Making Inferences

Happy Thursday!

We've started learning about and practicing a tricky reading skill-Making Inferences!

I find this one really hard for the kids to do sometimes-at least explaining their thinking about it! (I tell them they make inferences all the time-they just don't know it.)

The first thing we did was to make an anchor chart.

Isn't it cute?! I remade it this year-the kids were amazed that I deliberately did blue (Author's Clues) and  yellow (Schema) to equal green (Inferences) You should have heard all the ooohh! 's when I was explaining today :)

We talked about how when we make an inference, we are kind of guessing at what the author wants us to know-based on the clues they leave us and our schema.

A lot of times, our inferences would be about how the character is feeling, or why they acted that way. We talked about how the author would leave us show, not tell clues, and we would have to take what we knew about those clues to guess how they were feeling.

Of course, I sent them off to practice with picture books!

I happened to have some extra free time (90 minutes of state testing!) yesterday, so I sat down with a stack of picture books. I stuck a sticky on each one that had 2-3 questions on it-questions that they would have to make an inference to answer!

(I thought it would be easier to guide their thinking and inferences when they had questions-instead of me just saying, Ok! Make an inference! (about what, Miss M?) :P )

I also had a little organizer for them to use.

I like it, but I think I'll switch it around for next time-putting the inference first (to answer the question) and then have them tell me how they got their answer

Of course, my kids like doing almost anything with picture books :)

We did a reteach/follow up lesson today (and we'll continue to work on it!), that was kind of fun (until, you know-the lockdown was called in the middle of it)

I did examples with them on the board-first using the book's 'script' and then using a really cool book of my own.

I chose to do Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French (this is a cute book! It is full of voice (a great mentor text!) and the kids love it-it's funny!

Click on me to go to Amazon!

As I was reading the book, I stopped to ask them how the wombat felt about its neighbors. We talked about what we knew from the author clues, as well as what we know about some animals to help us made our inference.

Then, as if I couldn't have planned it any better (I love those moments!) a friend called out 'But the neighbors don't like the wombat!'

I was all a flutter! I asked if the book stated that anywhere and with a chorus of no's, I explained how that was an inference! (See, I told them they make inferences all the time and don't know it!)

We'll continue to work on explaining our inferences-but I think they have a good start!

Wednesday's Outfit

Shirt/Pants: Kohls
Shoes: Burlington Coat Factory








Today's Outfit

Shirt:Kohls

Pants: Gap Outlet
Shoes: DSW

How do you teach inferences?

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn