Strategies That Work: Making Inferences Megan Dunne, Margaret Walsh, Amanda Fisch

Definition of an Inference “Reading between the lines” Drawing a conclusion or making an interpretation that is not explicitly stated in the text What you know + clues from the text = an inference Allows readers to grasp the deeper essence of the texts they read The more information readers acquire, the more likely they will make a reasonable inference.

The Inferring Umbrella

In the Classroom: Inferential Questioning Require readers to come up with answers that are not directly stated in the text Have them search for evidence to back up their answers Teach them to use information from the text to support their inferences Teach students to merge their personal thinking with clues from the text & determine the author’s underlying messge

Where can this be used? Guided reading Independent reading Running records Interactive read alouds Partner reading Reading groups

Inference vs. prediction When you make predictions, your prediction will be proven or disproven by the end of the story. When inferring, you may or may not find out the answer. When inferring, you are making a guess about what a character will do, how they feel and other judgments. A prediction is a type of inference. A prediction is always about the future, an inference may be about the present.

Where can they be used? Text Art Movies Pictures Real Life Feelings

An Example http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/inferchar.cfm

More Examples Someone is holding an umbrella. You can infer… Your friend is not in school today. You can infer… You see a fire engine on your street. You can infer… If you forget to study for a test, you can infer… If you see someone with a cast on their leg, you can infer… If you forget to return a library book, you can infer…