Smashing Strategies PREDICTING

WHAT?!?!? I am linking up with some pretty fan-tab-ulous teacher bloggers to bring you SmAsHiNg StRaTeGiEs!! This is a monthly link-up that we are bringing you for helping in teaching guided reading! I hope you are as excited as I am!! Special shout-out to Allison from Partyin' with Primaries for organizing this!

Predicting. Why is predicting important in guided reading? Well, it helps students to build that comprehension piece. Predicting helps them to think about what they know, what they see, and what makes sense. Predicting leads to inferring in later grades. While predicting, students are constantly thinking and perhaps changing what they think is going to happen in the text.

You probably teach predicting within your classroom, without even realizing that you are teaching predicting. 

I plan teaching predicting over the course of a few day. The first day I teach predicting is bringing in one of my boxes I receive in the mail.

I ask the students to think about what could be in this box? I have them share with a neighbor and then we share out our ideas. For each student that shares what they think will be in the box, I will also ask them, why do you think that will be in the box? Helping them think through their predictions, I'll add, "ohhh that makes sense, I have four kids so maybe it is legos..." or "well, I have ordered new books for our class before, that could be right...."

I open up the box and show my students what is inside. I had velcro dots, Wixi Stix and Astrobrights paper. I then asked my students what could I need these items for? Most of my students will come up with logical uses for my items---like the Wixi Stix for them for word work, the astrobrights paper for foldables (because that's what we have used bright paper before in the past), and the velcro dots for our retelling story board (again, because that's where they have seen it in my room). 

The next day, I will read a pretty predictable text, such as Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Don't let the Pigeon Stay up Late or another text by Mo Williams.

Many of my students have read a Pigeon book before, so they have some experience with him and his shenanigans :) Before reading, I ask them what they think is going to happen? We share out some responses, and then I hit them with the WHY IS IT IMPORTANT to make predictions before reading. I tell them that readers make predictions before reading, and then during reading as well. I also tell them that making predictions throughout a story shows that you are thinking about and understanding what is happening. 

Then during work on writing for our rotations, I give my students "I predict" sheets. Each sheet has a sentence, and the students are to draw a picture of what they think is going to happen, as well as write about it. This gives me some idea who is getting it, and who maybe needs some reteaching. You can find the entire pack of I predict sheets by clicking the image below.

A good linky isn't complete without a giveaway! Today I am giving away $10 to Teachers Pay Teachers, you can spend it ANYWHERE! :) This giveaway will run from February 22nd through February 29th. I will announce the winner on here--my blog. Please enter below for your chance to win!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



 

An InLinkz Link-up