that offer a summary, abstract, or overview at the beginning of the text. This is particularly common in scholarly articles. Taking a moment to skim these sections is helpful because they offer a concise overview. Skimming this section provides a snapshot of the entire document.

Formulating Questions About the Text: In classes, instructors may hand out study guides or textbooks may include study questions at the beginning or end of chapters. However, an active reader can also create their own study questions to help them actively engage with the text. These questions guide your comprehension, help you identify important information, and foster a more interactive and in-depth understanding of the content.

One strategy for creating your own questions is to create them based on the headings and subheadings. What do you expect to learn from each section?

Example: Suppose you’re about to read a chapter on “Cellular Respiration” in a biology textbook. Ask questions like:

• What is the purpose of cellular respiration?
• How is energy produced in cells?
• Are there different types of cellular respiration?

Another strategy for creating your own questions it to ask questions you think the text might answer; this is referred to as “predicting the text.”

Example: Before reading an article on a scientific study about climate change, formulate questions that help you predict the content:

• What evidence supports the study’s findings?
• How do the researchers propose mitigating climate change?
• Are there any controversies or opposing viewpoints?

Activating Prior Knowledge Related to the Topic: Before you start reading, it is also helpful to reflect on what you already know about the topic. This helps you connect new information with existing knowledge, thus helping to improve understanding. You can consider how the new material relates to your coursework or personal experiences This can help activate relevant background knowledge and prepare you for the material.

Example: When preparing to read a psychology article on stress management, you could reflect on the following:

• How do I manage stress?
• What do I already know about stress management?
• Has the instructor covered any other information on stress management?