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Teaching students how to infer can be a challenge sometimes. Inferring can be difficult, because when students infer, they can’t find the answer directly in the passage or text. Sometimes the author doesn’t say it all; therefore, the students have to use strategies to figure out what the author means. Below are some ideas to teach inference and how to make this topic fun for your students.

I like to use the example of feelings when teaching students how to infer. I share with them that many people don’t just come out and tell you how they are feeling, but you can read their body language, listen to things they say, and observe how they act. Those things give you clues; therefore, you can make an inference as to how a person feels.

Activity One

Type a list of feeling words such as: nervous, distracted, angry, patient, calm, stressed, relaxed, etc. Type two words to a page and then cut the paper in half. Tape a word to each student’s back (without them looking at the word.) When all students have a word on their back, have them pair up with another student in the class. Set the timer for thirty seconds. During this time students will give clues to their partner to try and guess the feeling word on their back. When the timer stops, students find another partner in the room to pair up with, the timer starts again, and giving clues is repeated. Continue this game until most students have guessed the mystery feeling word on their back.

I explain to students that when they are reading, they need to pay close attention to the details in the text. Even though these details don’t necessarily give an answer, they help them to infer what the author is trying to say, or what point he/she is trying to get across to the reader.

Activity Two

Location, location, location! With this inference activity, students are read a set of clues. Based on the clues, the students have to infer where the story is taking place, or where the character in the story is located. Example:

Not only does this activity work well with places, but it also suits itself to identifying different objects through a similar set of given clues.

Activity Three

I use this activity in my classroom that helps students understand and determine the differences between facts (something that can be proven, that we can observe, and see) with interpretation or inferences. The idea for this activity was inspired by the book, Strategies That Work, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis.

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