Predicting

 

When I read aloud a story to the children this week, we will be working on the reading strategy "Predicting". This is where I want the children to listen to the story and use what they have heard to predict what may happen next in the story. This is a comprehension strategy that adults use all the time when we watch movies, read a book, or hear someone tell us a story. It is a way of focusing our attention and motivating us to want to hear or read more. Children benefit from predicting in the same way. Therefore, it is important that they be guided to not only predict what will happen, but to also confirm their predictions.

To predict, readers tell what they think will happen in the story. To confirm, readers find out if their predictions were true, partially true, or way off. Using this strategy gives readers the chance to make connections to the text, think ahead, and become more engaged. In Kindergarten the children make predictions and confirm their predictions by orally expressing their predictions and sometimes through their pictures.

Parents can help with this strategy at home by using the following questions when reading to your child at home:

 

What do you think will happen next?  

What clues are you using to make your prediction?

What kinds of clues did you use? (pictures, words, or background knowledge)

 

Some of the books the children will hear are: "There is a Nightmare in my Closet!",

 "There is Something in the Attic" and "There is an Alligator Under My Bed". I am sure many of the children will have some connections with these books.