Would you like to read A Noodle Up Your Nose?
What do you think it could be about?
Why do you think the author chose to give that name to a book?
What do you predict could happen in this story?
What images do you have in your mind just caused by the title?
Would your predictions change based on what you might see on the cover of a book?
Could your predictions change based on what you might read on the back of the book?
How could the answers to the first several questions change after reading a page or two of this book?
How do you think predictions would change after you read the first chapter of the book?
What information do you use to make predictions for a story?
Here is the summary of the book here on Big Universe:
When Violet thinks that she isn’t invited to Kate’s birthday party, she spreads rumors that threaten to ruin everything.
Kate has decided on a pirate theme for her party. She thinks that seven is going to be the best age to be. Her friend Jake is going to teach her to ride a two-wheeler. And her party is going to be fabulous. That is, until Violet starts spreading stories. Kate goes right on with her planning, but she is worried. When Violet is the only one to show up on the big day, Kate thinks that her worst fears have come true.
Was your prediction correct based on the name of the book?
What happens if your prediction is not correct?
Do you make a new set of predictions?
How can making predictions and thinking about what you are reading help make you a better reader?
I just listened to a podcast that described a simple, but effective, way to promote thoughtful interaction when reading stories to young children. While this may come naturally to some adults, it bears repeating.
Rather than treating children as a passive audience, literary professor Nancy Anderson of the University of South Florida in Tampa, encourages parents and teachers to use a listening/prediction model when reading stories to them. This method helps children connect prior background knowledge to clues in the title, pictures and text as the story progresses.
For example, read the title of a book to your children and ask, “Who do you think this book is about?” Allow a few volunteers to make predictions. Respond briefly and read the opening page or two. Then show a picture and ask, “What do you think will happen next?” Again, let your audience respond.
Continue reading. Stop before critical turns in the plot to ask more leading questions.
“How do you think Horton is feeling?”
“Is the teacher going to be happy with what Junie B. Jones is planning?”
“Why is the gardener mean to Peter Rabbit?”
This prediction and listening pattern helps pre-readers develop critical thinking skills, trigger their imagination and stretch their ability to pay attention and make logical predictions. It’s kind of like a game of ping-pong – a series of volleys.
“This (activity) encourages divergent thinking rather than convergent thinking,” said Dr. Nancy Anderson, the author of “What Should I Read Aloud? A Guide to 200 Best-Selling Picture Books.” You aren’t necessarily looking for the “right answer,” she explained in the podcast.
“The beauty about the listening-prediction activity is it helps the parent or reader know whether or not the child has a well-developed sense of story structure. And that is the comprehension skill that is necessary for comprehending stories,” said Dr. Anderson.
Dr. Anderson recommends that parents establish a 30-minute nightly reading routine to reinforce bonding, establish a calm bedtime and to ensure future academic success. To learn more about Dr. Anderson’s perspectives on literature and literacy, go to the University of South Florida’s news website and click on the interview podcast link.
Eighth-grade teacher Laura Robb of the Powhatan School in Boyce, Va., touts the benefits of using prediction reading strategies, too. “Predicting involves more than trying to figure out what happens next. As kids find evidence to form hunches, they also ask questions, recall facts, reread, skim, infer, draw conclusions, and, ultimately, comprehend the text more fully,” Robb said in an article written for Scholastic.com. Robb has coached K-8 teachers on successful teaching methods and is the author of “Reading Strategies that Work” and “Whole Language, Whole Learners.”
Big Universe offers close to 3,000 online picture books and chapter books from premium publishing companies, so there is always something new to read at bedtime. Old favorites can be saved on your own private bookshelf and read over and over and OVER again.
