Guessing With Clues

Imagine you walk outside and the sky is dark gray, the air smells wet, and you can hear thunder far away. What do you think is about to happen? You probably guessed: rain! And you did not guess that randomly. You used clues. Today we are going to learn about predictions — and you will see that you already make them every single day.

What Is a Prediction?

A prediction is a smart guess about what will happen next. The important word is smart. A prediction is not a wild random guess. It is a guess you make because you noticed something — a clue. Clues come from what you see, hear, feel, or remember. When you put clues together, your brain figures out what is most likely to happen. That is predicting! Here is an example: your little brother always cries right before he gets hungry. When you hear him starting to fuss, you predict he will want a snack soon. You are using past experience as a clue.

Let us walk through a prediction together. Situation: You are playing outside. Your friend is running toward you with a huge smile on her face. Clues: She is running. She is smiling. She usually runs like that when she has exciting news. Prediction: She probably has exciting news to share! You used the clues to make a smart guess. You did not know for sure — but clues made your guess much better than just picking randomly.

Predictions are everywhere in your day. When you smell pancakes cooking, you predict breakfast is ready. When a friend yawns over and over, you predict they are tired. When a song is almost over, you predict silence is coming next. Each time, you are using clues to make a smart guess about what comes next.