Reading Between the Lines: Understanding Inferences

We've all been there at some point, a blank-faced child stares back at us in response to our question and states “I don’t know. It doesn't tell us in the story.” Usually this response has been incited by an inferential question, but what exactly is inference?

Inference can be defined as the process of drawing of a conclusion based on the available evidence plus previous knowledge and experience. In teacher-speak, inference questions are the types of questions that involve reading between the lines. Students are required to make an educated guess, as the answer will not be stated explicitly. Students must use clues from the text, coupled with their own experiences, to draw a logical conclusion.

Students begin the process of learning to read with simple decoding. From there, they work towards full comprehension of the text by learning to understand what has been said, not only through what is explicitly stated on the page,  but also through what the writer has implied. It is this ability to read what has been implied that the term inference refers to and what we will be learning in this class. 

Topics: 
What is inferencing?
Why is it important? 
How do we know if we're correct?
Reading the clues?
Practical Experience through story excerpts