Answer:
Predicting is an important reading strategy. It allows students to use information from the text, such as titles, headings, pictures and diagrams to anticipate what will happen in the story (Bailey, 2015). When making predictions, students envision what will come next in the text, based on their prior knowledge. Predicting encourages children to actively think ahead and ask questions. It also allows students to understand the story better, make connections to what they are reading, and interact with the text.
Making predictions is also a valuable strategy to improve reading comprehension. Students are able to make predictions about a story, based on what they have already heard, read, or seen. This in turn, will allow students to become actively involved in the reading process. To determine if their predictions are correct, students should be required to reread portions of the text to recall facts about the characters or events within the story. Picture walks can serve as a tool to organize information within a story, which can also increase a child’s comprehension. During a picture walk, students are able to activate their prior knowledge and connect the visual images in the story to their own personal experiences.
Students can also use a graphic organizer to predict the outcome of a story. They can do this by identifying clues within the text to predict how characters will behave and how significant problems in the story will be solved. When using a graphic organizer, students are able to stay fully engaged in the story as they capture their thoughts in a logical way. It is important for teachers to encourage children to record clues that either support or deny their predictions. Teachers can also allow students to revise their predictions in order to reflect on the clues that are found within the text.
Making predictions encourages readers to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. Readers are given the opportunity to reflect and evaluate the text, thus extracting deeper meaning and comprehension skills. Students will also be more interested in the reading material when they connect their prior knowledge with the new information that is being learned.
