Hello, friends! Six weeks into the school year, we have hit the ground running and read-aloud has quickly become one of our favorite moments of the day. Today I wanted to share about one of my favorite books for teaching and modeling Making Predictions as a reading strategy – Duck on a Bike by David Shannon.
Last week our weekly read-aloud theme is a David-Shannon author study. I pulled all of our read-alouds and comprehension lessons from our themed bookshelf, some of them lesser-known Shannon creations. (To see other weekly bookshelf themes, you can search #1stgradebookshelf on Instagram.) Shannon makes a just-right bookshelf for my beginning-of-the-year readers with his bright illustrations, familiar characters, and kid-themed antics.
After reaching our first stopping point (Duck has shown all the farm animals how well he bikes and the animals see a group of abandoned bikes), I invited – “Friends, we know when you make a prediction you use the clues an author gives you in the words and the illustrations to make a guess about what might happen next. What do you think is going to happen next?”
I did not want students’ predictions to rub-off on one another, so each friend received a coveted sticky note. This is the *first* time we have used sticky notes this year, and it was SO exciting! Students returned to their seats and recorded their predictions. As friends finished writing/sketching their predictions, they returned to the carpet and placed their sticky note on our anchor chart.
After all our friends made and shared predictions, we finished enjoying the story. We were so excited to see that the animals did ride the bikes (even the mouse got a turn), and the silly goat was eating a bike! Most of our predictions were proven correct, which was such a huge confidence builder for my friends.
We finished the book and found that one more prediction needed to be made. On the last page, Duck is standing face-to-grill with a tractor. It was the PERFECT chance to make one last prediction –“If David Shannon didn’t end the book, what might have happened?”
Until then friends, what are your go-to books for teaching students to make predictions? This is a skill we’ll practice throughout the year, and I would love to hear your ideas!
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Elementary AMC says
Thanks for sharing a great lesson and graphic organizer. We just started working on predictions and this will work great in my classroom.
Halle says
I love "Duck on A Bike" but never thought to use it for making predictions! Thanks for the lesson idea and graphic organizer 🙂
Halle
Across the Hall
Marcy Howe says
I love the graphic organizer. Thanks for sharing your fabulous ideas!
Chris Saunders says
I absolutely loved this lesson! The book was perfect for prediction and loved the graphic organizer for it!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Valerie says
Where did you find the large "making predictions" paper? Did you take large paper and stick it on the white board, drawing the pictures and writing the text yourself?
Kate says
Hi Valerie! I purchased sticky easel pads from Amazon. I love them. 🙂 http://amzn.to/1PDEsUR
Allen jeley says
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Ms. Brown says
This is a great resource! Thank you so much, going to use this lesson in my classroom this week!
vicki says
Would love to get the graphic organizer. But it won’t let me open it. Error
Catherine says
Hi Vicki! I just tried the file and it’s opening normally. You might try a different browser. 🙂
Esmirna says
That is a great idea for my multigrade class. I have grade 2 and grade 3 and I really appreciate the idea…
thanks
Mirella says
I teach at a Dual Language school in which I teach 1st grade Spanish. Loved the lesson so much that I looked for the book in Spanish and did the lesson for my observation. My principal loved it. Thank you for sharing!!
Danielle Jackson says
How do I download the graphic organizer?
Telkom University says
What words or phrases in the story helped you make a good guess about what would happen?
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