How to Teach Predicting and Questioning While Reading
There are two kinds of readers. The first kind follows the words passively, absorbing the story like watching television — things happen, and they take it in. The second kind reads actively, constantly thinking: "I bet this character is going to get caught" or "Wait, why would she do that?" The second kind understands and remembers far more.
Predicting and questioning are active reading strategies — tools that keep your child's brain engaged with the text instead of just moving their eyes across the page. They are not separate from comprehension. They are the engine of comprehension. And the best news: they are habits, which means they can be taught through consistent practice.
What predicting actually looks like
Predicting is not random guessing. It is using clues from the text, combined with what you already know, to make a reasonable guess about what will happen next. It is inference pointed at the future.
A good prediction sounds like: "I think the character is going to get in trouble because the author keeps mentioning that he is sneaking around and looking over his shoulder." A poor prediction sounds like: "I think a dragon will show up" — with no evidence in the story for dragons, that is a wish, not a prediction.
Teach your child that predictions should be based on evidence. They do not have to be right — wrong predictions are valuable, because they force the reader to revise their understanding when the text goes in a different direction.
Key Insight: The goal of predicting is not to be right. It is to be engaged. A child who makes a prediction and then reads to find out if they were right is reading with purpose. That purpose drives deeper comprehension, regardless of whether the prediction was correct.
How to practice predicting
Before reading: Look at the cover, the title, and any illustrations. Ask: "What do you think this book will be about? What makes you think so?" This activates background knowledge and sets expectations.
During reading: Pause at natural stopping points — the end of a chapter, a moment of suspense, a character making a decision. Ask: "What do you think will happen next? Why?" Then read on and check.
After reading: Reflect on predictions. "You thought the character would run away, but instead she stayed and faced the problem. Why do you think the author chose that?" This connects predicting to author's craft and deeper analysis.
The key is pausing. If you read straight through without stopping, there is no space for prediction. Build pauses into your reading routine, especially with younger children.
The power of questioning
Questioning is the complement to predicting. Where predicting asks "What will happen?", questioning asks "Why?" and "What does this mean?" and "I wonder..."
Strong readers generate questions constantly as they read:
- "Why did the character say that?"
- "What does this word mean?"
- "How does this connect to what happened earlier?"
- "I wonder why the author included this detail."
These questions drive re-reading, deeper thinking, and the kind of active engagement that builds lasting comprehension.
Teaching your child to ask questions
Most children are used to answering questions about reading. They are not used to asking them. Flip the dynamic.
After reading a page or a passage, instead of asking your child a question, say: "What questions do you have about what we just read?" At first, they may not have any — not because they understood everything, but because they have never been asked to generate questions before.
Model it yourself. Read aloud and stop to share your own questions: "Hmm, I am wondering why the author told us about the old tree. I think it might be important later. What do you think?"
When your child sees you questioning the text, they learn that questioning is what good readers do — not a sign of confusion, but a sign of engagement.
Key Insight: Many children think that asking questions means they do not understand the text. Reframe it: questioning is what the strongest readers do. It is a sign of deep engagement, not weak comprehension.
Three types of questions to teach
Not all questions are equal. Teach your child to recognize three levels:
Right-there questions: The answer is stated directly in the text. "What color is the dog?" These check basic comprehension but do not require deep thinking.
Think-and-search questions: The answer requires putting together information from different parts of the text. "How did the character's attitude change from beginning to end?"
On-my-own questions: The answer requires the text plus personal knowledge. "Would you have made the same choice? Why or why not?"
Encourage your child to ask questions at all three levels, with increasing emphasis on think-and-search and on-my-own questions as they mature.
Predicting and questioning together
These two strategies work beautifully in tandem. A prediction naturally generates a question:
- Prediction: "I think the character is going to get caught." Question: "Will the character get caught?" Now they are reading to find out.
And a question naturally generates a prediction: "Why does the author keep mentioning the locked door?" leads to "I bet something important is behind that door" — and now they are reading to find out what. Both strategies create the same result: a child who reads with purpose.
Making it a habit
The goal is for predicting and questioning to become automatic — something your child does without thinking. To build this habit:
- Read aloud together regularly and model both strategies openly
- Use sticky notes for independent reading — your child writes a prediction or question on a sticky note and places it in the book
- Discuss after reading — "What predictions did you make? Were you right? What surprised you? What questions do you still have?"
- Celebrate curiosity — when your child asks a great question about a text, acknowledge it. "That is a really thoughtful question. Let us see if we can figure it out."
Key Insight: Predicting and questioning are habits, not lessons. You do not teach them once and move on. You practice them during every reading session until they become your child's default approach to text. Consistency matters far more than any single activity.
Signs your child is becoming an active reader
- They spontaneously say "I think..." or "I wonder..." while reading
- They express surprise when a story goes in an unexpected direction
- They ask questions about character motivations, word choices, and plot decisions
- They can articulate why they want to keep reading: "I need to find out if..."
Predicting and questioning transform reading from a passive activity into an active conversation between your child and the text. They are the habits that separate children who read words from children who truly think about what they read.
If you want a system that builds active reading habits like predicting and questioning into a structured comprehension progression — that is exactly what Lumastery is built for.