Teaching the SkillTeaching the Skillof Inferenceof InferenceRebecca Binks
University of St. Francis
Teaching InferenceTeaching Inference
Inference is a complex skill and is included inmany other types of reading strategies.
Good readers need to be able to coordinatemany strategies at once.
It is important to remember that this strategy It is important to remember that this strategyshould not be taught in isolation. NationalReading Panel report (2000), states that learninga variety of reading strategies together is mosteffective.
Inference v.Inference v. ObseravtionObseravtion
Observation is what you see
Inference is what you figure out
Beers’ Types of InferencesBeers’ Types of Inferences
1. Recognize the antecedents for pronouns
2. Figure out the meaning of unknownwords from context clues
3. Figure out the grammatical function of an3. Figure out the grammatical function of anunknown word
4. Understand intonation of characters’words
Beers’ Types of InferencesBeers’ Types of Inferences
5. Identify characters’ beliefs, personalities,and motivations
6. Understand characters’ relationships toone anotherone another
7. Provide details about the setting
8. Provide explanations for events or ideasthat are presented in the text
Beers’ Types of InferencesBeers’ Types of Inferences
9. Offer details for events or their ownexplanations of the events presented inthe text
10. Understand the author’s view of theworldworld
11. Recognize the author’s biases
12. Relate what is happening in the text totheir own knowledge of the world
13. Offer conclusions from facts presentedin the text
Another Way to Describe InferenceAnother Way to Describe Inference
Basic◦ Inferences draw text and background knowledge
together
Anaphoric Relations◦ Inferences based on two parts of the text—more
complex:Inferences based on two parts of the text—morecomplex:
Antecedent or referent/substitution◦ Associations between words where one word or
group of words is used in place of another wordof group of words. We just got a new puppy.That ball of energy is taking
over our lives
Inferential ThinkingInferential Thinking
Inferring requires higher order thinkingskills, which makes it a difficult skill for
many students.
Inferential thinking skill: when a reader Inferential thinking skill: when a readercombines clues from the text with theirown background knowledge or fromother parts of the text in order to drawconclusions.
What We Know About InferencesWhat We Know About Inferences
We need to find clues to get someanswers.
We need to add those clues to what wealready know or have read.already know or have read.
There can be more than one correctanswer.
We need to be able to supportinferences.
Ways to Teach InferenceWays to Teach Inference
Trash Bags
◦ Put items in a bag and tell the students youfound it on your way to school.
◦ Take the articles on one by one and make alist of them on the board or on chart paperTake the articles on one by one and make alist of them on the board or on chart paper
◦ Ask the students to make a case about theowner of the items in the bags
Example: Axe spray, a Hollister clothestag, church flyer, magazine
Variation on Trash BagsVariation on Trash Bags
Be a Historian
◦ Same process as trash bags, but the itemscould be put in a purse or a suitcase
◦ Ask the students to act like historians andusing the historical method describe theAsk the students to act like historians andusing the historical method describe theowner of the items
Example: a pink bootie, a paperback, a post cardfrom Paris
Aesop’s FablesAesop’s Fables
Have the student's read one (or more) ofAesop’s Fables.
Have the students use their own wordsto write the moral of the fable.to write the moral of the fable.
You can find the fables online—just cutand paste!
The Fox and the GrapesThe Fox and the Grapes
One afternoon a fox was walking through theforest and spotted a bunch of grapes hangingfrom over a lofty branch.
"Just the thing to quench my thirst," said he.
Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and justTaking a few steps back, the fox jumped and justmissed the hanging grapes. Again the fox took afew paces back and tried to reach them but stillfailed.
Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose andsaid,"They're probably sour anyway," andproceeded to walk away.
Four Oxen and the LionFour Oxen and the Lion
A lion used to prowl about a field inwhich four oxen used to dwell. Many a timehe tried to attack them; but whenever hecame near they turned their tails to oneanother, so that whichever way heapproached them he was met by the hornsapproached them he was met by the hornsof one of them.
At last, however, they fell a-quarrellingamong themselves, and each went off topasture alone in a separate corner of thefield. Then the lion attacked them one byone and soon made an end of all four.
PoetryPoetry
A silver-scaled dragon with jaws flamingredSits at my elbow and toasts my bread.I hand him fat slices, and then, one by one,He hands them back when he sees theyHe hands them back when he sees theyare done.
--William Jay Smith
The Toaster
“The old law of ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves“The old law of ‘an eye for an eye’ leaveseverybody blind.”everybody blind.” ——Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
A.Violence is a necessary evil.
B. Responding to violence with violenceleads to destruction.
C. Old laws are the best laws.C. Old laws are the best laws.
D.There are better ways of responding toinjustice than with violence.
Source:Townsend Press:Ten Steps
“A hero is a man who does what he can.”“A hero is a man who does what he can.”——Romain RollandRomain Rolland
A. Heroism doesn’t always consist ofnoticeable actions.
B. Many people do not do all they can tohelp others.help others.
C. It is easy to be a hero.
D. People don’t have to be outstandinglybrave to be heroic.
Source:Townsend Press:Ten Steps
“Help your brother’s boat across, and your“Help your brother’s boat across, and yourown will reach the shore.”own will reach the shore.” ——Hindu proverbHindu proverb
A. We need each other to help us reachour goals.
B. Helping someone benefits the helper aswell as the receiver of help.
C. People should sacrifice their well-beingC. People should sacrifice their well-beingfor the sake of others.
D. Boats tend to reach shore no matterwho pilots them.
KIS StrategyKIS Strategy
KeyWords, Infer, Support.
◦ This mnemonic strategy helps students rememberthe three steps in making and supportinginferences.
Students need to underline key words and Students need to underline key words andfacts from the text.
Next students make inferences using the keywords or facts to answer the question.
Lastly, the students list backgroundknowledge used to support their answers.
Marking Texts with Sticky NotesMarking Texts with Sticky Notes
Sticky notes help students focus theirreading on specific goals such as findinginferences.
Sticky notes are one way to help studentskeep track of their thinking while reading.keep track of their thinking while reading.
Teachers can have the students jot downquestions or thoughts during reading.
Students then can refer to the sticky notesduring class discussions, conferences, orwriting assignments.
Minute MysteriesMinute Mysteries
Rex is surprised when the phone rings. Heanswers it and writes down a message. Hedoesn’t know the person who called or theperson being called. He will never meet them.person being called. He will never meet them.What is going on?
Clue: Rex was working
Clue: He was in a public place
Clue: It wasn’t his personal phone
AnswerAnswer
Rex works for the phone company. He’d justfinished repairing a pay phone and it rang.The caller explained her friend was supposedto be there. Rex wrote down the messageto be there. Rex wrote down the messageand left it for the friend to find.
Things Parents Can DoThings Parents Can Do
Ask her,“What do you think,” and “What struckyou here?”
Explain that we make inferences all day long, notjust when he’s reading. Encourage a conversationabout this. (Dad looks tired tonight — how canwe tell? Jennifer knows not to reach for a toy atabout this. (Dad looks tired tonight — how canwe tell? Jennifer knows not to reach for a toy atthe checkout counter –it’s the expression onMom’s face, of course!)
Model your own behind-the-scenes thinking: thistechnique is called a “think-aloud.” Say,“Hm; I wasgetting worried when Clifford started to play withthe electrical cords because I know that…”
Things Parents Can DoThings Parents Can Do
Build inference skills with quick word gameslike twenty questions: children try to guessthe identity of a mystery person or thing byasking questions – if they can’t guess, theasker gets a point!.
Wonder out loud, for example,“Where are Wonder out loud, for example,“Where arethe ants hiding?” When the child replies, ask“What clues helped you figure thatout? Show me the words!”
Similarly, when they have used context topuzzle out the meaning of an unknown word,inquire,“What helped you figure that out?”
Things Parents Can DoThings Parents Can Do
Let your child develop and retain or dismissconclusions; help him to talk about theprocess he’s using.
Predict what the next page will hold; explainwhy you think so. Let the child agree or notand defend his position.why you think so. Let the child agree or notand defend his position.
Get at a “big picture” or a possible lifelesson intended by the author (if there isone) by talking about the title, or aboutcertain things that happen over andover. Show how understanding evolves, bitby bit, depending on the turn of events.
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