In the world of reading comprehension, inference is like unlocking a secret door. It allows students to go beyond the text and discover deeper meaning. But for upper elementary students, this skill can sometimes feel like a complex puzzle. Here are some tips and lesson ideas to turn your classroom into an inference-solving haven!
In order to be successful with inferencing, students need to be able to decipher clues and access background knowledge. These are the two fundamental skills for being able to infer information correctly. Here’s how you can do jus that!
Setting the Stage for Success
Building Background Knowledge: Strong inferences rely on a solid foundation of knowledge. Before diving into complex texts, activate students' prior knowledge with discussions, pictures, or videos related to the topic.
Explicit Instruction: Don't assume students understand inference intuitively. Explain the concept in simple terms, using examples from familiar stories or situations.
Modeling the Process: Think aloud as you read a text, pointing out clues and explaining how you use them to draw conclusions.
When and How Inferencing Goes Wrong
Inferencing can go wrong when a student misses key clues or details or accesses background knowledge that isn’t supported by the text (or photo, etc.).
For example, let’s look at this photo of a crying child.
I chose an obvious photo to illustrate when and how inferencing goes wrong. A student might look at the photo and think about his little sister who cries when she doesn’t get to play with his blocks. The same student might access this background knowledge and incorrectly infer that the child is crying because she wants a toy. So what happened? The student relied solely on background knowledge and ignored the clue here of the gloved hands administering a shot in the child’s arm. Missing this clue cause the student to infer incorrectly.
To infer why this child crying, the viewer needs to think about a time when he/she got a shot at the doctor’s office and how it made them feel and then combine with the syringe clue to come up with the correct inference: This child is crying because she’s getting a shot.
When else does inferencing go wrong?
Inferencing also goes wrong when a student confuses a prediction for an inference. In the same photo example, a student might say that the child won’t like the doctor anymore because the shot hurts. We have no way of knowing if that will happen after-the-fact. Making a prediction means making an educated guess at what will happen next while inferring is meant to make sense of the “present” moment we are “currently” reading or seeing in the text. It means making sense out of the “right now” moment, not the future moment.
Think about having your students differentiate between predictions and inferences in order to avoid confusion later on.
Context Clues
Context clues are like tiny detectives hiding within the text, pointing us towards the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases. Here are some specific strategies to help your students become context clue masters:
1. Decode the Definition Clue:
Authors often provide the definition of an unknown word right within the sentence. Look for phrases like "which means" or "in other words."
Example: The dauntless explorer ventured into the uncharted territory, her courage unwavering. (Dauntless means courageous.)
2. Uncover the Example Clue:
Sometimes, the author gives examples of what the unknown word means.
Example: The children scampered through the park, their jubilant laughter echoing through the trees. (Jubilant means happy and excited.)
3. Seek the Antonym Clue:
Words with opposite meanings can also shed light on the unknown word.
Example: The storm raged outside, its ferocity contrasting with the peaceful calmness within the house. (Ferocity means extreme violence or power.)
4. Follow the Synonym Clue:
Synonyms, words with similar meanings, can be helpful guides.
Example: The aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the air, a delightful fragrance that made everyone's mouths water. (Delightful means pleasant and enjoyable.)
Accessing Background Knowledge
Encourage students to tap into their existing knowledge about the world and the topic at hand. This prior knowledge acts as a powerful context clue.
Example: The archeologist carefully examined the ancient artifacts, piecing together the history of the long-lost civilization. (Students likely have some background knowledge about artifacts being objects from the past.)
Even though accessing background knowledge is an incredibly helpful tool, it can lead students down the wrong path if they exclude key details as we explored the example above. Students need to be shown examples of when and how inferencing can go wrong so that they can begin to understand when background knowledge can be helpful or not.
Putting it into Practice
Interactive Activities: Create engaging activities where students practice identifying different types of context clues in short passages or sentences.
Graphic Organizers: Provide graphic organizers like T-charts or word maps to help students visually analyze context clues and their connection to the unknown word.
Independent Practice: Incorporate context clue identification tasks into regular reading assignments and assessments.
Discussion and Reflection: Encourage students to discuss how context clues helped them understand the meaning of a word and how it impacted their overall comprehension.
If you’d like a FREE graphic organizer to use with your students, subscribe to the Bespoke ELA blog to unlock the Freebie Library and download this free resource.
If you’re already a subscriber, go here to login with the password you received in your email when you signed up and click on the “Elementary” category to find this item. While you’re there, be sure to check out the other free resources for teaching ELA.
Making Inferences Graphic Organizer by Bespoke ELA
By equipping students with these context clue strategies, you'll empower them to become active readers who can confidently navigate the complexities of any text, unlocking the hidden treasures of meaning within.
Related Resource
This a must-have resource for teaching inference skills. It includes an introductory PowerPoint about inferences, two sets of inferences cards, inference card records sheets, and a culminating poster project.
About the Author
Meredith is the founder and creator of Bespoke ELA and TeachWriting.org. She has taught high school English for 15+ years in Dallas, Chicago, and New York City and holds a M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. She has always had a connection to the written word-- through songwriting, screenplay writing, and essay writing-- and she enjoys the process of teaching students how to express their ideas. Meredith enjoys life with her handsome husband, darling daughter, sweet stepkids, and fabulous fur babies.