Predictions and Strategies

It always seems that when kids are asked to make predictions, they always predict what will happen at the end of a story. For that reason, it's important to model predicting. I often use a fairy tale or short story to help them learn how to predict what will happen NEXT.

Read a part of a fairy tale, stop and ask what's happened. After volunteers have summarized that section, explain that predictions should be made about what will happen next, based on what they read. Be sure to emphasize that the predictions shouldn't be wordy. They should be brief statements. That's also sometimes difficult to do because kids love to add details, details, details!

This worksheet can be kept at centers, used with literature circles, guided reading groups, used independently or as assessments. Click on the image for the free download.