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.

Chapter 6: Frontloading Meaning

I absolutely believe that getting students engaged before actually beginning a text can the making or breaking point in a student’s understanding or interest in a text. Beers provides several great activities to use before beginning a text to engage them in the text prior to reading. I love the idea of an anticipation guide. This activity really seemed to get the students in Mr. Davidson’s class engaged and wanting to read the story. They struggled through the questions, so when it was time to discuss, each student had something to contribute to the conversation. The students were struggling to answer the questions on the anticipation guide for Anne Frank not because they were too difficult, but because they were decision-making questions. Not knowing what the correct answer was really made the students excited to talk about the questions and furthermore jump into the text that related to this anticipation guide. I see this as a wonderful tool to get students engaged prior to reading a text.

I am very familiar with a K-W-L chart and see it as simple and easy tool to use not only to activate students prior knowledge about a topic, but also as an assessment. I think this could work as an individual assignment or as a small group task. Sometimes you need to engage in a small discussion to get your prior knowledge activated. I think it is important to also think about what you want to learn. Often times, I never sit down and think what I really want to gain from a particular reading. If I did that, I may be more apt to pick up on things in the text that are important bits of information. Finally, writing down what you learned will help you see how much you can gain from a text. It can also serve as a great point of reference for future needs or can be used by a teacher as an assessment for students.

All of the activities in this chapter are great and are ones that I will come back to in my future career to help students become engaged prior to reading. I see many benefits from each and every activity described in this chapter, but really enjoyed the anticipation guide and the K-W-L chart. 

Chapter 4: Explicit Instruction in Comprehension

If the purpose of reading is to gather meaning, I suppose it is rather important to teach students how to comprehend text. We sometimes confuse explaining to students what is happening in a text with teaching students how to comprehend a text. In order to really enhance our students’ comprehension abilities (as opposed to explaining the meaning of one individual text) we must teach explicitly and directly. One how to show students how to do it, instead of just instructing them to do it, is through a read-a-loud. My experience with read-a-louds have been wonderful. I think they are very beneficial to developing readers. However, they do take careful planning by the teacher. You really have to plan exactly how to explain to children what different reading strategies are, and which parts of the story are good parts to stop and model the reading strategy you are teaching. Another great method of teaching, if you are a fan of a workshop style, is through mini-lessons. I have found mini-lessons to be beneficial in my past. A mini-lesson will focus on one reading strategy and then the students will practice this strategy in a workshop style classroom. This may be better for more advanced readers.

I absolutely agree that there is indeed a difference between direct and scripted instruction. I also agree that almost all of the time direct instruction is going to be most beneficial for the students. Anybody can set foot inside a classroom and read a lesson plan that tells them exactly what to say. It takes a good teacher to understand her students’ needs and plan accordingly. I see it very difficult to follow a scripted lesson, especially when you never know what may come out of some students’ mouths. It is important to be able to adjust to individuals needs and make accommodations for those who may be struggling.

I also enjoy how Beers explained the difference between skills and strategies. Strategies will help you learn the skill. A skill is the end product. Her analogy of bike riding was of great help. Beers includes a very in-depth example of a new teacher who learns that you cannot just explain to students, you indeed have to teach them the strategies necessary to comprehend a text. Overall, this chapter was great in explaining why it is important to teach the strategies that will lead to our students’ obtaining a skill necessary for fluent reading.

Chapter 3: Assessing Dependent Readers’ Needs

I love how Beers admits to herself saying “this kid can’t read,” just as many of us have probably said before. Not being able to read can mean a range of things depending on the student. This really confirms my belief that we cannot help struggling readers until we understand why they are struggling. I love how Beers included a list of what not being able to read might mean. This can range from not being able to easily and quickly recognize single-syllable words to having trouble recalling information from a text. It is up to us to identify the problem idea to help our students become efficient readers. Figure 3.2 is a great resource outlining if/then situations with struggling readers. Beers also includes great examples from inside the classroom to allow the readers to practice identifying what each student may need help in—cognitive confidence, text confidence, and emotional confidence.

It is not always easy to articulate what good readers do while they are reading. If someone asked me what I do while I read, I may struggle to explain what I do. Reading comes so natural to me that it is difficult to model what I do while reading without really planning a lesson. Beers does an excellent job laying out what exactly good readers do, other than just reading the words on the pages.

Good readers:

-Recognize the purpose for reading is to get meaning

-Use a variety of comprehension strategies

-Make a range of inferences about the text

-Use prior knowledge

-Monitor their understanding of the text

-Question author’s purpose

-And many more.

I believe the last paragraph is so powerful and really supports my belief of finding the best way to teacher our individual students.

“It’s not enough knowing what good readers can do or struggling readers can’t do. We must also know what we believe about teaching, about learning, and about our role in both. Once that’s determined, we can make intelligent choices about the instruction that best suits the needs of our students.” (p.39)

Chapter 2: Creating Independent Readers

I should begin by saying that I absolutely love the way this textbook is set-up. I really enjoy how Kylene Beers begins each chapter with a letter to her past student, George. Beers shares her experiences and admits to her mistakes that will inevitably help us, as future educators, learn from her experiences to enhance our own. There are definitely a lot of George’s out there, and as future teachers it is paramount that we learn how to accommodate struggling readers like George.  

I really enjoyed Beers point that not every student that struggles in reading is going to show the universal signs of a so-called, typical, ‘struggling reader.” Sometimes the students that struggle with reading are the ones that we had the least concerns about. Another point that Beers made that seems like common sense, but all teachers need to understand is, “Remember that anyone can struggle given the right text. The struggle isn’t the issue; the issue is what the reader does when the text gets tough.” (p. 15). We, as future educators, cannot just assume children know how to read; we must teach them the skills necessary to read. This will vary from individual to individual.

I also enjoyed how Beers described the difference between independent and dependent readers. I have never heard of a distinction between different types of readers. Figure 2.2 is very helpful in describing how independent and dependent readers struggle with a text. Independent readers have the skills necessary to get through a text when they are struggling. Dependent readers, by contrast, do not have these skills. They depend on an outside source to tell them what to do or to do it for them. So, the big question is, how do we move dependent readers toward becoming independent readers?

Beers provides us with three areas that dependent readers struggle in:

1.      Dependent readers may lack the cognitive abilities to read independently.

2.      Dependent readers may have negative attitudes towards reading.

3.      Dependent readers may not know what type of books they may enjoy.

After identifying which area our children are struggling with, we will be able to move forward in helping our students become independent readers. I believe the key in helping any student that is struggling with reading, is to first identify which area they are struggling in. Not every student will need extra attention in comprehension, vocabulary, word recognition, or fluency. It will vary among students, and with that being said it is absolutely necessary that we teach to meet our student’s individual needs.