Which activity is least effective for building background knowledge before reading?

• A. Activating prior knowledge before reading
• B. Skips pre-reading activities
• C. Discussing related experiences
• D. Previewing key vocabulary

Answer: (B)

Preparing readers before they encounter a text by activating what they already know, connecting to related experiences, and previewing key vocabulary creates the mental framework needed to make sense of new information. Skipping these pre-reading activities means that bridge isn’t built, so unfamiliar ideas or terms can feel distant and comprehension can suffer from the start. Activating prior knowledge helps learners see relevance and make early predictions; discussing related experiences ties the material to personal or real-world contexts, making it more memorable; previewing vocabulary gives a heads-up on terms, reducing cognitive load during reading and freeing resources for understanding meaning. Together, these strategies build background knowledge and support comprehension, whereas skipping them leaves gaps at the outset.