Story Prediction Practice
Predict what will happen next in a narrative based on story grammar and context.
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Ask why after every prediction. The balloon will fly away is the answer; because the string slipped is the reasoning, and only the reasoning transfers to a story the child has not heard. The one-cookie-two-children card is the most interesting, because it has a social outcome rather than a physical one and several plausible answers. Eight minutes covers the ten.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- Question promptAsk a story-grammar question: who, where, what was the problem, what happened next?Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two possible next parts of the story and let the student pick and say it.Log as cued
- ModelTell that part yourself; the student tells it back in their own words.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer parts, and keep a first-next-last visual on the table.
Ask for the retell without the pictures, with a feeling or a reason added to each part.
Matching IEP goal
Given a picture or story prompt, Student will tell a story that includes a character, setting, problem and ending in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one question prompt.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Ten story moments frozen just before something happens: the little pig sees the wolf at the door; Goldilocks hears the bears coming up the stairs; the boy's balloon string slips out of his hand; there is one cookie left and two children; the tower of blocks is leaning far to one side; the dog sees a squirrel and the leash is loose. Prediction is inference pointed forward, and these give it a story context.
What to listen for
Listen for predictions grounded in the evidence rather than in the child's wishes. A child who says the pig will win, on the wolf card, may be predicting from the story they know rather than the moment described — which is a legitimate strategy and a different one. Notice whether they can offer a second possibility, which is a more advanced move than a single confident answer.
Carrying it home
Pausing a story just before something happens takes two seconds and works with any book. Asking what comes next, and then reading on to check, is a routine children enjoy.
What's in this activity
- The little pig sees the wolf at the door. What will happen next?
- Goldilocks hears the bears coming up the stairs. What will happen next?
- The boy's balloon string slips out of his hand. What will happen next?
- The girl is carrying too many books down the stairs. What will happen next?
- It is starting to rain and nobody brought a coat. What will happen next?
- The cat is watching the fishbowl very closely. What will happen next?
- There is one cookie left and two children. What will happen next?
- The tower of blocks is leaning far to one side. What will happen next?
- The dog sees a squirrel and the leash is loose. What will happen next?
- Grandma is holding a wrapped box behind her back. What will happen next?
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Kindergarten through third grade, for early narrative comprehension.
- Do I need to sign in?
- No, all ten items play free in the browser.
- How is prediction different from inference?
- Prediction points forward from what is happening; inference works out something unstated about now or the past. Prediction is usually easier, which makes it a good starting point.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.