Strengthening Prediction Competencies in Reading through Using an Overhead Projector.

Readers need to be encouraged to combine prior knowledge with information gained from the text and then try to predict what will happen later in the text. The overhead projector is a valuable tool for enhancing instruction involving prediction. The process of gradually revealing text to a group of students, eliciting their predictions, evaluating their predictions, and then either confirming or gently refuting these predictions is a valuable learning activity. A short selection with an easily followed story line is recommended for this exercise. Preparation of transparencies requires obtaining a good clear copy of the material. Mounting the transparencies allows the transparency to lay flat on the projection surface glass, allows for a sharper image to be presented, and the mount provides space for writing notes concerning the transparency. Overhead transparencies need to be protected and stored in a manner that will permit efficient retrieval. The use of good reading materials presented on well-prepared overheads provides a rich instructional base for enhancing prediction competencies. (MG)