A highly effective way to teach making predictions to elementary students is to read aloud a picture book that lends itself to teaching this reading strategy. Reading aloud a picture book facilitates a learning experience where you can model how to use predicting to better understand the text and engage students in their learning by asking related questions. Below is a list of 10 picture books for teaching making predictions. Check out the full list, as well as the teaching resources that go with them!
10 Making Predictions Picture Books
Below are 10 picture books for teaching making predictions.
1. Bunheads by Misty Copeland
It is Misty’s first day of ballet class and the dancers learn they will be performing Coppelia. All of the other dancers are excited but Mitsy has never heard of it. Too shy to ask, Misty sits down to listen to Miss Bradley tell the story. She immediately falls in love with the story of a doll that comes to life. After listening to the story, the dancers start to practice. Through practice and teamwork, Misty, is so proud of all she and the other dancers accomplished together. As we know Misty Copeland is a professional ballerina, students will be able to make predictions about her journey throughout the story! Check out these Bunheads activities!
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2. Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills
Rocket is a dog that loves reading. Rocket is writing a story, and finds a shy owl to read it to. With each reading, the shy owl moves closer and closer. By the end, the owl loves the story and the two are happy to have one another as friends. This story provides predictability based on the illustrations and the inferences children can make! Check out these Rocket Writes a Story activities!
3. Hedgie’s Surprise by Jan Brett
One day, the Tomten on the farm got tired of eating porridge for breakfast. He started going into the hen house each morning and taking one of Henny’s eggs. At first, Henny didn’t mind, but then she realized she could never have babies if this kept happening. Thankfully, her friend Hedgie offered to help her trick the Tomten. She realizes that Hedgie hid her eggs in his nest and now they’ve hatched into chicks! Students can practice making predictions by thinking of ideas for Henny, as well as ways the problem can be solved. Knowing that Hedgie is a hedgehog, students can also predict a way Tomten will be scared away! Check out these Hedgie’s Surprise activities!
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4. Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon
Linus is a pencil who loves to draw. He decided to enter into an art contest, and had his eye on the grand prize. Ernie, Linus’s eraser, does not think that any of the drawings Linus is creating are good enough to win them the prize. Students will learn about growth mindset and positive-self talk as they practice making predictions based on the characters and events! Check out these Linus the Little Yellow Pencil activities!
5. Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Bruce is a grumpy bear and a picky eater, so he does NOT like anything except eggs. One day, as he is trying out a new recipe, his breakfast suddenly hatches. Bruce becomes the victim of mistaken identity. Now he must figure out what to do with the tiny goslings that call him “Mama”. Students can practice predicting while wondering what Bruce will do with the goslings and how he will send them to be on their own. Check out these Mother Bruce activities!
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6. Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson
One day, an ordinary girl named Mary walked by a bush filled with blueberries. She decided to pick them and leave a bowl full of berries on her neighbor Mrs. Bishop’s porch. This act of kindness inspired Mrs. Bishop and others in the neighborhood to spread kindness. Her aunt, who had been treated with kindness, surprised Mary with a necklace. Everyone was thankful that one ordinary girl was able to change the world. Students will make predictions along the way about how these blueberries can become all sorts of things and how kindness impacts each character. Check out these Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed activities!
7. Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
Norman had always felt perfectly normal, until one day when he grew wings. Although he loves his wings, he tries to cover them so he does not seem odd. That is, until he realizes that it does not matter, since he loves his wings and they help him do the things he loves! This story will have students predicting what Norman will do next, along with how others will react to this boy with wings. Check out these Perfectly Norman activities!
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8. Pigsty by Mark Teague
Wendell Fultz’s room is a mess! When his mother pronounces his room a “pigsty” and sends him upstairs to clean it. Metaphorical pigs come and eventually overcrowd the room, so by the end, Wendell has the pigs help him clean and they move out. This silly story can provide students with many chances to predict as more and more pigs come to Wendell’s room! Check out these Pigsty activities!
9. Rescue and Jessica by Jessica Kensky & Patrick Downes
This story is about a girl named Jessica who lost her leg in an accident. While Jessica was learning about her new leg, a dog named Rescue was learning how to be a service dog. When Jessica applies for her own service dog, she learns that Rescue will be her new companion. The two make a great team and Rescue helps Jessica in her daily life. Students will practice predicting as Jessica and Rescue become a pair, the help Rescue will provide, and the adventures they will go on. Check out these Rescue and Jessica activities!
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10. Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll by Jay Miletsky
All of the rocks have fun rolling down the hill, except for the rock that cannot roll- Ricky. All of the other rocks have fun rolling down hills but Ricky isn’t able to join in the fun because he has a flat side. His friends help him to problem solve and find a way to have fun all together! This story lends itself to predicting because many of the rocks’ ideas have predictable outcomes! Check out these Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll activities!
In closing, we hope you found this post about how to teach asking questions using picture books helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:
