A student glancing at a text and predicting “It is about dolphins” is just not good enough. This surface level prediction will not help them as much as an informed prediction, a prediction that will move them forward in comprehending big ideas in the text. This is an example of the kind of prediction we need to teach for:
I think this book is going to be about the dolphins that live in Shark Bay which is off the coast of Australia. I know that because I thought about the title and the map that was on one of the first pages. I also think it’s going to tell me about families of dolphins and different types of dolphins because the captions and photographs I previewed included details about…
How do we help students do this?
Model for Students
Model using a mnemonic like HIP, TELL, or THIEVES and “think aloud” about what your predictions are because of what you learned while previewing. As I do this, I post the text I’m previewing – using a document camera or a Smart board. As I think aloud, I point to the features I’m examining as a visual scaffold for students. I’ve also modeled taking notes about what I’m learning during the preview – just to reinforce thinking carefully about what I’m learning during the preview. Then gradually release responsibility to the students for doing more of the work.
CAUTION. I would not over teach this concept. Teach it briefly and then refer to the mnemonic as a reminder every time you preview a source with students until you see them doing it quickly and efficiently.
Sample Anchor Charts
BTW When we teach students to be thieves, I refrain from using the word “steal” and lean more on the idea of getting ahead. For more information about THIEVES (Manz, 2002) see two previous blog entries I’ve written. Links are below. The information in these blog entries is relevant to what you might do with HIP and TELL as well.
- Start the year with THIEVES and a clear purpose for predicting/previewing
- Rethinking use of “THIEVES” – not teaching “in order of T-H-“
Hope this helps.
Sunday
Original source for THIEVES – Manz, S. L. (2002). A strategy for previewing textbooks: Teacher readers to become THIEVES. The Reading Teacher, 55(4), 434.
UPDATED JANUARY 2025
