1. Thinking Deeper SPI 0501.5.7 Determine appropriate inferences and draw conclusions from text.

2. Inference Using clues from the story to figure out something the author doesn’t tell you, such as the story’s theme or the author’s purpose.

3. What kind of clues? Clues can be: Pictures or illustrations What a character says or does Prior knowledge you have of the subject Information you have read before

4. Now make a guess… You should make an educated guess. Your guess needs to make sense. Sometimes this is called “reading between the lines.”

5. Examples Think about the story Little Red Riding Hood. What was the author’s purpose for writing this story? What is the theme of this story?

6. I can infer that the theme could be: Don’t talk to strangers Don’t give your address to strangers Be careful who you trust Mind your parents

7. Think about the story Miss Nelson is Missing. What can you infer about the author’s purpose for writing this story? What is the theme of this story?

8. I can infer that the theme could be: Be nice to teachers! Teachers can be tricky. You should always be on your best behavior.

9. Drawing Conclusions Using all the information you’ve read to figure out what happened in a story. Sometimes, the author leaves the ending open. The reader has to determine what happened. Good readers think deeper to draw a logical conclusion.

10. Examples Think of the Harry Potter stories. What can you conclude about the characters in the story from the first book?

11. I can conclude that: The characters will return to Hogwarts School the next year. The characters will remain friends. Something scary will happen.

12. Good Readers… Use their brain to think deeper in order to make inferences and draw conclusions from every story!