What is the role of a reading strategy called "predicting" in comprehension?

The reading strategy known as "predicting" plays a vital role in comprehension by encouraging readers to anticipate what will happen next in the text. This proactive approach engages the reader’s cognitive skills, allowing them to make connections between the text they are reading and their own prior knowledge or experiences. By formulating hypotheses about the progression of the narrative or the argument being presented, readers become more invested in the content and are motivated to read further to see if their predictions hold true.

Moreover, predicting fosters critical thinking, as readers must analyze hints provided by the author—such as character behavior, plot development, or climatic language—to generate their expectations. This not only aids in maintaining interest but also enhances understanding and retention of the material, as readers remain actively involved in the learning process.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the nature of the predicting strategy. For instance, predicting is not about guessing answers without reading; it requires engagement with the text. Additionally, it does not involve ignoring previous context; rather, it relies on integrating information already provided in the reading. Focusing solely on key vocabulary words also misses the broader context and nuance that predicting brings to overall comprehension.