Chapter 6 "When Kids Can't Read"

The author states a critical point to help students respond better to a book is by making personal connections. The author outlines some excellent ideas on how to do this including an anticipation guide and a tea party as she calls it. "the more we frontload a students' knowledge of a text and help them become actively involved in constructing meaning prior to reading, the more engaged they are likely to be as they read the text."

Involving students in a text before letting them read the text is an excellent way to ensure they become active, engaged and thinking of the main themes of the book before ever reading it. In a class I am observing we actually did an anticipation guide and went over it in class today. It was exciting to see the students debating and discussing the main themes and central ideas of the book before they even opened the cover. This is an excellent idea to use in classrooms and I am excited to use this idea in my own. I can see in motion what the author is talking about when she outlines how important it is to get students involved and interested before they read.