English · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Making Predictions

Predicting in Year 1 grows young readers’ comprehension by turning page-turning into purposeful thinking. Active learning lets students practice using clues in real time, so they connect visual and textual evidence to their own experiences and prior knowledge.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E1LY04
• AC9E1LT01

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Clue Predictions

Pause after a story page and have students think silently about what happens next using pictures and words. In pairs, they share predictions and evidence like 'The dark clouds mean rain.' Regroup as a class to vote on top predictions before reading on.

What clues in the pictures help you guess what might happen next in the story?

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for students who name the exact clue they used, not just their prediction.

What to look for

During shared reading, pause before turning a page. Ask students to point to a picture or word that gives them a clue about what might happen next. Have them share their clue with a partner.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Small Groups

Picture Walk Prediction

Display wordless picture book pages out of order. Students in small groups predict the sequence and ending, noting visual clues. Reassemble pages correctly and discuss matches between predictions and the real story.

What made you think that would happen , what did you see or read?

Facilitation Tip

When doing Picture Walk Prediction, model how to scan the page left to right and top to bottom for clues.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple story excerpt and illustration. Ask them to draw one clue they see and write one sentence predicting what will happen next.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Whole Class

Prediction Chart: Whole Class

Before reading, chart class predictions on a board with columns for 'Prediction' and 'Clues.' Read the story in sections, update the chart with outcomes. Students add reflections on accurate predictions.

What did you predict would happen, and what actually happened in the end?

Facilitation Tip

In Story Card Relay, step in quickly if pairs skip naming their evidence aloud before making a prediction.

What to look for

After reading a story, ask: 'What did you predict would happen at the beginning? What clues helped you make that prediction? Did anything surprise you? Why?' Encourage students to refer back to specific parts of the book.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Story Card Relay: Pairs

Provide story cards with pictures and partial text. Pairs take turns predicting the next card's event, passing if stuck. Review the full sequence to check predictions.

What clues in the pictures help you guess what might happen next in the story?

Facilitation Tip

During Prediction Chart, pause after each prediction to ask, 'Which part of the picture or sentence helped you decide?'

What to look for

During shared reading, pause before turning a page. Ask students to point to a picture or word that gives them a clue about what might happen next. Have them share their clue with a partner.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach prediction as a habit, not a one-time event. Show students how to revisit their earlier guesses whenever new evidence appears. Avoid asking for predictions without requiring the evidence, as this teaches guessing over thinking. Research shows that young readers benefit when teachers verbalize their own prediction process aloud before reading.

Successful learning looks like students pointing to specific words and images as they make logical guesses, then adjusting those guesses as the story unfolds. You’ll hear students cite evidence instead of guessing randomly.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who treat predictions as random guesses with no basis.

  During Think-Pair-Share, redirect by asking the pair to point to the exact word or part of the picture that gave them the idea, then restate their prediction using that evidence.

• During Prediction Chart, watch for students who think once made, predictions never change.

  During Prediction Chart, use a different colored marker to cross out and revise predictions as new story information appears, making the process visible for the whole class.

• During Picture Walk Prediction, watch for students who rely only on the pictures and ignore the words.

  During Picture Walk Prediction, hand students a sticky note and ask them to find and copy one word from the text that matches a detail in the image before making their prediction.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share