Front loading happens before the lesson. Kind of like an assessment, it sees what the students have in the way of prior knowledge. This can help the teacher know if she needs to go over anything further before the reading assignment. When front loading is used, it not only helps the teacher to see where the students are, it helps the students by giving them important information which will help them make the most of their assignment.
Front loading is also a way to engage students so that they want to read the material. Front loading can also teach students to dig deeper causing them to think critically. I might use front loading as an engagement activity to get the students attention. Showing the students a picture from a book we are about to read and see what they can figure out ahead of time about the story.
My question is: do you think students in elementary school get as much or more out of front loading than those in junior high or high school?
