This is a presentation I gave my students to introduce them to the cognitive reading strategy of making predictions. Credits: Adapted from original by Beth Suderman - bsuderman@elkhart.k12.in.us Retrieved at http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/tools.htm Additional material from: Comprehension Shouldn’t be Silent by Michelle J. Kelley and Nicki Clausen-Grace

1. Introducing Strategy#2
8/30/09 Elkhart Community Schools 1

2. How Well Do You Predict?
1. How many slides will this
presentation have?
2. What are three words that
will be mentioned in this
presentation?
(Predict doesn’t count!)
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3. What Are Predictions?
“Predictions are the connecting
links between prior knowledge
and new information in the
book. It’s the interaction of
these processes that
coalesce—much like sparks
firing before the bright flame
ignites. . .”
-Gillett and Temple, 1990
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4. What does it mean to predict?
 You use your prior knowledge and
the text to set up expectations of
what will happen or what information
the text will contain.
 You use your knowledge of the
vocabulary, concept, text
organization author or other
connections.
 You monitor your predictions as you
read and adjust or confirm them as
needed to better understand the text.
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5. Why Learn the strategy
of Predicting?
 “When students make
predictions, their understanding
increases, and they are more
interested in the reading
material.”
 “Students use their background
knowledge as well as clues from
the text . . . to predict and
anticipate or logically ‘guess’
what the text will be about.”
-Fielding, Anderson, Pearson, 1990
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6. Predicting. . .
 helps accesses your knowledge
of a topic, concept, text
structures and text
 sets a purpose for reading
 provides motivation—you read to
confirm or contradict responses
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7. Readers sometimes
struggle because . . .
 they don’t predict what the selection
might be about.
 they don’t think about what they
already know about a topic.
 they don’t form images as they read.
“They open a book, look at words,
and begin turning pages.” -Beers
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8. How Does Predicting Help?
 Predicting helps you set a purpose for
reading and anticipate what you will read.
 Making and reviewing predictions helps
you interact with the text.
 Predictions help connect your prior
knowledge with the information being
learned.
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9. How Does Predicting Help?
 Predictions help you develop mental
models that you can use whenever you
read.
 Mental models help you remember what
you’ve read.
 Predicting helps you pay attention to the
sequence of events in fiction.
 By supporting your predictions with
evidence from the text, you develop
critical thinking skills and improve
comprehension.
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10. Predicting is Brain--
Compatible Learning
It’s harder to learn material if it doesn’t
grab your attention.
 Readers need an emotional
hook for learning which
connects to their memory.
 The “game” of guessing creates
novelty and engages the reader.
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11. The Brain Loves Predicting
 The brain seeks meaning by
organizing words, numbers and ideas
into meaningful patterns.
 Humans naturally look for the
“pattern” and want to fill in missing
pieces.
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12. Types of Predictions
 “I predict that Karana will kill the dog
that attacked her brother.”
 “If I bought 5 items at Target, I
estimate the price will be about
$25.00.”
 “My hypothesis is that combining pure
sodium and water will create an
explosion.”
 “As I listen to this symphony, I guess
that the tempo of the of the second
movement will be faster.”
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13. Survey of Narrative Text (Fiction)
Strategic readers preview:
 the book cover
the title and chapter headings
 pictures and captions
italicized or bold-faced words
 the first few paragraphs
(introduction)
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14. Narrative Text
• What type of genre will it be?
• What will be the setting?
• Who will be the characters?
• What will be the problem?
• How will the problem be solved?
Look at this • What dialogue will you expect to
picture . . . hear?
• What organization will the text
have?
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15. Survey of Expository Text -
(Nonfiction)
Strategic readers look through the chapter
to be read.
They look at:
 headings & subheadings
 key words
 illustrations and captions
 charts, graphs, tables, diagrams
 introductory paragraphs
 end of chapter questions
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16. Expository Text
 What major topics will be
covered?
 What vocabulary will be used?
 How will the text be organized?
 Specialized predictions such as in
math: What operations can you
expect to use in this word
problem? Why?
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17. When Students. . .
“Glance over text, they predict what
they’ll see. They look for familiar
words or topics which trigger
thoughts from background
knowledge and establish a
purpose.”
- Cairo
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18. What predictions can you make
about this picture?
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19. Good readers support their
predictions with evidence from
the text
 It’s not enough just to make
a guess.
 Proving a prediction to be
true calls for careful reading
of the text.
 How can you support your
predictions and prove
they’re true?
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20. Good readers adjust the
predictions they’ve made as they
gain new knowledge
Strategic readers may record whether
the predictions they made were
confirmed or disproved by pointing
to evidence from the text.
Predictions are:
Confirmed
Changed
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21. How Well Did You Predict?
Check your answers:
• How many slides were used?
• What three words were used?
How did you do?
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22. Strategy#2
A way to boost comprehension!
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