MAKING PREDICTIONS

• You can improve your reading comprehension skills if you prepare your brain for reading before you begin. Read the title and help your mind make connections to things you already know. If you are reading from a source that you can’t write directly on, such as a textbook or library book, use a piece of scratch paper. If you are reading on a worksheet or printed page on which you are permitted to take notes, use it. Highlight important words in the title. Consider each of the words one at a time, and write down things that you think of when you read or hear that word. Then consider them collectively. They have been placed together to form the title. Remember that a prediction in language arts is what a hypothesis is in a science experiment. You are not guessing blindly. You are using all the available information to make a knowledgeable guess. What can you reasonably predict at this point? Write your prediction  down so you can watch for it to be resolved one way or another as you read. 

• Look at any photos, illustrations, graphs, or other visual aids that have been included with the story. Read any captions or informational notes to make sure you understand what has been included. Note any important statistics, dates, or people. Pay attention to the colors used in the pictures, and the mood that the pictures create. Write down any additional observations or predictions that come to mind. Remember that good predictions are based on evidence. Think about why you think what you do. 
• Read over your notes and predictions as you prepare to begin reading the passage. Keep your notes out in front of you while you read. As your predictions are either confirmed or proven to be incorrect, jot down little notes about what happened. If you do not understand something that you read, go back a few sentences and read again. If a specific word is giving you trouble, see if the words around that word can help you determine its meaning. If not, use a dictionary if one is available. Do not be content to read on without understanding. When you have finished reading, see if you can mentally summarize what you have read. Whenever possible, discuss the reading with someone else who has also read it. This will allow you to share your predictions and thoughts about what you have read. Exchanging ideas sharpens your understanding. Then you will both be on your way to improving your reading comprehension!

 Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm your answers.

1)   Name at least two techniques you can use to prepare your brain before you begin reading.

2)   Why do you think it is important to look carefully at the visual aids that have been included with a reading passage?

3)   Why should your predictions be based on evidence rather than random thoughts?

4)   What is one purpose for taking notes?

5)   Evaluate your skills as a predictor. Are your predictions improving your understanding of what you read? If so, how? If not, why not?