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Comprehension STRATEGY

Make and adjust predictions; use text to confirm

Readers are active in their reading, constantly thinking about what they believe will happen in the text (predicting), and then looking for evidence in the text to decide if their prediction was true, partially true, or way off (confirming). They predict, confirm, re-predict, and re-confirm, creating a loop of engagement.

Get to know this strategy

Definition

Readers are active in their reading, constantly thinking about what they believe will happen in the text (predicting), and then looking for evidence in the text to decide if their prediction was true, partially true, or way off (confirming). They predict, confirm, re-predict, and re-confirm, creating a loop of engagement.

When to teach this strategy

If you see readers who . . .

  • make unsubstantiated predictions that have nothing to do with the text.
  • may not realize they should be predicting and re-predicting throughout the reading.

Why we teach it

Reading is an active process, and the more engaged we are in the text, the more meaning we make while reading. When we predict and confirm continually throughout our reading of a text, we become more engaged.

Secret to success

While reading, students pause and think about the details they already know in the text, then predict what they think will happen next. They stop again to see if their predictions were accurate, based on what they just read.

How we teach it

After defining the strategy for the class, we model how to use it by following these steps:

  1. Look at the details in the selection.
  2. Decide and say what you think will happen next, based on the details and your prior knowledge.
  3. Look back and check to make sure the prediction you made was accurate, based on information in the text. (confirm)
  4. Do steps 1–3 again. As readers, we use these three steps in a continuous loop while we are reading.

As we move to guided practice, we give students a piece of text and pair them with others in the class. We ask them to look at the text and predict what will happen, then read the selection together and find places in the text that confirm whether their predictions were true, partially true, or way off. Then start again, making a new prediction.

Suggested language:

  • What do you think will happen, based on your information?
  • What clues are you using to make that prediction?
  • What kinds of clues did you use—pictures, words, or background knowledge?
  • If your prediction was wrong, what clues did you miss that might have helped?

Instructional Pivots

Possible ways to differentiate instruction:

  • Ask readers to confirm their predictions with evidence from the text.
  • Teach students to use the pictures and their prior knowledge to predict and also confirm.

Reconsider materials, setting, instruction, and cognitive processes.

Partner Strategies

These strategies may provide support before, during, and after teaching this strategy:

  • Infer and Support with Evidence
  • Back Up and Reread
  • Use Prior Knowledge to Predict and Connect with Text
  • Check for Understanding; Monitor and Self-Correct

Common Core Alignment

K
1stRL.1.1, RL.1.2
2ndRL.2.1
3rdRL.3.6, RI. 3.6
4thRL.4.7
5thRL.5.1
6thRL.6.1
7th
8th
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Printable Resources

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VIDEOS

How to introduce this strategy

From Hadley’s Perspective aka Kid Teacher

Want to hear about this strategy from a student's perspective? Let Kid Teacher, Miss Hadley, tell you—in her own words—how this strategy helps her grow as a reader. We think it will help your students too!

ARTICLES

Articles That Support This Strategy

Modeling Retell the Story

Even though the strategy Retell the Story is the goal of this lesson, Gail thinks aloud and shows how there are many strategies a readers uses in reading, rarely are they in isolation. 

 

 

1

Predict and Confirm Strategies Modeled Whole Class

Whole Group

In this video Gail has  students participate in a Turn and Talk during a whole group strategy lesson is one way of engaging in the process of making sense from print.  

1

Pre-Reading Strategies

Kindergarten and Pre-KWhole Group

Let's step into Trish Prentice's room for a moment and eavesdrop as she introduces How Rocket Learned to Read to her kindergarten students.

1

Comprehension Check with Sitting Statues

Suzi's class listens intently to the read aloud so they'll be prepared to show their comprehension by performing these creative representations.

BOOKS

Books with Lessons to Help Teach This Strategy

Each book below has a coordinating lesson with an explicit example to teach this strategy. Select a book cover below, then download the lesson to see for yourself. At The Daily CAFE these were called Lit Lessons.

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Literacy Strategies

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Teaching In Action

Video Library

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