Have your preschoolers imagine what happens next with an activity that asks them to continue the story. After you read a story, ask your class to think about what might happen to each of the characters. You can ask one student what might happen to one character and another student about another character. Phrase each question to help guide each of your student's answers. For example, if you read "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," ask your students if they think the Grinch will stay nice. If not, ask what might cause him to become mean again.
Encourage your class to pay attention during story time by telling them you will be asking questions about the story after you are done reading. Once you have completed the book, ask specific questions about the reading. You should ask questions that students can easily recall, rather than focusing on obscure details of the story like what characters were wearing or eating. Ask questions that pertain to the overall plot of the story.
Ask your students to identify their favorite character in the story you have just read. Once your students have identified their favorite character, ask them what happened to the character in the story, as well as why they like that character. You might also ask additional details about their favorite character like, "Where did the character go in the story?" or "Who was the character's best friend in the story?"
Have your students create crafts based on the story you have just read. Choose a simple scene for each student to re-create with their craft. Ask your students to draw the scene and include each of the characters in the scene. They may use simple stick figures for this project and you may help them create their crafts. Afterwards, have each preschooler explain who is in their scene and what is going on.