Chapter 5: Learning to Make an Inference

Chapter 5 discusses inferences and how to effectively teach children how to make inferences when reading a text. Too often teachers tell children to make inferences during reading to gather meaning without ever explaining what an inference is. Chapter 5 provides us with several activities that will help children learn how to use inferences to gather meaning from texts. It is not enough to simply explain that an inference is the ability to connect what is in the text with what is in the mind to create an educated guess. We, as teachers, must model how to make inferences and show the different types of inferences. Figure 5.3 in the text is a great tool to refer back to, to show the types of inferences skilled readers make along with comments that teachers can make to help students make certain types of inferences. For example, “Skilled readers recognize the antecedents for pronouns.” The teacher could comment and say something such as, “Look for pronouns and figure out what to connect them to.”

Beers also explains that, “readers must transact with the text, constructing meaning from the information that the author provides in the text and the information they bring to the text.” p.69. As a future Intervention Specialist, it is important to understand that this transactional nature of reading often escapes readers who struggle. Their job, as they see it, is to simply decode the words written on the page. If the meaning isn’t immediately apparent, struggling readers often just give up or ask the teacher to explain the meaning. Knowing this, it is paramount that we, as teachers, use the suggestions provided by Beers to help students make inferences while reading.

Some useful activities for students who may need additional help in making inferences include:

1. Posting a list of types of inferences that readers make on a large poster in the classroom. Referring to this list will ultimately turn the word infer, or inference into something more concrete. I like this idea for students who struggle. Having something laid out in front of them is often helpful for those who need a reminder or something to see laid out in front of them.
2. At least once a day, read aloud a short passage and think aloud the inferences that you make while reading. This will inevitably help the students. Modeling making inferences often will help students understand how to make an inference while reading.
3. Syntax Surgery. Turn a short passage into a transparency, and model how you use inferences to create meaning in the passage by marking up the transparency as you think aloud.
4. Bring in cartoons or bumper stickers that require the reader to make an inference to understand the meaning behind the cartoon or message. This would be a short but run activity for the students to practice making inferences and to see how they make inferences with texts across all types of genres in order to create meaning.