Inferring
Inferring is a comprehension strategy to help students understand information that is not always completely described in a text. For example, the author may provide clues that the reader can used to understand the topic, setting characters, or event. Students are able to make inferences by combining information in the text with their schema (Reading Resource, 2009). Teachers need to help students determine and understand when information is implied, or not directly to make inferences. This strategy should be taught through explicit instruction because it is a complex skill that requires higher-level thinking (Reading Rockets, 2014).
A teacher could start an inferring lesson by reading a text with the class. After the text, make an inference about the text and ask them to describe why it is an inference based on evidence. Encourage the students to use details and information from the text to determine the inference. Then, push student to think about if the inference was correct or if the inference needs to be changed to make it more accurate. Once the teacher has modeled the process with the whole group, break students into small groups or pairs to make more inferences. While students are making their own inferences, the teacher should observe students to make sure students are making inferences and not facts based on the text read (Reading Rockets, 2014).
Students could also practice writing their own inferences in a story. Students could be required to write a story and provide clues or evidence about a setting and character(s) to allow other classmates to make inferences. This will present if students understand how to make inferences and if they are able to comprehend a story with making inferences. In addition, this process will help students to become better writers without having to describe each part of a story in detail for the reader.
Besides modeling and explaining how to make an inference, teachers could provide students with an anchor chart that will remind students when they are reading. This chart would be helpful for student that struggle with the difference between making an inference with evidence and stating a fact.
A teacher could start an inferring lesson by reading a text with the class. After the text, make an inference about the text and ask them to describe why it is an inference based on evidence. Encourage the students to use details and information from the text to determine the inference. Then, push student to think about if the inference was correct or if the inference needs to be changed to make it more accurate. Once the teacher has modeled the process with the whole group, break students into small groups or pairs to make more inferences. While students are making their own inferences, the teacher should observe students to make sure students are making inferences and not facts based on the text read (Reading Rockets, 2014).
Students could also practice writing their own inferences in a story. Students could be required to write a story and provide clues or evidence about a setting and character(s) to allow other classmates to make inferences. This will present if students understand how to make inferences and if they are able to comprehend a story with making inferences. In addition, this process will help students to become better writers without having to describe each part of a story in detail for the reader.
Besides modeling and explaining how to make an inference, teachers could provide students with an anchor chart that will remind students when they are reading. This chart would be helpful for student that struggle with the difference between making an inference with evidence and stating a fact.
Videos
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/prep-students-for-new-text
In this video, a 7th grade teacher uses a inference wall in her classroom with students. For each chapter of their book, the students add to the inference wall to predict what will happen in the next chapters. The inference wall really engages the students because students get to participate in making the inferences and creating the wall. The wall makes it easy for the teacher to describe the inferences students have previously made and assess why they are making new inferences based on evidence from the book (Teaching Channel, 2014).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHMknvl1AA
The teacher in this video takes a different approach to helping students understand inferencing. The lesson starts by having the students review the definition and discuss how they make inferences from their books. Then, the teacher plays a video without words for the students and asks what the students think is happening based on what they see. This helps students understand how to use evidence and their schema to determine what is happening. In addition, it present that some inferences can change over time. This strategy will help students to transfer making inferences from a movie to a text to help them comprehend better. At the end of this video, the teacher has students read their books and place a sticky note on the page when they make an inference. This will help the teacher to determine if each student understands how to make a correct inference with a text (Rondy, 2012).
In this video, a 7th grade teacher uses a inference wall in her classroom with students. For each chapter of their book, the students add to the inference wall to predict what will happen in the next chapters. The inference wall really engages the students because students get to participate in making the inferences and creating the wall. The wall makes it easy for the teacher to describe the inferences students have previously made and assess why they are making new inferences based on evidence from the book (Teaching Channel, 2014).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHMknvl1AA
The teacher in this video takes a different approach to helping students understand inferencing. The lesson starts by having the students review the definition and discuss how they make inferences from their books. Then, the teacher plays a video without words for the students and asks what the students think is happening based on what they see. This helps students understand how to use evidence and their schema to determine what is happening. In addition, it present that some inferences can change over time. This strategy will help students to transfer making inferences from a movie to a text to help them comprehend better. At the end of this video, the teacher has students read their books and place a sticky note on the page when they make an inference. This will help the teacher to determine if each student understands how to make a correct inference with a text (Rondy, 2012).