Why make inferences when reading

If you answered that Dad believed the story, you correctly inferred the meaning of credence; it means belief. Be Careful of the Meaning You Infer! When a sentence contains an unfamiliar word, it is sometimes possible to infer the general meaning of the sentence without inferring the exact meaning of the unknown word.

When we invite the Paulsons for dinner, they never invite us to their home for a meal; however, when we have the Browns to dinner, they always reciprocate. In reading this sentence, some students infer that the Browns are more desirable dinner guests than the Paulsons without inferring the exact meaning of reciprocate.

Other students conclude that the Browns differ from the Paulsons in that they do something in return when they are invited for dinner; these students conclude correctly that reciprocate means "to do something in return.

In drawing conclusions making inferences , you are really getting at the ultimate meaning of things — what is important, why it is important, how one event influences another, how one happening leads to another. Simply getting the facts in reading is not enough. You must think about what those facts mean to you. Beginning Oct. Toggle navigation Study Guides. Critical Thinking. Inferences and Conclusions. Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions Read with purpose and meaning. General Sense The meaning of a word may be implied by the general sense of its context, as the meaning of the word incarcerated is implied in the following sentence: Murderers are usually incarcerated for longer periods of time than robbers.

For the second, you might have inferred that the first car should have started moving, or was waiting too long at the corner and holding up the second car. For the third, you could reasonably guess that the dog had done something wrong and was afraid to get punished. If you checked strollers, 99 times you would find a baby, but maybe one time you would find something else, like groceries. To make inferences from reading, take two or more details from the reading and see if you can draw a conclusion.

Remember, making an inference is not just making a wild guess. When you are asked an inference question, go back over the reading and look for hints within the text, such as words that are directly related to the question you may be asked such as for a multiple choice test or words that indicate opinion. All four answers are about hybrid cars in some way, but none of the answers can be found directly from the text.

Read through and see what hints you can find from the text. With more experience, students can be taught to generate their own inferences without the question prompts. Teachers again need to model how to identify information stated in the passage to complete the sentence and articulate how they would figure out the relationship between the two ideas.

The sentence starters should be gradually withdrawn as students build their skills in making inferences. The importance of inference making ability for successful reading comprehension increases across the grade levels, so students need to be offered many opportunities to practice and transfer their skills to a variety of text types and topics.

Reed, D. Making an inference involves using what you know to make a guess about what you don't know, or reading between the lines. Teaching your students to use this technique will encourage more critical reading and better understanding and enjoyment of the text.

Reading and Literature. Reading Comprehension. Teaching Resource. Manage My Favorites. Inferences What Is It? Why Is It Important? You got to school this morning and you couldn't find a lesson plan. You were reading it over while having breakfast, so you probably left it on your kitchen table. Read this short passage to students: The young woman walked a bit hesitantly towards the famous cozy Italian restaurant. She did not believe the excuse her parents gave her for having to meet her at the restaurant instead of at their house.

To make matters worse, she was a bit grumpy because she was still catching up on the sleep that she lost during exam time. She noticed some cars that looked familiar in the parking lot. You may say something such as: The text says: She did not believe the excuse her parents gave her. When Can You Use It? Reading: Have students read a newspaper editorial.

Lesson Plans Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing This lesson is designed to teach primary students to make inferences as a reading comprehension strategy. Too Many Tamales This lesson is designed to help primary students establish the skill of making inferences.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears This lesson is designed to expand primary students' skill of making inferences. Featured Middle School Resources. Related Resources. To aid their comprehension, skillful readers ask themselves ques Call it schema, relevant background knowledge, prior knowledge, or just plain exp