What is Predicting in Reading?

S2-SA2-0012

Grade Level:

Class 4

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

Predicting in reading means guessing what might happen next in a story or text based on the clues you already have. It's like being a detective and using hints to figure out the future events or information in what you are reading.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you are watching a cricket match. The score is 150 runs in 15 overs, and the opposing team needs 50 more runs in 5 overs with 8 wickets left. You can predict that they have a good chance to win because they have many wickets and need only 10 runs per over. This is predicting based on available information.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's predict what will happen next in a short story:

Step 1: Read the first part: "Rohan was walking to school. He saw dark clouds gathering quickly in the sky. A cool breeze started blowing, and the trees began to sway." --- Step 2: Identify the clues: Dark clouds, cool breeze, swaying trees. --- Step 3: Think about what these clues usually mean: Dark clouds and cool breeze often come before rain. --- Step 4: Make a prediction: Rohan might get wet, or it might start raining soon. --- Step 5: Confirm or adjust: If the next sentence was "He quickly opened his umbrella," your prediction was correct. If it was "The sun suddenly came out," your prediction was wrong, and you'd adjust.

Why It Matters

Predicting helps you stay engaged and understand what you read better. It's a skill used by journalists to guess future news events, by lawyers to anticipate opposing arguments, and by scientists to hypothesize outcomes. This skill makes you a more active and smarter reader.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Guessing without any reason or clues from the text | CORRECTION: Always base your predictions on evidence, hints, or information already given in the story or passage.

MISTAKE: Sticking to your first prediction even when new information contradicts it | CORRECTION: Be flexible! As you read more, new clues might appear. Be ready to change or refine your prediction.

MISTAKE: Confusing predicting with just summarizing what has already happened | CORRECTION: Predicting looks forward to what *might* happen, while summarizing looks back at what *did* happen.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Read: 'The traffic light turned yellow. The auto-rickshaw driver pressed the accelerator.' What do you predict will happen next? | ANSWER: The auto-rickshaw will likely try to speed up and cross the intersection before the light turns red.

QUESTION: Read: 'Anjali was making a rangoli for Diwali. She had laid out the white powder perfectly and was about to add the colours. Suddenly, her little brother, Rahul, came running into the room, chasing a ball.' What do you predict might happen to the rangoli? | ANSWER: Rahul might accidentally step on or kick the ball into the rangoli, messing it up.

QUESTION: Read: 'The school bell rang, signaling the end of the last period. Students rushed out of their classrooms, eager to go home. However, a notice had just been put up on the board outside the principal's office, which read: 'All Class 7 students must report to the assembly hall immediately for an important announcement.' What do you predict will happen to the Class 7 students, and what might be the reason? | ANSWER: Class 7 students will likely be stopped from going home and directed to the assembly hall. The reason could be anything from an unexpected exam, a special guest, or an upcoming school event.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of these is the best example of predicting in reading?

Recalling the main characters in a story.

Guessing what a difficult word means using context clues.

Thinking about what will happen next in the story based on what you've read.

Explaining the moral of the story.

The Correct Answer Is:

Option C directly describes predicting – looking ahead using clues. Options A, B, and D are other important reading skills but do not involve anticipating future events in the text.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you use a weather app on your phone, it predicts if it will rain tomorrow based on current wind, temperature, and cloud data. Similarly, news anchors predict election results based on early voting trends. This is all about using available information to guess future outcomes, just like predicting in reading.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

PREDICT: to say or estimate that a specified thing will happen in the future or will be a consequence of something | CLUES: pieces of information or evidence that help someone discover or understand something | ANTICIPATE: regard as probable; expect or predict | FORECAST: predict or estimate (a future event or trend)

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand predicting, you can explore 'Inferring in Reading.' Inferring is closely related, as it also uses clues but focuses on understanding unstated information or deeper meanings, which often helps in making stronger predictions.