Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies: B1 Lesson 3: Making Predictions and Checking Understanding While Reading

Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies

B1 Lesson 3: Making Predictions and Checking Understanding While Reading

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Become an Active Reader!

Fluent readers are not passive; they are active readers¹. This means their mind is working while they read. They constantly think, question, and guess what will happen next. This is called making predictions².

Today, we will learn the active reading cycle: Predict, Read, Check, and Revise⁴. This strategy keeps you engaged and dramatically improves your comprehension.

The Active Reading Cycle

1. Predict: Look at the title and any pictures. Make a quick guess about what the text will be about.
2. Read: Read the first section or paragraph of the text.
3. Pause & Check: Stop reading. Was your prediction correct? What new information do you have?
4. Revise & Repeat: Make a new prediction about what will happen next. Then, continue reading to see if you are right!

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Practice Active Reading: "The Unexpected Storm"

Let's practice the cycle with this short story.

Step 1: Predict
The title is "The Unexpected Storm". Our first prediction is that this story will be about a sudden, bad storm.

Step 2: Read Part 1

Sophea and her friend Dara planned a perfect day trip. They decided to rent a kayak to explore the quiet mangroves near Kampot. The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky when they started, and the water was completely calm. They paddled for an hour, enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature.

Step 3: Pause & Check

• Was our first prediction right so far? No. The weather is actually perfect.
• What do we know now? We know the title is about a storm, but the story starts with good weather.

Step 4: Revise Prediction
Our new prediction is that the weather will probably change very suddenly and become bad.

Now, let's read Part 2 to check our new prediction.

Suddenly, Dara pointed to the west. Dark, grey clouds were moving in quickly. The wind picked up, creating small waves on the once-calm water. "I think we should head back," Sophea said nervously. They turned the kayak around and started paddling hard against the wind, hoping to reach the shore before the storm hit.

Final Check: Was our revised prediction correct? Yes! The weather changed suddenly. By predicting and checking, we were more engaged in the story and understood the characters' feelings of urgency.

Your Turn to Predict!

Practice Quiz

Read the first part of a story below.

Rithy put his groceries on the kitchen table and reached into his pocket for his moto keys. His pocket was empty. He checked his other pocket. Nothing. He quickly checked the small bag he carried and his backpack. Still nothing. His heart began to beat a little faster as he realized he could not find them anywhere.

Based on this paragraph, what is the most logical prediction for what Rithy will do next?

• A. He will start cooking dinner.
• B. He will begin carefully searching the places he was at earlier today.
• C. He will decide to sell his moto.

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Answer: B. The text shows he is worried and has already checked his pockets and bags. The next logical step is to retrace his steps and search the places he visited.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Active Reading (noun phrase)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការអានសកម្ម
   Engaging with a text by thinking, questioning, and making predictions as you read. ↩ back to text
2. Making Predictions (verb phrase)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: បង្កើតការទស្សន៍ទាយ
   To make a smart guess about what will happen next in a text based on clues. ↩ back to text
3. Checking Understanding (verb phrase)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការពិនិត្យមើលការយល់ដឹង
   The act of pausing during reading to ask yourself, "Do I understand this? Was my prediction correct?" ↩ back to text
4. Revise (verb)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: កែសម្រួល
   To change or correct a prediction based on new information you have read. ↩ back to text

Homework Task

Practice Active Reading!

Find a short story or news article in English.

1. Read only the title and write down your first prediction.
2. Read the first paragraph. Pause and write down if your prediction was correct.
3. Make a new prediction about what the rest of the article will be about.
4. Read the rest of the article to check your final prediction!