You might use cut-out shapes to teach them patterns. Organize a basic pattern by alternating shapes. For example, you might lay out a square, a circle, a square, a circle, and a square. Ask the child, “What shape goes next?” As they get older, you can introduce more advanced patterns with more shapes. Try pointing out patterns in nature as well. For example, after it rains, you could look for rainbows. Identify cause and effect in everyday situations too. For example, you could mention that if you arrive to the store too late, then it will be closed. [2] X Research source
Before you eat a meal, ask them what they think it will taste like. You can ask, “If I gave you a spoonful of honey, would it taste sweet or sour?” You might ask them to predict the weather. For example, you could say, “The sky is cloudy today. Do you think it will rain?” Five minutes into their favorite cartoon, you can ask, “What do you think will happen?”
For example, you can ask them, “What happened the last time you skipped your nap?” They might answer that they were sleepy or that they became grumpy. You can also ask them if they think the same thing will happen again this time. For example, you can say, “Do you think that will happen again? Why do you say that?”
You might say, “I see you think that the sun will set before dinner today. Why do you say that?” Another way of saying it is, “So you think that the coin will land on heads? Why do you think that is?”
Small objects work well for this activity. You can put marbles, coins, beans, or dice in the box. A small ticking watch or a wind-up car might also work well. You can prepare multiple boxes with different objects inside. Ask the child to note the differences between each box. Is one heavier than another? Do they sound different when you shake them? What do they think is in each box?
For example, show a child an advertisement with a spilled cup of coffee. Ask them, “What do you think will happen next?” They might say that someone has to clean up the mess or that they need another cup of coffee. Advertisements and news stories are a good source for images to use in this activity.
For example, you might ask them to look at a coconut, a stuffed animal, sandpaper, a raincoat, an ice cube, and a brush. For each object, you can ask, “What do you think this will feel like?” If they are unsure, try giving them a few options. You can say, “Bumpy? Prickly? Smooth? Cold? Warm?”
“What if I put salt instead of sugar in your tea? What would it taste like?” “What if the sun didn’t rise? Would it be warm or cold? Dark or light?” “What if everything you touched turned into candy? What if you touched your friend?” “What if we went to the moon? What would you see there?”
You can ask: “By looking at the cover, what do you think this story is about?” Follow the question up by asking: “Why do you think that? What clues tell you that?”[7] X Research source
You can say, “Is this what you thought would happen? What do you think will happen now?” Keep encouraging them to pick up on clues, both in the pictures and in the text. You can say, “Can you point to any clues that tell you that?”
You can say, “Was this what you predicted would happen?” If they did predict the ending, you might say, “Good job. How did you know?” If they did not predict the ending, you might say, “Are there any clues that you missed that could have helped you predict the ending?”
