We all INFER when we read!

What does it mean to infer?  When you use clues from the text and what you already know, you are making inferences.  A good reader will infer to figure out what the author is saying.  They read between the lines to find out what is happening, or is going to happen.  They also look at pictures or words to help them figure out what the book is about.  

Ways to begin…

The story said ________ which made me think…

I think ________ will happen because…

When I read ________it made me realize…

I can tell _________is _________ because…

How the character acts tells me…

How the character feels tells me…

What the character says tells me…

Last week, we started our lesson about Making Inferences by talking about what I have in my backpack.  First, I had them think about ME.  What do you know about me?  Some things were:  I’m a teacher, I get grumpy when I’m hungry, I use a computer, etc..  Then they suggested things that might be packed into my backpack and I wrote them on our anchor chart.  After suggesting things, we unpacked my backpack to see how well they did.  They were great!  So many great ideas and it helped them get to know ME a bit better, and understand what it means to INFER too.  We will continue to talk about how to INFER throughout the entire school year.  Ask them about it!

To make an inference you need to combine the evidence from the text with what you are thinking as you read.  Cite evidence from the text!  We will talk about EVIDENCE all year too.  It’s important to be able to prove what you think!