Making inferences is a reading strategy where "readers think about and search the text, and sometimes use personal knowledge to construct meaning beyond what is literally stated" (Into the Book, 2015). In other words, students use clues found in the text to determine what the information really means. Observations happen when people physically see things happen. On the contrary, "inferences are what we figure out based on an experience" (Reading Rockets, 2015). It's important to remember that making inferences is a skill that is developed over time and requires student to make connections to multiple pieces of information.
According to Gunning (2013), "Two approaches enhance the ability to make inferences: building background [knowledge] and teaching specific strategies for making inferences." One specific strategy that can be used when students are learning to make inferences are the "It Says - I Say - And So" prompts. These prompts guide students while they make inferences about the text. For the It Says prompt, students locate information from the text which will help the reader answer an initial question. Under I Say, students think and write about what they already know about the text. They activate their prior knowledge to make connection and record their thinking. Finally for the And So prompt, students put together information they located from the text and what they already know to make an inference.
According to Gunning (2013), "Two approaches enhance the ability to make inferences: building background [knowledge] and teaching specific strategies for making inferences." One specific strategy that can be used when students are learning to make inferences are the "It Says - I Say - And So" prompts. These prompts guide students while they make inferences about the text. For the It Says prompt, students locate information from the text which will help the reader answer an initial question. Under I Say, students think and write about what they already know about the text. They activate their prior knowledge to make connection and record their thinking. Finally for the And So prompt, students put together information they located from the text and what they already know to make an inference.
This anchor chart is a visual for students to use when they are thinking about making inferences. Readers can use clues from the text and what they already know to help make inferences. This strategy deepens students connection with the text. |
This visual would be a great poster to hang up in the classroom to help students make inferences. It reminds students to ask these four question: What do you know? What clues did you find? What can you conclude? What can you infer?
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To the right is a link to a video on making inferences from Into the Book.
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Content area examples:
- During science lessons, students constantly make inferences while they are doing experiments. If students were doing an experiment about growing seeds, they would have to use the information they already know about how things grow to make inferences about the experiment. For example, they know that all living things need water to grow. Therefore in their experiment, it would be necessary for them to use water.
- To teach students how to use the making inference strategy, the teacher could use brown paper bags filled with mystery items for a health lesson. In the bag, there could be various fruits that the students have to identify solely by touching the objects. Using the information students already know about fruit, they could make inferences to identify each of the items.
- While doing a read aloud, teachers could pause to have students make inferences every so often in the story. Students would think about the information that they already know and use it to determine what the author is trying to say. Therefore they would be making inferences to deepen their understanding of the text.
- When student are learning about an event in history, such as, the Civil War, students could use information they already know and combine it with new information learned to make inferences about why the historical event occurred. Since there isn't one specific answer to this question, students should be encouraged to share their ideas with classmates.
Type of Learner:
Making inferences is a strategy that all learners need to know and use in order to be good readers. This strategy keeps students interested and engaged in their reading. Emergent readers will be able to more quickly implement this strategy, however even beginner and at-risk readers can and should use this strategy throughout their reading.
References for Making Inferences:
Gunning, Thomas G. Creating Literacy Instruction for All Children in Grades Pre-K to 4. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.
Into the Book: Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies. (2015). Retrieved October 20, 2015, from http://reading.ecb.org/
Reading Rockets. (2015). Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/
Images/Videos:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a8/de/59/a8de59a8c7cd6aa991dc04bf2b658d2c.jpg
https://mcdn1.teacherspayteachers.com/thumbitem/Making-Inferences-PowerPoint-grades-2-6/original-263182-1.jpg
http://reading.ecb.org/student/inferring/