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Glossary
Definition of word.
pre-reading strategies
pre-read-ing strat-e-gies
Pre-reading strategies or before-reading strategies are active reading strategies implemented before reading a book. Pre-reading strategies are composed of preview assignments or activities that will delay your launch, but will substantially improve your journey through the Scripture.
Below are some before-reading or pre-reading strategies.
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Reading Plan. Use the BTS Reading Planner software to create a realistic reading schedule. A reading schedule is not necessary if you will complete the entire book in one day. [Move to "Length"?]
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Book Review. Book reviews for famous works are freely available on the Internet. A book summary typically offers a quick preview of the major characters, events, ideas, etc. which makes it easier to follow a writing as it unfolds. Read a book review in a Bible dictionary or study Bible before starting to read.
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Author. An author's background knowledge, purpose, point of view, and style influence what he writes. The Bible was written by some forty authors. Read a brief biographical description about the attributed author in a Bible dictionary or a study Bible before starting to read. See pragmatic cueing system to learn more.
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Genre. All written works can be subdivided into a wide array of classifications which are called genres. The literary form of a writing influences the way we are to interpret the work. See textual cueing system to learn more. The Western canon of the Bible loosely organized and sequenced the sixty-six books by chronology, genre, and authorship. Therefore, the placement of a biblical book within the canon indicates the book’s genre. Click here to see a chart listing all sixty-six books divided by general classifications (left side in colored rows) and noting the general literary forms (right side). The general classifications of each biblical book is also found in the Table of Contents of either volume of Balancing the Sword. Target Book: What is the general classification? ________________________ What is the general literary form? ________________________________________________
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Book Title. The title of a book may signal the entire message of a writing. A title may have been created to build intrigue, to communicate the general subject, or to indicate the type of writing. Most of the books of the Bible indicate either the identity of the author (e.g., Isaiah, Matthew, and Jude) or the identity of the audience (e.g., Romans, Ephesians, or Titus). Some books indicate the subject (e.g., Genesis, Deuteronomy, or Revelation); other titles indicate the literature genre (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, or Song of Solomon). Research the significance of the book’s title. Is there another title used for this book?
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Headings and Subheadings. Most books include chapter titles. Some books include paragraph subheadings. Before reading a book, skim reading (1) the chapter headings in the Table of Contents, (2) the chapter descriptions, and (3) the paragraph subheadings to gain a quick overview of the book. As you read through a book and before reading each chapter, again skim read the chapter heading and the paragraph subheadings. When studying the Bible, remember that all editorial notes were added by editors more than a thousand years after the book's authorship and that editorial notes may reflect a bias.
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Length. The length of a writing places limits on the writing's content. Have you ever checked your watch or a progression bar to see how many minutes remain in a film? Knowing that a film will end in only ten minutes tells the us as a viewer that the conflict must be resolved quickly. The reader who has read merely half of a lengthy book knows that the plot will likely thicken or that substantial findings or analysis follows. We mentally pace ourselves for a long writing. In a short writing, we expect the author to pierce the heart of his subject quickly. The biblical writers (excluding some of the poetic and prophetic books) gave minimal words toward creating vivid descriptions. Generally, the biblical authors customarily stated facts with little embellishment. There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible and 66 books. The average book in the Bible has 18 chapters. Professional readers can comfortably read through the entire Bible in 72 hours (excluding interruptions). Before reading a book, browse through the pages to discover the book’s length. How many chapters are in the book? How many verses are in an average chapter?
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Structure. The formatting structure of how words are placed on a page may indicate the thoughts conveyed by the text. Books built upon dialog may have high percentages of white space and indented quotations to help the reader volley his or her attention between the characters as they “speak.” In a similar way, technical writings frequently set excerpts by other authors apart from the main text by indented margins. The rhythmic meter of poetry is commonly indicated by the visual form of the lines or the stanzas. See typographic cueing system to learn more. The Authorized Version of the Bible is ordinarily typeset in a simple block format. In contrast, modern translations of the Bible typically typeset the text and format each page to indicate changes in topics and in characters. You will notice that modern translations of Proverbs often sets a verse with two lines to emphasis the parallelism. Before you read a writing, browse the book to carefully observe the typesetting structure. Are there many quotes? Are paragraphs long or short?
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Images. Children's books, textbooks, instructional manuals, business reports, among other writings, use images to clarify thoughts and to simplify ideas. Authors use images to guide the reader's interpretation to ensure that the reader accurately visualizes the concepts. Technical descriptions of objects, quantities, and locations can be very difficult to conceptualize based upon written descriptions alone. Images include artistic illustrations, charts, graphs, diagrams, and maps. See picture cueing system to learn more. Balancing the Sword includes more than 1,000 images. Before reading, perform a picture walk by browse the pages of Balancing the Sword to locate each image. Attempt to describe what you see in the image. Notice characters or objects in the foreground and background. Notice the emotions depicted by faces and the actions depicted by the allusion of motion. If looking at diagrams, attempt to identify the objects. Read the captions below the images. Browse your study Bible to preview all of its images. Attempt to predict what the book will be about based upon the images.
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Purpose for Reading. The motivation that prompts one to embarks on reading influences the reader's attention level and acts as a filter that channels the reader's focus. If a reader is compelled or coerced by another to read, the reader will attempt to breeze through the text as fast as possible with little concern for attaining the depth of the author's thoughts. In contrast, a reader who adores an author will carefully read each word and might reread the writing multiple times and follow by pondering each word and phrase. To illustrate, how does one read Terms of Use (TOU) agreements before using new software? By contrast, how does one read a love letter from a spouse separated by war? See reader's intent and pragmatic cueing system to learn more. Why do people read the Bible today? To be broadly educated, to improve their vocabulary, to know truth, to find comfort, to learn how to live. Some gave audience to Ezekiel sounded "unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice" (Eze. 33:32). Speculate why the original audience of the author would have had interest in the message of the book. Speculate why others might read the book. Establish a purpose or reason for reading the book.
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Background Knowledge. Knowledge interconnects like a web. Horses are farm animals. Farms are outside of the city. Cities have large buildings. Buildings require architects. Architects use math. Math is built on logic. Logic is the opposite of confusion. Confusion prevails in a society without God. God is love. So, horses and love are very indirectly connected topics through the web of knowledge. Learning is easier if attached to pre-existing knowledge. Activate your background knowledge that pertains to the characters, locations, historical setting, objects, actions, methods, motivations, or ideas in the books. The more you invigorate your existing knowledge, the more easily you will understand the book with overlapping concepts. [Give background information about the book.] What do you know about _____________ [the topic]? Complete the K-column of the KWL Worksheet.
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Predictions. Simplistic stories have predictable endings. Complex stories and topics require more intuition to predict. Test your ability to anticipate what will happen in the story or the eventual conclusion of the logic. [Give background information about the book.] Based upon this, what prediction will you make? [background knowledge]
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Questions. An inquiring mind remains engaged. Questions channel our curiosity. Reflect upon your purpose for reading. What would you like to learn about this book? What discoveries might you find in addition to the main theme or conclusion? When reading Judges in the Bible, one might seek to identify the movement of the tabernacle. When reading Romans, one might look for verses wherein Paul speaks with self-identification towards unbelievers Hebrews as compared to believing Gentiles. Generate two to three questions that you would like to discover by reading this book. Give two to three questions that I want the student to look for as he or she reads. Complete the W-column of the KWL Worksheet.
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Vocabulary. A teacher prepares a student for reading with pleasure by identifying new words or words used in an unfamiliar way. The King James Version, the Geneva Bible, Young's Literal Translation, the Darby Translation, and the American Standard Version will stretch your vocabulary skills more than newer or children's translations. [Provide a list of new vocabulary words. Allow the student to research the definitions.]
KWL Worksheet. Complete a KWL Worksheet: What you KNOW? What you WANT to learn? What did you LEARN?
VAR Learning Model
~ Visual Learners
~ Auditory Learner
~ Kinesthetic (or, Tactile) Learners
Prereading Strategies
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discussion,
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making predictions,
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brainstorming,
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generating questions, and
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previewing to anticipate content, purpose, and organization
Related Terms
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critical-thinking skills
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literary text
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informational text
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technical text
draw inferences
See during-reading strategies and post-reading strategies and close reading to learn more.
Author: Allen B. Wolfe
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