Reading Comprehension Strategies: How to Teach Making Predictions

01/03/21 • 20 min

Wouldn't it be nice if we could predict what the future holds?
...especially as we head into 2021. Wow, that’s a loaded question! Maybe we would rather not know. (wink, wink)
Predicting in reading, however. Now THAT’S a necessity!
Proficient readers make predictions naturally, without even knowing it. They predict what a book will be about based on the title, they predict why characters act a certain way, and they guess what will happen next when they get to the end of a chapter.
It’s important that elementary teachers help teach young students to use this same reading comprehension strategy as well. Predicting helps keep the reader’s mind engaged and activated as he or she works through a text. When students actively predict while reading, they stay connected to the text and can reflect upon, refine, and revise their predictions.
This podcast episode will teach you how to introduce, model, practice, and assess your students on making predictions in reading. You won’t want to miss it.
For complete show notes, visit: classroomnook.com/podcast/51

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Episode 41: Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies

Episode 42: Reading Comprehension Instruction: How to Teach Making Connections

Episode 47: Reading Comprehension Strategies: How to Teach Visualizing

Here are some of my favorites to use when modeling predictions (affiliate links):

Two Many Tamales by: Gary Soto
Enemy Pie by: Derek Munson
Those Shoes by: Maribeth Boelts
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by: Steve Jenkins

Grab my FREE Making Predictions Bookmark inside the Members Resource Library under Reading Resources
Resource: Making Connections LINKtivity

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Episode 41: Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies

Episode 42: Reading Comprehension Instruction: How to Teach Making Connections

Episode 47: Reading Comprehension Strategies: How to Teach Visualizing

Here are some of my favorites to use when modeling predictions (affiliate links):

Two Many Tamales by: Gary Soto
Enemy Pie by: Derek Munson
Those Shoes by: Maribeth Boelts
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by: Steve Jenkins

Grab my FREE Making Predictions Bookmark inside the Members Resource Library under Reading Resources
Resource: Making Connections LINKtivity

Previous Episode

Curriculum Mapping Tips for Teachers

Let’s be real. We have all been there.

...flying by the seat of your pants from unit to unit — Not a curriculum map in sight!
There were several years of teaching that I, for SURE, was flying by the seat of my pants when it came to my lesson plans. I didn’t know what I would be teaching next week, let alone a month down the road. Forget about mapping out the curriculum for my entire year — it just didn't happen.
Oh don’t get me wrong — I most DEFINITELY had that cute teacher planner — spent hours researching and picking it out, actually. But - the pages were still as crisp and untouched as the day I bought it.
Maaaaaybe I jotted down a quick lesson title, student activity, or start of a new unit every now and then, but most of the time... nadda.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the random pieces of paper that I had occasionally tucked here and there that resembled lesson planning of some sort, but I don’t think it counts if you can’t actually find the paper when you need it.
Sounds familiar? If so, then this podcast episode is for you.
Now, I understand that curriculum mapping typically isn’t something we (want to) talk about in January as we begin the second half of the school year. However, it’s actually a GREAT time to revisit curriculum mapping. You know your students better than you did at the beginning of the year, you know the pacing that works best for your students, AND you know what teaching strategies, types of activities, and projects that work well with your students.
In fact, January is the PERFECT time to dust off your teacher planning (digital or printable) and get crackin’ on curriculum mapping for the second half of the school year!
For complete show notes visit: classroomnook.com/podcast/50
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LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
Grab your FREE curriculum mapping template in our Member’s Resource LibraryVideo Tutorial: How to Create a Curriculum Map for a Year

Video Tutorial: How to Use Google Calendar for Curriculum Mapping

Next Episode

Strategies to Help Students Generate New Writing Ideas

Are you guilty of spoon feeding your students ideas for what to write?
I’m right there with you! We have all done it.
We all have those students who just sit there, stare at the wall and say, “I don’t know what to write.”
Often we just intend to give them a quick idea or two as a spring board for their writing pieces, but more often than not, we can find ourselves verbally writing the whole piece for them.
Of course we do it because we just want them to be successful. We don’t want them to feel frustrated and shut down, so we just give them the whole kitchen sink.
But - giving our students all the ideas prohibits them from developing the skill of how to generate their own writing ideas — a skill they will need not just in your classroom, but always.
When we teach students strategies for developing their own writing ideas, we give our students the freedom to write about their own topics of interest and give them permission to be inspired on their own for what to write about.
And, in the end, that’s what will make them LOVE writing.
In today’s episode, I want to give you some simple writing strategies to help your students generate their own ideas for writing.
For complete show notes visit: classroomnook.com/podcast/52-------------------

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

Resource for Picture Illustration is the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg.

Resource for Watermelon Seed Writing is the book, The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant.

Grab my FREE Teacher’s Guide to Writer’s Workshop in my Member’s Resource Library.
Watermelon Graphic Organizer from my Getting Started in Writers Workshop unit

Episode 31: How to Use a Reader’s and Writer’s Notebook in the Upper Elementary Classroom