Making Predictions

We started working on our reading strategies today. One of the strengths of the Open Court reading program is its stress on reading strategies as well as reading skills. Research shows that good readers consistently use a set of strategies in approaching texts, and that these strategies can be explicitly modeled and practiced.

Our first strategy is Predicting. Good readers are constantly making predictions as they read. They predict what the next word in a sentence will be. They use their knowledge of the structure of fiction and the genres of fiction to predict what will happen in a story. In nonfiction, they predict the information that an author will present or the point of view that a writer will argue. Most of this predicting is unconscious. The reader is not even aware that he or she is doing this.

I gave the students a selection from Produtit! by Chris Van Allsburg. This story has some unusual plot twists so it was a natural for making predictions. We read through it orally and paused along the way to write predictions next to the text. The story deals with a boy who gets tickets to see a magician who hypnotizes people. He returns home to try things out with his little sister..... It's a fun read.

Homework: (1) Pick one concept and one question from pages 1-2 of the OCR reading packet. We did these pages last week. Write each one on a word card. These will form the basis of the Concept/Question board. Write it big so it can be read from across the room. Illustrate, if possible. (2) Sort the spelling words according to vowel patterns, e.g., short a, short e, etc. Make a tree map, if you know how, or just a chart. Most word will be in two or more places. (3) Do "Comparing Numbers," Math, page 19 and "Ordering Numbers," Math, pages 21-23. Use the notebook provided so we have a record of homework completed and corrected.