I Think I See, I Wonder

Overview

A 30-minute engaging session designed to develop Year 5 pupils’ critical thinking, inference, and comprehension skills through the "I Think I See, I Wonder" thinking strategy. This lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for England's focus on reading comprehension, speaking and listening, and developing inferential understanding.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Reading: Make inferences from a range of texts (National Curriculum KS2 English: Reading - Comprehension)
• Speaking & Listening: Participate in discussions, ask relevant questions, and provide evidence to support ideas (National Curriculum KS2 English: Speaking and Listening)
• Vocabulary: Use evidence from the text to explain meaning and clarify ideas (National Curriculum KS2 English: Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation)

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Curriculum Links

• Reading (Year 5) - "Retrieve and record information from fiction and non-fiction."
• Reading (Year 5) - "Explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read."
• Speaking & Listening - "Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes."

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Resources

• Copies of a short, descriptive extract from a Year 5-appropriate fiction or non-fiction text (approx. 2 paragraphs)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Sticky notes or small cards
• Visual prompt: an intriguing, detailed image related to the text topic (e.g., a mysterious forest scene or ancient artefact)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Briefly explain the "I Think I See, I Wonder" strategy:
  • I Think I See: What do you notice or observe? What details stand out?
  • I Wonder: What questions does this make you ask? What do you want to find out more about?
• Demonstrate the strategy using the visual prompt. Write examples on the board together (e.g., "I think I see shadows moving among the trees. I wonder what is making the shadows.")
• Link this to reading comprehension and how it helps us understand and explore the text deeply.

2. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Hand out copies of the chosen text extract.
• Read the extract aloud as a class (or play an audio recording if available to add interest).
• In pairs, pupils use sticky notes or cards to write down:
  • 2 observations starting with “I think I see...” based on the text
  • 2 questions starting with “I wonder...” about parts they find curious or unclear
• Circulate the room, prompting deeper thinking and supporting pupils to refer back to the text for evidence.

3. Group Discussion (10 minutes)

• Bring the class together, and invite pairs to share one or two of their “I Think I See” and “I Wonder” statements.
• Write these on the whiteboard in two columns.
• As a class, discuss:
  • How the observations help paint a clearer picture of the scene or information in the text
  • Ways the questions could be answered by further reading, research, or inference
  • Encourage pupils to back up their points with evidence from the text

4. Independent Reflection & Exit Task (5 minutes)

• Each pupil writes a short paragraph starting with:
  “After using ‘I Think I See, I Wonder’, I understand that... and I still wonder...”
• Collect these as an informal assessment of their ability to infer meaning and ask meaningful questions.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe pupils’ ability to generate relevant observations and questions during paired and group activities.
• Review the final written reflections to assess understanding of inference and critical questioning skills.
• Informally assess speaking and listening skills in discussions (confidence, clarity, ability to provide textual evidence).

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for pupils who need help formulating observations or questions.
• Challenge: Encourage more able pupils to suggest possible answers to their “I Wonder” questions, using inference and deduction.
• Use mixed ability pairs to encourage peer support.

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Extension Ideas

• Connect this strategy to other subjects, e.g., science observations and questions about an experiment.
• Use the strategy to explore illustrations in picture books or art to develop multimodal comprehension skills.

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This structured approach uses a thinking routine proven to deepen comprehension and curiosity in Year 5 pupils, fostering key skills that align directly with the National Curriculum's English reading and speaking standards. The lesson is dynamic, pupil-centred, and evidence-based, with built-in assessment and differentiation for an inclusive classroom.