Making predictions means using clues to make a smart guess about what might happen next. Early readers do this when they look closely at pictures, listen to words, and think about what has already happened in a story. Prediction helps children stay curious and focused while they read.
It also shows them that reading is active thinking, not just saying words.
Key Facts
- A prediction is a smart guess about what might happen next.
- Picture clues + word clues + what you know = prediction.
- Good readers stop, think, predict, read, and check.
- A prediction can change when new clues appear.
- Text evidence means a clue from the words or pictures that supports your prediction.
- Prediction sentence frame: I predict ___ because ___.
Vocabulary
- Prediction
- A prediction is a smart guess about what might happen next.
- Clue
- A clue is something in the picture or words that helps you understand the story.
- Evidence
- Evidence is a clue that supports what you think.
- Check
- To check means to read on and see if your prediction was right or needs to change.
- Next
- Next means what happens after what you are reading or seeing now.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Guessing without looking at clues is wrong because a prediction should be based on the pictures, words, or what already happened.
- Thinking a prediction must be correct is wrong because readers often change predictions when they find new clues.
- Ignoring the words and only using the pictures is wrong because both pictures and words can give important story clues.
- Forgetting to check the prediction is wrong because reading on helps you learn whether your thinking makes sense.
Practice Questions
- 1 A child sees 3 picture clues on a page: dark clouds, an umbrella, and a wet sidewalk. How many clues point to rainy weather, and what prediction can the child make?
- 2 A class reads 5 pages of a story. After each page, they make 1 prediction. How many predictions do they make in all?
- 3 A story shows a puppy looking at a ball under the couch. The words say, The puppy wagged its tail and crawled closer. What do you predict will happen next, and which clue supports your prediction?