Pre-reading: 4 Ps (Preview, Predict, Prior Knowledge, Purpose)¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The 4 Ps are a structured pre-reading routine: learners Preview the text (headings, images, structure), Predict what it will say, activate Prior Knowledge of the topic, and set a Purpose for reading. Together these moves build a schema before reading begins, so that incoming text can be integrated with what the learner already knows rather than processed as disconnected words.

Design Implications¶

Pre-reading activities work because comprehension depends on connecting new text to existing knowledge structures; readers with activated schemas allocate attention to meaning rather than decoding [~S]. Previewing and predicting also direct attention to the most relevant information, improving later recall of that information Relevancy of emphasis directs attention. [+M]. The routine is most powerful when all four Ps are done explicitly and briefly — the goal is preparation, not a substitute for reading.

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Access to the text (or a representative excerpt) before reading begins
• A few minutes of structured time; a simple graphic organizer or prompt sheet helps
• For younger or novice readers, teacher modeling of each P before independent use

Constraints¶

• Unstructured "think about what you know" prompts without specific cues often fail to activate relevant knowledge [~M] — activation must be tied to the text's actual topic and structure
• Predictions that are never revisited during or after reading waste time and can entrench misconceptions [-M]
• Prior-knowledge activation can backfire when learners' existing knowledge is wrong; inaccurate schemas distort comprehension of the new text [~S]
• Excessive pre-reading front-loading can consume working memory and reduce time spent actually reading [~W]

Implementation Variability¶

• Anticipation guides: statements learners agree/disagree with before reading, then re-check after
• Text walk-through: teacher previews headings and images with the class, eliciting predictions
• KWL charts: learners record what they Know, Want to know, and later what they Learned
• Purpose-setting questions: instructor assigns a specific question the reading should answer
• In digital contexts, embedded pre-questions before a video or passage serve the same function

Target Learners¶

• Novice readers and learners encountering an unfamiliar domain, who lack an organized schema for the topic
• Struggling readers, who rarely spontaneously preview or set purposes [~M]
• Less valuable for expert readers, who perform these moves automatically — requiring them explicitly adds little [~W]

Target Learning Goals¶

• Reading comprehension: main ideas, text structure, and integration across sections
• Vocabulary in context: previewing primes recognition of key terms
• Metacognitive reading habits: planning, monitoring, and evaluating one's own reading

Instructions¶

1. Preview (1–2 min): skim the title, headings, images, and first/last paragraphs; identify text structure. Supports: Advance Organizers, Chunking
2. Predict (1–2 min): state what the text will probably claim and how it will be organized; write predictions down so they can be checked later
3. Prior Knowledge (2–3 min): recall and record what you already know about the topic; connect it to the preview. Supports: Activation, Analogies
4. Purpose (1 min): set one or two specific questions or goals for the reading; use them to guide attention during reading. Supports: Goal Setting
5. After reading, revisit predictions and the purpose question to consolidate learning — this closing loop is where much of the benefit is realized

Related Strategies¶

• Activating Prior Knowledge — the Prior Knowledge P in depth
• Reciprocal Teaching — extends pre-reading strategies into during-reading dialogue
• Anticipation Guides — a formalized predict-and-verify variant

Examples¶

• History class: before a chapter on the causes of World War I, students preview section headings, predict the main causes the text will name, list what they already know from prior units, and set the purpose "identify two causes the text emphasizes."
• Reading Rockets — publishes classroom-tested pre-reading routines (previewing, anticipation guides, KWL) for elementary teachers.
• Science textbooks: instructors assign a pre-reading question ("How does the text explain why ice floats?") so students read with a goal rather than passively.

Key Sources¶

• Dole, J. A., Duffy, G. G., Roehler, L. R., & Pearson, P. D. (1991). Moving from the old to the new: Research on reading comprehension instruction. Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 239–264. doi:10.3102/00346543061002239
• Palincsar, A. S., & Brown, A. L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring activities. Cognition and Instruction, 1(2), 117–175. doi:10.1207/s1532690xci0102_1
• Anderson, R. C., & Pearson, P. D. (1984). A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading comprehension. In P. D. Pearson (Ed.), Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 255–291). Longman.
• Pressley, M., El-Dinary, P. B., Gaskins, I., Schuder, T., Bergman, J. L., Almasi, J., & Brown, R. (1992). Beyond direct explanation: Transactional instruction of reading comprehension strategies. The Elementary School Journal, 92(5), 513–555. doi:10.1086/461705