Have you ever noticed how some students race through a story without stopping to think about what might happen next? Strong readers don’t simply move from page to page. They constantly predict outcomes. They notice clues, connect new information to what they already know, and adjust their thinking as the story unfolds.
Prediction is much more than guessing. It’s one of the first ways students learn to actively engage with a text, making it the perfect bridge between understanding story elements and developing deeper reading comprehension.
In this lesson, you’ll find classroom-tested activities that help students make evidence-based predictions before, during, and after reading. Along the way, they’ll discover that good predictions aren’t lucky guesses. They’re built from careful thinking.
Jump to Section
Why Teaching Predictions Matters
Prediction is one of the earliest comprehension strategies students learn because it encourages them to become active readers instead of passive observers.
As students predict, they learn to
- notice important clues
- recognize patterns
- connect background knowledge to new information
- revise their thinking as new evidence appears
- stay engaged while reading
These same habits become the foundation for later comprehension skills such as making inferences, drawing conclusions, and determining the main idea.
Be sure to download the free lesson handout, which includes printable organizers, discussion activities, and classroom resources featured throughout this lesson.
Activities for Teaching Students to Predict Outcomes
Activity #1: Start with a Prediction Challenge
Show close-up photos of everyday objects and ask students to predict what they might be. Present a second photo revealing the entire thing and ask students to evaluate the accuracy of their predictions. Discuss the importance of using evidence and logical reasoning to make informed predictions.
Activity #2: Build Understanding with a Video Lesson
Want a ready-to-use introduction?
Distribute the foldable organizer and review the definitions and examples of predictions together as a class.
Have students complete the graphic organizer by identifying predictions from texts or real-life scenarios while watching the instructional video. This classroom-friendly video explains how readers make predictions using clues, background knowledge, and logical thinking. It’s perfect for introducing the skill, reviewing before independent practice, or leaving with a substitute.
Activity #3: Pause and Predict with an Animated Short
Play the animated short film “Big Buck Bunny” from Pixar. The short follows Big Buck Bunny through a day in his life. During the day, three rodents amuse themselves by harassing helpless creatures by throwing fruit, nuts, and rocks at them. After a while, Big Buck Bunny has had enough. He uses a variety of traps to trap the rodents. Be prepared to pause the video to ask students to predict what will happen.
Activity #4: Finish the Story
Choose a short story with an open ending or create a scenario that students can continue. Read the story’s beginning to the class and ask students to predict what will happen next. As you continue reading and revealing more details, discuss any changes or adjustments students make to their predictions.
Activity #5: Become a Classroom Detective
“The Detective’s Notebook Game” is an interactive game designed to help students improve their reading comprehension skills by thinking about what they are reading and answering questions that require inferencing. In the game, students can access an amateur detective’s notebook where several clues or events have been observed. As students read the clues, they must infer what is taking place and make predictions.
This game helps students practice predicting outcomes in a fun, interactive format.
Activity #6: Mentor Texts for Prediction Practice
Introduce a selection of books related to predicting outcomes. Let students browse the books individually or in small groups, pausing to make predictions as they read. Encourage students to share their predictions and discuss how the books’ illustrations or prior knowledge influenced their predictions.
Books to Help Students Predict Outcomes
- What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins
- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by Willian Steig
- Tuesday by David Wiesner [wordless adventure]
- A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry
Download the handout provided to access the complete lesson plan and resources for implementation.
Common Mistakes Students Make When Predicting
Many students believe predicting means making a random guess.
Help students avoid these common misconceptions.
❌ making predictions without using evidence
❌ refusing to change a prediction after reading new information
❌ believing predictions must always be correct
❌ confusing predictions with wishes (“I hope this happens…”)
Remind students that strong readers revise their predictions whenever the text provides new clues.
Questions Good Readers Ask While Predicting
Encourage students to pause throughout a story and ask:
- What clues has the author given me?
- What do I already know about this character?
- What might happen next?
- Why do I think that?
- Has the story given me new information that changes my prediction?
These questions remind students that predictions should change as readers gather new evidence.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a prediction and a guess?
A prediction uses evidence from the text together with background knowledge. A guess has little or no evidence to support it.
Should students change their predictions?
Absolutely. Strong readers continually revise their predictions as they gather new information.
When should students make predictions?
Before reading, during reading, and even after major events as the story unfolds.
This lesson plan helps 4th–6th 6th-grade students strengthen their prediction and inference skills through engaging, hands-on activities. Students will strengthen their abilities to make informed predictions, analyze texts critically, and evaluate evidence through engaging activities.
By mastering this skill, students will become more confident and proficient readers, capable of making insightful predictions.
Continue Building Reading Comprehension
Prediction is the first step toward deeper reading comprehension. Once students learn to anticipate what might happen next, they’re ready to support those predictions with evidence through inference.
Continue your Reading Between the Lines workshop with the next lesson:
Teaching Students to Make Inferences
Want More Reading Skill Practice?
Build a strong foundation in comprehension with my Reading Skills Bundle. It includes 12 complete units covering:
- Text Structure
- Story Elements
- Main Idea & Details
- Cause & Effect
- Compare & Contrast
- Inference
- And more!
Each unit comes with printables, graphic organizers, and engaging activities that make reading skills stick.
