The Impact of Pre-Reading Activities on Students’ Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is one of the most essential skills in second language learning; however, many learners encounter difficulties when attempting to understand written texts. These difficulties often arise due to limited vocabulary knowledge, insufficient background knowledge, and a lack of preparation before reading. Pre-reading activities are instructional strategies designed to prepare students for reading tasks by activating prior knowledge, introducing key vocabulary, and encouraging predictions about the content of the text. This article examines the impact of pre-reading activities on students’ reading comprehension in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Classroom-based observations and instructional practices implemented with secondary school learners were analyzed to investigate how activities such as prediction tasks, vocabulary previews, and topic discussions influence students’ understanding of texts. The findings suggest that students who participate in structured pre-reading activities demonstrate stronger comprehension, higher engagement, and increased confidence during reading tasks. The study indicates that incorporating purposeful pre-reading strategies can significantly improve reading comprehension and support more effective interaction with texts.