Inspiring Story Predictions

Overview

This 28-minute lesson is designed to engage Year 3 pupils in making predictions using clues from the book Grace and Family by Mary Hoffman. It introduces pupils to key reading objectives within the National Curriculum for England and encourages critical thinking and speaking and listening skills.

National Curriculum Links

• English – Reading (Year 3):
  • Comprehension – Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:
    • Listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks (NC KS2, English PoS)
    • Drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher (NC KS2, English PoS)
    • Discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination (NC KS2, English PoS)
  • Speaking and Listening:
    • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.
    • Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge.
• Writing (Year 3):
  • Using discussion to organise ideas and choose appropriate vocabulary.

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Learning Objectives

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

• Use visual and verbal clues from the book cover and title to make thoughtful predictions about the text (reading comprehension).
• Articulate and justify their predictions in a group discussion, developing confidence in speaking and listening.
• Demonstrate active listening by responding to peers’ ideas with relevant questions or comments.

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Resources

• Copy of Grace and Family by Mary Hoffman (front cover and title visible only)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Prediction recording worksheets (one per pupil)
• Visual clues flashcards (key images related to the themes in the book, e.g., family, adventure, friendship)

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Lesson Structure

1. Hook – Mystery Book Introduction (5 minutes)

• Show the front cover of Grace and Family but cover the back and any blurb or synopsis.
• Pose the question: “What do you think this story might be about?”
• Use ‘think, pair, share’: pupils first think individually then share ideas with a partner.

Purpose: Engages pupils’ curiosity and activates prior knowledge related to family, adventure, or friendship themes.

2. Guided Exploration – Visual Clues Analysis (7 minutes)

• Present flashcards of key images (e.g., family members, cityscape, a flying object) and relate each to the cover image.
• Facilitate a whole-class discussion:
  • “What can these pictures tell us about the story?”
  • “Why might the author have chosen this title?”
• Record key vocabulary and ideas on the whiteboard (e.g., family, courage, journey).

3. Prediction Writing (10 minutes)

• Distribute prediction worksheets with sections:
  • Title: Write down the book’s title.
  • Picture clues: List 3 things they notice on the cover or flashcards.
  • My prediction: Write 2-3 sentences predicting what happens in the story and why.
• Encourage children to use the vocabulary generated in the discussion.

4. Sharing and Reflecting (5 minutes)

• Invite 4-5 pupils to share their predictions with the class.
• Encourage others to ask questions or add to the ideas shared, modelling respectful listening and questioning.
• Reinforce that predictions are guesses based on evidence, and they will see if they are right when they read the story.

5. Plenary and Next Steps (1 minute)

• Summarise: “Today we used clues to predict a story’s content—a skill that helps readers understand and enjoy books.”
• Explain that next lesson the class will begin reading Grace and Family to see how close their predictions were.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of participation in discussions and quality of predictions written.
• Use prediction worksheets to assess pupils’ ability to infer meaning from visual and title clues, linking back to the National Curriculum’s reading and comprehension objectives.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters on prediction worksheets (“I think this story might be about... because...”)
• Challenge: Ask more able pupils to consider the author’s possible purpose or how the cover might mislead a reader.

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WOW Factor

Incorporate a short dramatic role-play activity for future lessons where pupils can step into the shoes of the characters they predicted, deepening empathy and engagement with the text. Suggest using the cover image as a "prop" for creative storytelling to extend learning beyond the lesson.

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This lesson plan combines evidence-based literacy strategies with creative engagement techniques to inspire Year 3 pupils and meet statutory national curriculum standards for English.