Predicting Through Drawing

Overview

This 10-minute activity encourages Year 1 pupils to use their imagination, prediction skills, and fine motor control—all while engaging with a story. It aligns with the National Curriculum for England by developing speaking and listening, and expressing ideas through drawing and writing.

National Curriculum Links

• English: Spoken Language
  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates (NC Year 1, Spoken Language 1a).
  • Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events (NC Year 1, Spoken Language 1b).
• English: Reading – Comprehension
  • Begin to predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far (NC Year 1, Reading – Comprehension 2f).
• Art and Design
  • Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products (NC Year 1, Art and Design 1a).
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education (implicit development)
  • Develop confidence and responsibility in speaking within a group.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, pupils will:

• Listen attentively to a story read aloud and demonstrate comprehension by predicting outcomes.
• Express their ideas confidently through drawing, linking imagery to narrative content.
• Develop early literacy and speaking skills by sharing their predictions with peers.

---

Resources Needed

• A carefully selected picture book with a strong narrative and clear, suspenseful moments
• Large drawing sheets or individual sketch books for each child
• Crayons, coloured pencils, or felt tips
• Whiteboard or large paper for recording children’s predictions (optional)

Suggested story: “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

• Why? It has repetitive, predictable structure with exciting pauses that naturally invite prediction and drawing.

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (2 minutes)

• Gather children in a comfy reading area.
• Introduce the story title and invite children to listen carefully.
• Explain that at parts of the story, you will pause and ask them to draw what they think will happen next.

Link to NC: Spoken Language 1a, 1b

2. Story Reading with Pauses (6 minutes)

• Begin reading “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”.
• At a key moment (e.g., just before entering the dark forest or crossing the river), pause.
• Ask children: “What do you think will happen next?”
• Provide individual drawing materials and encourage children to draw their predictions.
• Circulate to support ideas, ask open questions (“Why do you think that?”), and encourage detail in drawings.

Link to NC: Reading – Comprehension 2f; Art and Design 1a

3. Sharing and Reflection (2 minutes)

• Invite 2-3 volunteers to share their drawings and explain their predictions.
• Celebrate different ideas and encourage positive listening.
• Finish reading the story to see what actually happens, encouraging children to compare the real ending with their predictions.

Link to NC: Spoken Language 1a, 1b

---

Assessment and Differentiation

Formative Assessment

• Observe participation and enthusiasm during drawing and discussion.
• Note understanding of narrative flow and prediction ability through children’s artwork and verbal explanations.

Differentiation Strategies

• Support less confident drawers by encouraging simple shapes and colours.
• Challenge advanced pupils by asking them to include more story detail or write simple captions.
• Use visual prompts and repeat story sections for those needing reinforcement.

---

Extension Ideas (for use beyond 10 minutes)

• Create a ‘What Happens Next?’ wall gallery displaying all drawings and predictions.
• Turn favourite predictions into a class storybook, writing simple sentences to accompany children’s pictures.
• Role-play the story using props, inviting children to act out their predictions.

---

This highly interactive, multisensory approach nurtures early literacy, creative expression, speaking confidence, and active listening—all fundamental to Year 1 learning in England’s National Curriculum. The blend of reading, drawing, and discussion ensures engagement and skill development in a fresh, memorable way.