Making Predictions

This year, one of my roles at school includes facilitating small group reading comprehension activities. I will do my best to post quick, easy mini-lessons that can easily become part of reading group rotations.

Objective: Use the story information plus real-life experience to predict outcomes.

Use story clues and your own experiences to predict what will happen to a character of what the character will do. As you read, you might have to revise your predictions as new facts are learned. Use this graphic organizer.

Use the following story:

Carlos looked down at his plate silently, as the cheerful confusion of the school cafeteria swirled around him. He had been at Larkton Elementary for only a week, and he didn’t have any friends yet. He longed to join the group of boys who walked past his house every day, but he was too shy to speak to them. Even now he said nothing, although Tony and Marcus were talking about his favorite subject, computer games.

“Have you played the new game , “Galaxy Rockets’?” Tony asked. “I’ve heard it’s great!”

“I’ve heard about that game, but I don’t know anybody who has it,” Marcus said. “I’d love to try.”

Carlos sat up straight. He had just received that game as a birthday present, and he was planning to install it on his home computer after school today.

Students need to think about what will happen next. Use the chart on the next page and complete it.

Ask students to summarized what they have learned...use story clues and your own experiences to make predictions about what will happen in the story. Revise it as you read, if needed.

Have students share their predictions with the group.

At end of lesson: Ask students to come up with answers why good readers predict

• Active readers
• Makes you think about what you are reading
• etc.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  More Lessons on Making Predictions

  
  

  Directed Reading and Thinking Activity

  
  

  
  

  Overview: Students will make and verify predictions and then explain their reasoning 

  
  

  
  

  by using the text along with their background knowledge.

  
  

  
  

  
  The story is called The King's Choice
  
  
  
  Objectives:

  • Become more active readers and be able to explain more of what they read
  • use the text along with their own knowledge to make predictions about what will 
    
    
    happen next and after reading they will be able to determine if their predictions 
    
    
    were correct or not

  
  
  

  1) Reading the passage aloud, pause after the opening paragraph, which ends:

  
  

  
  

  Any of the councilors could rise to become a fine leader, thought the King, but which 

  
  

  one had the necessary inner strength?

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Ask students: Which of the King's councilors they think might be best suited to take the 

  
  

  King's place. And Check for understanding.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  2) Pause after paragraph 7, which ends:

  
  

  The wind whirled about, wrapping his woodcutter's garments tightly around him. 

  
  

  Meanwhile, the boat nearly tipped over and the voices on board shrieked.

  
  

  ASK students to predict what will happen next in the story.

  
  

  
  

  3) Pause after paragraph 18, which ends

  
  

  The King continued, "I will announce my decision at a royal banquet to be held the day 

  
  

  after tomorrow."

  
  

  
  

  ASK students to predict what will happen the next day? Who will show up for the 

  
  

  King's royal banquet, since all of the councilors have already committed to being at the 

  
  

  
  

  woodcutter's feast? Who might be chosen at the royal banquet to take over the King's 

  
  

  
  

  role?

  
  

  
  

  
  

  4) Have students record the next -- final -- prediction in writing; they should record the 

  
  

  
  

  reasons behind their predictions, including information from the parts of the story 

  
  

  
  

  already read that lead them to think that way.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Pause after paragraph 27, which reads:

  
  

  
  

  An hour later, a frazzled Lukas was led before the King's throne.

  
  

  ASK Students to predict what will happen to Lukas.