Reading skills are often enhanced through the use of prediction skills.
Good readers use prediction throughout their reading. They constantly anticipate what will happen next.
When reading with your child, find time to have the child write down what he or she thinks is going to take place.
Do this at the end of a chapter or in between the illustrations of a picture book.
Beginning readers need stories that are highly predictable. This predictability may take the form of rhyme, repetition, or patterned language.
Help children write down their prediction of the next word in a sequence.
They can then compare their choice with the one in the book.
One good exercise is to make up short stories and have children write several endings.
You can then talk about which ending is “most predictable” or “most unbelievable” or “most inventive.”
Experts agree: When helping your child become a strong reader, writing down predictions can be a valuable tool for improved reading skills.
