Think Aloud Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Mariah Luring

Date: 11/16 Group Size: 20 Allotted Time: 20 Grade Level: 1st
Subject or Topic: Making Predictions
Common Core/PA Standard(s):
● ​Standard - CC.1.3.1.B: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
● Standard - CC.1.5.1.B: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key
details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

Learning Targets/Objectives: The first grade students will be able to utilize the
comprehension strategy of making predictions by using text and picture clues to guess what
will happen next in the story, The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1. Observations 1. The teacher will listen to the student’s
predictions during turn and talks and
shares.
Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
● Concepts of print (cover pages, title page, author)
Key Vocabulary:
● Prediction: a guess you make using text or picture clues.
● Trembled (pg 14): to be affected with great fear or anxiety.
● Cautiously (pg 20): careful to avoid potential problems or dangers
Content/Facts:
● A prediction is a guess using pictures or text clues to figure out what will happen next
in a story. Good readers make predictions:
○ Before reading: good readers look at the title and illustrations to make
predictions
○ During reading: good readers stop and predict what will happen next in the
story using text and picture clues
○ After reading: good readers adjust or confirm their predictions at the end of a
story
● Making predictions is a comprehension strategy that allows students to better
understand what they are reading.

Anticipatory Set
● The teacher says, “Good afternoon readers! Today we are going to read the story The
Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing. Thanksgiving is a special holiday that is
coming up in a few days! I want you to turn and talk to your neighbor and share one
thing that you know about Thanksgiving or something that you like to do on
Thanksgiving.”
○ The teacher will allow students time to turn and talk.
 ● The teacher says, “I want you to notice the front cover of this book. I see two
characters. What do you think we can tell already about these two characters just by
looking at their facial expressions? How do you think each character is feeling?”
○ The teacher will call on a few students to share.
○ The students may share that the girl character looks excited and happy and she
is grabbing the arm of the boy character who looks very worried.
● The teacher says, “Now let’s look at the back cover. What do you notice on the back
cover?”
○ The students may notice the two dogs wearing sweaters.
● The teacher says, “Friends, when we read our story today, we are going to be making
predictions throughout our book! Raise your hand if you remember what the word
prediction means?”
○ Teachers may call on a few students to share what they think a prediction is.
● The teacher will reference the anchor chart. “When we predict, we become first grade
detectives! We will look for clues in the story, like words or pictures, to help us guess
what we think is going to happen next. Good readers when they read make predictions
throughout the story to help them to better understand what they are reading.”
● The teacher says, “We are going to read to find out about what happens to our two
characters in their Thanksgiving escape, and we are going to be making predictions
along the way to better understand the story.”

Development/Teaching Approaches
● The teacher will open the story to the title page. The teacher will model the strategy of
making predictions by saying:
○ “Friends, even before I start reading our story, I already am thinking of a
prediction I can make from looking at the title page. Just like my anchor chart
says, I am going to be a detective and use the picture on this page to help me
make a prediction. I see that there are a lot of people walking into this house.
The people are carrying big plates and bowls of food! I am going to make a
prediction that there are going to be a lot of people at this Thanksgiving dinner.
Now that I made my prediction, I am going to read to find out if my prediction
was right or not. Remember, good readers make predictions to better understand
what they are reading!”
○ The teacher will continue reading the story to check if the prediction was
correct or needs to be revised.
● The teacher will stop reading at the end of page 6. The teacher will model the strategy
of making predictions by saying:
○ “Readers, I am going to stop and make a prediction! My anchor chart says that I
can use text, or the words in the story, to make predictions about what is going
to happen next. Rhonda said that she wants to “break-out of here” and “that
sometimes you have to make your own fun”. I am going to make a prediction
that Rhonda is going to have a sneaky plan to get her and Gavin out of the kids
room. Remember, good readers become detectives and make predictions to help
them better understand the story!”
○ The teacher will continue reading the story to check if the prediction was
correct or needs to be revised.
● The teacher will stop reading at the end of page 14. The teacher will model the strategy
of making predictions by saying:
○ “Readers, I have a prediction! I am going to use the words and pictures on this
page, like my anchor chart says, to make my prediction! I see in my picture that
Rhonda is being grabbed by one of the aunts, and Gavin said “it was too late…”
I am going to make a prediction that Rhonda is going to find a way to escape
the aunt who grabbed her! Remember, good readers make predictions to help
them better understand what they are reading!”
○ The teacher will continue reading the story to check if the prediction was
correct or needs to be revised.
● The teacher will stop reading the story at the end of page 20. The teacher will guide the
students into making their own predictions by saying:
○ “Readers, I want you to look at this picture (referencing the picture of Rhonda
and Gavin looking into the dark doorway in the basement). You are going to be
a detective and use the picture to make a prediction about what you think will
happen next in the story.”
○ The teacher will have the students turn to their neighbor and share predictions.
○ The teacher will call on a few students to share their predictions with the class
and why they made that prediction based on the picture.
○ The teacher will continue reading the story and the student’s will see if their
predictions were correct or if they need to be revised.
● The teacher will stop reading at the end of page 24. The teacher will guide the students
into making their own predictions by saying:
○ “Readers, we are going to be detectives and use the words on this page to make
a prediction about what is going to happen next in the story! The author said
that “Rhonda grabbed Gavin just before they were surrounded.” I want you to
turn and talk to your neighbor and make a prediction about whether or not you
think that Rhonda and Gavin are going to get away!”
○ The teacher will have the students turn to their neighbor and share predictions.
○ The teacher will call on a few students to share their predictions with the class
and why they made that prediction based on the text.
○ The teacher will continue reading the story and the student’s will see if their
predictions were correct or if they need to be revised.
● The teacher will stop reading at the end of page 28. The teacher will guide the students
into making their own predictions by saying:
○ “Readers, we are going to use the words and pictures in our story to make a
prediction about what is going to happen next. Gavin is telling Rhonda what she
told him in the beginning of the story, that “sometimes you have to make your
own fun.” I want you to turn and talk to your other neighbor, the person on the
other side of you, and share a prediction that you have about what is going to
happen next.”
○ The teacher will have the students turn to their neighbor and share predictions.
○ The teacher will call on a few students to share their predictions with the class
and why they made that prediction based on the text.
○ The teacher will continue reading the story and the student’s will see if their
predictions were correct or if they need to be revised.
 ● The teacher will finish reading the story.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
● The teacher says, “After they are done reading, good readers go back and check to see
if their predictions were correct or not! I made a prediction before we read our story
that there were going to be a lot of people in the house for Thanksgiving dinner. Now
that we have read the story, do you think that my prediction was correct? Why or why
not?”
○ The teacher will call on some students to say whether or not they think the
prediction was correct. The students may say the prediction was accurate
because of all of the different people that Gavin and Rhonda ran into throughout
the story (babies, aunts, teenagers, etc.).
● The teacher says, “Turn and talk to your neighbor, what did you think about the book?”
○ The teacher calls on a few students to share what they thought about the book.
● The teacher will reference the anchor chart. “Readers, you did a great job making
predictions throughout our story. Remember, when we predict, we become first grade
detectives! We look for clues in the story, like words or pictures, to help us guess what
is going to happen next. Good readers when they read make predictions throughout the
story to help them to better understand what they are reading. Today and everyday
when you are reading, I want you to remember the strategy of making predictions!”

Accommodations/Differentiation:
● For advanced learners: Students may be able to listen to the story and be able to
make their own predictions throughout the reading, not just at stopping points
prompted by the teacher. These students may also have the option to write down their
predictions as they come to them on a sticky note or notebook.
● For struggling learners: Students will be able to sit up in the front row of the story in
order to see the book clearer. Students will be given thought starters such as “I
predict___ will happen because…” or “I think ____ will happen because…” with
assistance from the teacher.

Materials/Resources:

Anchor chart idea:

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels:
● The students did very well with this lesson. They were really excited to read the story.
The students really love when we read stories, so I was excited to see how they would
like this one. I wanted the students to understand why making predictions is important
when they are reading, and how we make predictions. I guided the students through 3
predictions that I did on my own. Then, to see how the students understanded how to
make predictions, I asked them to make three different predictions. While the students
made their predictions, I listened in on their turn and talks. I then had the students share
some of their predictions and what clues they used in the story to help them. Overall, the
students did great during this lesson and were able to use the text and pictures to make
their predictions.

Personal Reflection Questions:

● Were the students engaged?
○ The students love hearing stories. They were sitting on the brown carpet pretzel
style in their rows. I first introduced the story and a few students said that they
heard about it before. The students were really interested in the dogs on the back
cover. Throughout the story, the students were engaged. When I made a
prediction, the students were discussing whether they thought I was right or not.
Then, when they made their own predictions, they were engaged in the turn and
talks and wanted to share their predictions with me. Overall, I think that the
students were very engaged throughout the story.
● What did I do well?
○ I think something that I did well was making the story exciting for the students.
When I do a read aloud, I try to make it as exciting for them as I can by reading
with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. I move my voice up and down at
different parts of the story. I think that this strategy helps the students stay
involved and excited throughout the book.
● What can I improve?
 ○ I think that something I could improve was pointing out some of the little details
in the story. After the lesson, my mentor mentioned one thing in the book that I
could have explained better to the students to help them make a prediction. It was
an illustration of shadows. She suggested how I could have pointed this out to the
students. This was something that I did not notice when planning the think aloud.
Sometimes I also think my pacing could be a little better. I sometimes think I am
going too fast and need to remember to slow down and think about all of the
things I need to do or say.My mentor did tell me that she thought the lesson went
very well.

Additional reflection/thoughts:
● I think that the lesson went very well. I am glad that I chose the strategy of making
predictions because I was between predicting or asking questions. I think that predictions
worked the best with my book. The book I chose was perfect for the holiday of
Thanksgiving coming up so I was able to connect their background knowledge. I think
that the students really enjoyed turning and talking throughout as well. I thought that
having the students turn into “detectives” was a good idea because it gives them a role to
play while reading. I am very happy with how the students understood the concept of
making predictions and that they really were engaged in the story the whole time.

My anchor chart: