Making meaningful predictions is an important reading strategy that students must master as they begin to read more complex texts in the upper elementary classroom. Predicting requires students to collect information from the book that they are reading and think ahead to make an educated guess about what will happen next. Making predictions helps students:
- Be an active and alert reader.
- Anticipate the next event and ending of the book.
- Think about how a character may react or solve a problem.
- Get into the world of the book.
As we teach students to make predictions, we must be sure that students are making valid and reasonable predictions that are not just based on what is happening in the book that they are reading, but also supported by their own personal experiences. This is no easy task! So how can we get students to make meaningful predictions as they read to help them be active readers and better understand the books that they are reading? Here are four simple ways to help your students make meaningful predictions and grow as readers, even as the books that they are reading increase in complexity.
Explicit Instruction

Initial explicit prediction instruction should include lessons focused on:
- What a Prediction Is
- How to Make a Prediction
- How Predictions Help Readers Grow
- When to Make Predictions
- The Difference Between a Prediction and Inference
These lessons are perfect to teach using picture books to model how to make predictions. There are so many great books to use help students master making predictions. The key to picking a book to use for prediction lessons is to make sure that students have not heard the story! Sounds simple, but often times as teachers we pick our favorite books to share with students. This increases the chances of the students having heard the book before. One way to check to see if students have heard a story before you read it is to leave the book out in a spot where students can see the book, but not take it to read. Students will quickly tell you that they have heard that book before! My favorite books to use for prediction lessons are Enemy Pie* and Too Many Pumpkins*. These books have story lines that offer many story clues to collect and relatable story lines that will help students make valid predictions. (Grab free prediction teaching points to guide your lessons below.)
Use a T-Chart Organizer
An important step in teaching students to make predictions is to show them the connection between collecting and recording story clues and their own experiences with making valid predictions. As you read aloud with students to practice, simply chart story clues on chart paper, have students share their experiences and record them. Then pause to allow students time to make predictions based on both pieces of information that you have written down. This is critical so that students see the point in taking notes to collect story evidence! A simple graphic organizer like a T-chart, is a great way for students to visually see how the story clues that they are reading are driving their recollection of past experiences and the predictions that they make. Once you have practiced this together, students can work independently collecting information to help them make predictions using a range of graphic organizers from a simple bullet list to more complex graphic organizers. I have found that students love the simplicity of the T-chart like the one pictured above. Since it is easy to make, students can use plain paper or notebook paper to keep track of the story clues, their experiences, and the predictions that they make. Having any organizer makes it easier for students to turn their prediction ideas into written reflections about books. (Grab free prediction teaching points to guide your lessons below.)Before, During, and After Reading Tasks

Illustrate the Ending
My students love any and all activities that allows them to be creative! Tying art and reading together always means instant engagement in my classroom! Have students who are almost finished with a chapter book illustrate the ending by rereading the predictions that they made during the book. Their illustration should represent what would be on the last page of the book. This activity makes a great visual reminder that the predictions they make are based on text evidence, clues, and their own experiences that they have carried throughout the whole book.Making predictions is a reading strategy that truly engages the reader. When students make predictions as they read they become excited to forge ahead to see what happens next. After students practice how to make predictions explicitly, it becomes second nature. Making predictions is a must teach reading strategy as it lays the ground work for more complex reading strategies like inferring and making connections. What is your favorite making predictions activity?
Related Articles: Visualizing Activities to Keep Students Actively Reading
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ReplyDeleteActivate Prior Knowledge: Encourage students to think about what they already know about the topic or subject matter. This primes https://www.we-heart.com/2023/08/06/5-best-services-to-hire-essay-writer-in-2023/ their minds for making informed predictions.
Text Clues: Teach students to look for clues within the text, such as foreshadowing, hints, or recurring themes. These clues can provide valuable insights for making predictions.
Inferencing: Show students how to infer from the information given. Discuss how to connect the dots between different pieces of information to make logical predictions.
Before reading, ask students to preview the text and make predictions about what they will read. During reading, stop periodically and ask students to make predictions about what will happen next. After reading, ask students to summarize the text and make predictions about what might happen in the future. usb-converters-1
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