Prediction: What Happens Next?

Prediction is important in the world of a reader. Studies show that we don't actually read every word on a page, but instead infer based on what we predict will happen next. When reading with children, it's important to stop and ask what they think will happen next. In a Read-Aloud, children use information they have already heard to guess what will happen later in the story.

Thinking about using prediction in your Read-Aloud? Try reading cumulative tales; these stories build on consecutive steps. Two great cumulative tales are There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and The Napping House. Ask the children in your Read-Aloud to guess what the old lady is going to swallow next or how the story is going to end.

Activities

Ready to apply prediction skills during a Read-Aloud?

• Before the Read-Aloud, create index cards with sequential elements of a story on each card and mix them up. At the Read-Aloud, let the children work together to put the steps in order. 
• Instead of using a story, use an activity the children will know well, like getting ready for school or making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have fun with the activity! Be silly and add an illogical step, like brushing your teeth in the PB&J sequence, and see if the children catch on.

Further Reading and Additional Activities
How did the sequencing go? Interested in learning more about thinking in order? Learn more about sequential learning from this great Reading Rockets article; here you'll find lists of books and activities for helping children play with prediction skills and sequencing.


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