Learn How to Predict and Summarise Events

Prediction

Read the passage below.

When they were exploring the nature garden, Lily, Max, Mila and Jake stumbled across an injured bird. Its feathers looked tangled and faded. Its little, shaking chirps echoed around the garden.

With pounding hearts, they gently picked up the poor bird. The four children looked at each other and nodded.

What might happen next?

To answer this question, you need to use your prediction skills.

Predictions are clever guesses about what might happen next.

We use information from the text to guide our guesses.

The children have picked up an injured bird and all look at each other and nod.

As they are nodding, it’s like they’ve agreed a plan without saying it.

We can predict that they’ll do something to help the bird, such as take it to a rescue centre or the vet.

Ordering Events

Sometimes, we're asked to order events from a story.

In which order did these three events from the passage happen?

The children saw the injured bird.

The children entered the garden.

The children all looked at each other.

Did you spot the correct order here?

1. The children entered the garden.
2. The children saw the injured bird.
3. The children all looked at each other.

Summarising

As well as ordering and prediction questions, you can also be asked summarising questions.

Summarising questions ask us to pick out the key points from a text that are really important.

Can you sum up the passage you have just read in no more than 10 words?

Here’s one summary:

Four children worriedly help an injured bird.

In this activity, you’ll be practising your prediction, ordering and summarising skills. Good luck.