PreReading Activity and Questions for Any Novel

16 Pre-Reading Questions For Any Class Novel

Like warming- up before exercise, it’s important to warm-up before reading. Preparing the mind for what’s to come will result in increased comprehension of the text.  A well-crafted pre-reading activity will encourage students to make predictions, connect with the topic, activate prior knowledge, and objectively preview text contents. The pre-reading questions listed below can be used as a collaborative or independent assignment. Either way, students are guided through five different aspects of the text before reading the first page. 

PREVIEW

  • What is the title of the book?
  • Does the title provide you with any clues as to what the book might include?
  • Describe the images, artwork, or graphics on the front cover.
  • Do the images, artwork, or graphics provide you with any clues as to what the book might include?

Novel PreReading Activity for Google Classroom

IDENTIFY

  • What is the author’s name?
  • Do you know of any other works by this author?
  • Who published this book? When?
  • Does the date of publication tell you anything about the contents of the book?

Novel Prereading Activity for Small Groups

PREDICT

  • Is this a fiction or non-fiction book?
  • Describe how the book is organized.
  • Is there a table of contents? If so, what does it include?
  • Based on the above information, what predictions can you make about the book?

SUMMARIZE

  • Read the summary on the book’s back or inside cover.
  • Based on the summary, answer as many of the following questions as possible: -who? -what? -when? -where? -why?

Novel PreReading Task Cards for Middle School

CONNECT

  • What is the topic of this book?
  • Do you know anything about this topic based on your personal experiences?
  • Can you think of any other works you have read or seen that are also about this topic?

Click here to download everything you need to complete this pre-reading activity in your classroom! 

Printable and Digital Novel PreReading Activity

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16 Pre-Reading Questions For Any Novel