Right now in reading the class is practicing making predictions. Making predictions is a strategy in which readers use information from a text (including titles, headings, pictures, and diagrams) and their own personal experiences to anticipate what they are about to read (or what comes next). A reader involved in making predictions is focused on the text at hand, constantly thinking ahead and also refining, revising, and verifying his or her predictions. This strategy also helps students make connections between their prior knowledge and the text.
When reading at home with your child, stop and ask him/her what predictions he/she has and what clues from the text have led him/her to make that prediction. Below is a picture of the template that we have been using in class.
