📖 ReadingGrade 2Lesson 13
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Predict What Will Happen Next

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Use story clues and prior knowledge to make a reasonable prediction about what will happen next
  • 2Name which clue (character, plot, or setting) supports the prediction
  • 3Check the prediction against what the text actually says — confirmed, changed, or disproved
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Mini Lesson

Good readers do not just react to what happens — they predict what is coming next! A prediction is a smart guess about what will happen, based on clues from the story and things you already know about the world.

What makes a good prediction?

  • A prediction is based on clues from the text — not a random guess.
  • It also uses your prior knowledge — things you know from real life.
  • A good prediction is reasonable: it could really happen based on what you have read so far.
  • Frame it as: "I think _____ will happen because the story says _____."

Three types of clues to look for

  • Character clues — What has this character done before? What might they do next?
  • Plot clues — What problem still needs to be solved? What is building up?
  • Setting clues — Is the weather changing? Is the time running out?

Always check your prediction!

  • After reading more, check: was your prediction confirmed, changed, or disproved?
  • A wrong prediction is not a mistake — it means you were paying close attention to the story.
Prediction Frame DiagramA three-box diagram showing the prediction process: Story Clues plus Prior Knowledge equals a Prediction, with the frame sentence I think blank will happen because the story says blank.Making a PredictionStory Cluescharacter · plotsetting · events+Prior Knowledgewhat you knowfrom real lifePREDICTIONA reasonable guess about what comes next"I think ___ will happenbecause the story says ___."
Story clues + prior knowledge = prediction, with the sentence frame to use.
Predict Read Check CycleA three-step diagram: Step 1 Predict — make your smart guess. Step 2 Read — read what happens next. Step 3 Check — was your prediction confirmed, changed, or disproved?Predict → Read → Check1PREDICTMake your smart guess and note the clue.2READKeep reading to find out what happens.3CHECKConfirmed — it happened as I guessed.Changed — partly right, partly different.Disproved — something else happened.
The three-step prediction cycle — Predict, Read, Check (confirmed / changed / disproved).
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Ask yourself: "What clues has the author given me? What do I know about people and the world? What do I think will happen — and why?"

Vocabulary
Prediction
A smart guess about what will happen next, based on clues from the story and what you already knowe.g. "I think the twins will go into the cave because the map shows a hidden spot."
Story clue
Information in the text about a character, the plot, or the setting that hints at what may happen nexte.g. The tide is rising — that is a setting clue that the entrance will soon be blocked.
Prior knowledge
Things you already know from real life that help you understand a storye.g. You know that rain makes things wet — so you can predict the characters will get soaked.
Confirmed / Changed / Disproved
The three ways to check your prediction: it happened, partly happened, or something different happenede.g. If the twins opened the chest and found something old, a prediction about old items is confirmed.
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