The Importance of Making Predictions

We have had some snow days lately, and the meteorologists have predicted correctly!   I have been working with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade groups on making predictions, an important strategy to help students read, understand, and keep reading.

We have spent time in real text through listening and reading activities.  Students have predicted both in fiction and nonfiction texts.  We have learned a lot through these readings and activities.

Before I get into what we did, I want to reinforce WHY we make predictions.  WHY do good readers need to make predictions before, during, and after reading?

Simple!  If they make predictions, they will WANT to continue to read.  Of course, that is not the only reason.  Good readers also make predictions to show they understand what they have read and to help them understand what they will read.  It is one super important skill that no good reader can leave out!

My third graders used a fun Reading A-Z book about the Hoppers called "The Igloo".  They wrote in their notebooks their predictions based on certain words that I gave them.  They had to use those words in their predictions.

After reading to a specific page, they then wrote if they were right so far or needed to make a new prediction.  We did this several times, confirming or changing our predictions.

This really helped my students think about what they were reading and want to continue reading.  Predicting was such a powerful tool to use.  Now when they read on their own, I hope they continue to use this important strategy for reading any book they have to or want to read.

And that is why making predictions are so important to reading!

After real work with making predictions, we used the activities from my new Making Predictions Task Cards and Activity Pack.  It includes 48 task cards, separated into fiction and nonfiction for your students to use, a game board, mini poster, writing activities, and recording sheet.  You can purchase it by clicking {here} or on on the picture below!  It will be 1/2 price for the first 24 hours!

Here are some of the activities from it!  Since I test these products in my classroom first, they may look different than what is in the pack.  Many times I add to them after I use them to better fit my needs.
Nonfiction prediction and what they really read about  (My new paper includes the second part.)
The game board!
A fiction task card ~ I have included the question "Why?" to each card because I asked it every time!
When we played the game, the other players had to agree on the prediction and be ready to explain why.  It was fun to hear the different predictions!  Because of the snow days, we haven't been able to use the nonfiction cards yet!  They had fun and have asked to play it multiple times!

Tune in tomorrow for Book Talk Thursday as I highlight a great book for making predictions and an easy activity you can do with ANY book that is perfect for helping students make predictions!

1 comment

  1. This is such an important skill! My 2nd graders just want to make a prediction, read, and just say they were right or wrong. They hate having to justify their prediction or tell what happened in the story that changed. I'm glad to see that it's carried through with such emphasis in the upper grades, too. (I can hear my students groaning just a bit!!)

    Haley
    Owls & Lessons, Etc.

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