Visuals

• Introduce the concept of inference using visuals first. Photographs, illustrations, charts and graphs give students an opportunity to think critically and to draw conclusions about what they see. For example, students can draw different conclusions about a photograph of a woman who is soaking wet from head-to-toe and standing on a street corner. They can infer she was stuck outside in a rainstorm or that a truck just drove through a puddle and splashed her. As students guess the reason why the woman is wet, ask them why they have drawn this conclusion. This allows students to practice supporting their inferences with details and evidence.
  
  

Games

• A classroom game of charades helps students practice making inferences. Create emotion note cards, and have one student act out the emotion without using words. As students guess the emotion, have them support their claims with evidence. For example, a student might guess the actor is sad because she is frowning. Remind students as they play this game that they are making inferences about the emotion being acted out by drawing conclusions about the actor's expressions and gestures.
  
  

Questions

• Once students grasp the concept of inference, begin using simple stories to model making inferences when reading. Read the story out loud and stop after every few sentences to ask students what is happening in the story, what they think will happen next and why they think this. Ask students to draw conclusions about characters in the story and to provide evidence to support their claims. For younger students, use picture books and ask them about the illustrations as well as the writing. The important question in these activities is "why" because students must support their guesses with details from the story.
  
  

Graphic Organizers

• Some students, especially those in middle school and high school, benefit from writing down the details of a story or an expository text. Students can use a graphic organizer to help them map out the details that support their inferences. For example, fold a sheet of paper in half so that it has two columns. Label one column "Details" or "Evidence," and label the other column "Inferences." Organizing information in this way helps students prepare to support their claims in both class discussions and on written assessments.