Predicting what might happen next is one way readers connect clues, character choices and unresolved questions. A prediction is more than a random guess when it rests on something in the text. Even when an author surprises us, the process of predicting can deepen attention and make the next chapter more inviting. The aim is not to predict every twist correctly but to learn how stories give readers reasons to expect certain possibilities.
Begin with an open question
Choose a moment when the chapter leaves something unresolved. Ask, 'What do you think might happen?' and allow the reader time to consider. A child who says 'I don't know' might still have noticed useful information. Offer a smaller starting point: 'What does the character want now?' or 'What problem is still there?' Those questions connect a future prediction to the situation already established. Avoid giving away the answer or treating the adult's imagined outcome as more valid than the child's idea.
Look for clues
Ask what detail in the chapter led to the prediction. It might be a promise, a warning, an unexplained object or a pattern in a character's behaviour. Encourage the child to name a specific moment rather than say only 'I just think so'. They do not need an exact quotation; a clear description may be enough. If the passage offers no relevant evidence, label the idea a creative possibility rather than a strong prediction. Both can be enjoyable, but understanding the difference makes reading more thoughtful.
Allow more than one possibility
Adventure stories often create suspense because several outcomes are plausible. Ask children for two different predictions and compare the clues supporting each. They may decide that one seems more likely, or that the author has deliberately left the situation uncertain. This shows that close reading is not always a search for one answer. If a child invents a wildly imaginative twist, enjoy the creativity while asking whether anything in the published scene points towards it. Evidence can guide prediction without eliminating imagination.
Keep the notes small
A bookmark can carry a question and one sentence: 'I think the missing key will matter because it was mentioned twice.' There is no need for a long prediction diary. Return to the note after a few pages or the next chapter. Ask what happened and whether the earlier clues made sense in hindsight. If the guess was wrong, that can still be a useful observation. The reader may discover that the author included misleading information on purpose or that a new event changed what was possible.
Distinguish prediction from recall
A prediction concerns the future of the story; remembering concerns facts already stated. A question such as 'Who entered the room?' normally has an answer in the chapter. 'Who might enter next?' does not. Make the distinction clear so that children do not feel penalised for uncertainty. The same principle applies to inference: deciding that a character may be worried is an interpretation of present clues, while imagining how they will respond tomorrow is a prediction. Each kind of question develops a different reading habit.
Notice changes in character plans
The strongest clues sometimes concern what people want rather than mysterious objects. If a character announces a goal but encounters an obstacle, a reader may predict how they will try to overcome it. Ask whether the person's earlier choices support that possibility. Remember, though, that fictional characters can change their minds. A prediction should remain provisional. The pleasure of the story may come precisely from seeing someone respond in a way the reader did not expect but later finds convincing.
Use suspense without spoiling
When discussing Sammy Rambles and the Floating Circus, the premise of Dragamas School for Dragon Charming and a dragon egg invites questions. Read the genuine chapter and identify which questions the author raises there. Do not invent later scenes, answers or hidden rules to make the activity more dramatic. A simple question about what Sammy may learn next is enough to support careful prediction. Readers should encounter J T Scott's surprises in the story, not in an article that pretends to know unverified details.
Revisit predictions kindly
After reading further, look back without keeping score. Ask whether the child would make the same prediction now and which new detail changed their thinking. This models intellectual flexibility. Sometimes a prediction was sensible when made even though it turned out differently; sometimes it rested on a misunderstanding that can be corrected by looking at the page. In either case, the discussion should be about reasoning, not winning. The next book will bring more chances to practise.
Follow a prediction through several chapters
Suppose a story introduces a locked room and later describes an unfamiliar key. A reader may predict that the two are connected. Ask what supports the idea: perhaps the timing, the repeated description or the fact that no other lock has been mentioned. Then identify what remains uncertain. Is the key known to fit? Does anyone in the story recognise it? Keep those questions open until the published text answers them. Make clear that this is an invented illustration of the method, not a scene from Sammy Rambles.
On the next reading day, return to the prediction and consider whether the evidence has strengthened or weakened. The child might decide the key belongs somewhere else. Changing a mind is not a defeat; it is a response to new information. Authors frequently arrange clues to create several plausible possibilities, and the reader's growing understanding is part of the experience.
If a child enjoys drawing, they can sketch two possible paths for the next chapter. If they prefer conversation, they can simply explain which outcome seems more likely. Keep the activity separate from the actual plot until events are revealed. The satisfaction comes from watching an imagined possibility meet the author's real choices, not from proving that the reader can outguess every twist in a book.
Keep curiosity at the centre
Not every chapter needs a prediction question. If a child wants to race into the next scene, allow that momentum. If they stop to wonder aloud, join the conversation. The best predictions emerge from genuine interest in the characters and their problems. A reader who notices clues, holds several possibilities in mind and updates their expectations is engaging closely with the text. That habit can make a mystery or fantasy adventure richer without turning the reading experience into a compulsory exercise.