Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies: A2 Lesson 2: Using Pictures and Titles to Predict Content

Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies

A2 Lesson 2: Using Pictures and Titles to Predict Content

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Reading Before You Read!

Good readers are like detectives. Before they read a text, they look for clues to help them predict¹, or guess, what the text will be about. This is a very useful pre-reading strategy⁴.

Today, we will learn to use the two biggest clues: the Title² and the Picture to guess the content³ of a text.

How to Predict Content

1. Look at the Title. What words does it use? What does it tell you the topic is?
2. Look at the Picture. Who or what do you see? Where are they? What is happening?
3. Make a Prediction. Combine the clues. Say to yourself, "I think this text will be about..."
4. Read to Check. Read the text to see if your prediction was correct.

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Practice Example 1

Title: "A Visit to the Kampot Salt Fields"

Let's predict:

• The title says it's about the "Salt Fields".
• The picture looks like wide, open fields.
• My Prediction: "I think this text will describe a trip to the salt fields and maybe explain how salt is made."

Now, read the text to check our prediction:

Last weekend, my family visited the famous salt fields near Kampot. We learned how farmers let sea water into the fields. The hot sun dries the water, which leaves the white salt behind. It was a very interesting process to see.

Result: Our prediction was correct!

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Practice Example 2

Title: "My Favorite Breakfast"

Let's predict:

• The title says it's about a "Favorite Breakfast".
• The picture shows a bowl of noodle soup.
• My Prediction: "I think the writer will describe their favorite breakfast, which is a type of noodle soup."

Now, read the text to check our prediction:

My favorite breakfast in Cambodia is Kuy Teav. It is a hot noodle soup, usually with pork or beef. I love adding chili and fresh lime juice to mine. I eat it often because it gives me energy for the whole day.

Result: Our prediction was correct!

Your Turn to Predict!

Practice Quiz

Look at the title and the picture below. Before reading any text, what do you predict it will be about?

Title: "Life on the River"

My best prediction is that the text will be about:

• A. How to build a strong house.
• B. The different kinds of fish in Cambodia.
• C. How people live and work on the rivers in Cambodia.

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Answer: C. The title "Life on the River" and the pictures of a boat and a house are strong clues that the text will describe how people live and work on the water.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Predict (verb)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ទស្សន៍ទាយ
   To make a smart guess about what a text will be about by using clues. ↩ back to text
2. Title (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ចំណងជើង
   The name of a story or article, written at the top. ↩ back to text
3. Content (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ខ្លឹមសារ
   The ideas, facts, and information inside a text. ↩ back to text
4. Pre-reading Strategy (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: យុទ្ធសាស្ត្រមុនពេលអាន
   A special activity you do *before* you start reading to help you understand better. ↩ back to text

Homework Task

Become a Predictor!

Find an article in a simple English newspaper or a story in a book that has a title and a picture.

1. Cover the text with your hand or another piece of paper.
2. Look only at the Title and the Picture.
3. Write down your prediction in one sentence: "I predict this text will be about..."
4. Now, read the text. Was your prediction correct or close?