The Reading Thinkers Team: Patrick Penguin and the Power of Prediction

Meet Patrick Penguin!

Waddle on over and meet Patrick Penguin the Predictor! Patrick is one of of the four members that make up The Reading Thinkers Team. His strength is that he is always looking ahead, wondering what might happen next in a story. Patrick the Penguin loves using what he already knows to make smart guesses.

When Patrick reads, he’s like a story detective—always piecing together clues from the pictures, the words, and what he already knows from real life. Best of all, he doesn’t mind being wrong! He just updates his prediction and keeps going.

“I think reading gets even better when we wonder what comes next!”
Patrick Penguin

Why Prediction Helps Young Readers

Predicting helps young readers become active thinkers and build their comprehension skills. Rather than just listening or reading quietly, they get curious, engaged, and excited to find out what will happen next.

When children predict:

They connect to what they already know (background knowledge).
They pay closer attention to characters and events.
They check back in with their own thinking as they read.

This keeps their brains working while their eyes are reading.

Helping Kids Grow This Skill

Here are some fun and easy ways to build strong prediction habits with Patrick Penguin’s help:

Model Predictive Thinking

Pause before reading a new book. Look at the title and cover together, point out some elements, and come up with one to three questions to get your little learner thinking about what the story could be about. Here are a couple examples:

“Hmm, I see a big red boot on the cover stuck in the mud. I wonder… who could this boot belong to and how did it become stuck in the mud?”

“Look at this hedgehog, why do you think he is wearing a backpack? Look at his big open mouth and raised eyebrows, do you think he feels scared, surprised, amazed, or frustrated? Why do you think he feels that way? … Let’s find out if there are more clues in the story to help us know if are right or if he feels a different feeling.”

Pause and Predict While Reading

Stop at key points in the story and ask:

“What do you think will happen next?”
“Why do you think that?”
“What makes you say that?”

Encourage children to give reasons for their guesses.

Vocabulary Quest

Word: Snuggle

Meaning: to get cozy with someone or something you love, like giving a big, warm hug or cuddling up with a soft blanket or stuffed animal.

Ex: All the penguins waddled into a group huddle, declaring it a “snuggle shuffle” to stay warm on the ice.

Curious Queries Corner?

Stir up your learner’s imagination and create some conversation and connection by asking an unusual question.

Would you rather have spaghetti hair you can eat anytime or rainbow fingers that change colors when you wiggle them?

Monitor and Revise Predictions

When you get to a part that proves or changes a prediction, celebrate it!

“Oh! That’s not what we thought would happen. Let’s change our prediction!”
“That’s just what we guessed—high five!”

Patrick reminds kids that it’s okay to make a guess that doesn’t turn out to be right. That’s how readers grow!

Teach Patrick’s Predicting Phrase

Here is a sentence that can help young learners start making great predictions: “I think ___ will happen because ___.”

This sentence frame helps young readers move beyond wild guesses and make thoughtful, evidence-based predictions.

The key word is “because.” It prompts kids to use clues from the story or pictures to support their thinking.

Examples:

“I think the bear will run away because he looks scared.”
“I think it will rain because the clouds are dark and the birds are flying away.”

Over time, using this frame helps students learn to pause, think about what they know, and make text-based inferences—a powerful skill that helps readers grasp the meaning indented by the author and enjoy the story more.