Inferring

“It’s the stuff between the lines,

the empty space between those lines which is interesting.”

Robert Carlyle, actor

What is Inferring?

Inferring is reading between the lines. Inferring allows us to think beyond the text. Inferring is something we do naturally every day. Inferences come from our experiences, facts, and our imagination. When you infer, you look for suggestions or clues. These clues paired with our own

experiences allow us to attempt to make inferences. Inferring helps us to make deductions in a short period of time: students become “book

detectives” Students learn that some authors leave out information or write very little text to leave

clues for the reader to discover and interpret. Some students may need more time to infer and process the information than others. Is a prediction the same as an inference? According to Adrienne Gear, a prediction is a

level one inference. By the time you are done the book, your prediction is verified. With an inference, things may not be verified in the text and your thinking keeps going.

Where to Start?

1. Play the Inferring Game:

a. Make a pose that projects a feeling: the pose should give clues to your feeling. Hold the pose momentarily. Have students try to infer what you are feeling. Encourage them to reply with, “I infer …”.

2. Inferring from Word Clues:a. Have an emotion written on a word card (disappointed, frustrated, etc.). Ask a

student to leave the room, show the class the word (they are not allowed to say it). Tell the students in the room to think of a time they felt that way, invite the student back into the room. The returning student will listen to the clue given by another student and then try to infer what the word is.

3. Prepare an anchor chart to summarize what students have leaned about inferring.4. OWI Observe – Wonder- Infer

a. Blackline masters are found on page 81 – 86 of Nonfiction Reading Power (Gear, 2008).

Inferring: Becoming a Detective

Step 1: Look for the Clues

Step 2: Ask yourself, “What do I know from the clues?”

Ask yourself, “What do I NOT know?” “What is missing?”

Step 3:

Use the clues plus your experience and background knowledge to “fill in” or figure out what is missing.

Begin your inference with “I think…” or “Maybe…”

Inferring

Thinking Stems

My guess is …

Maybe …

Perhaps …

It could be that

This could mean …

I predict …

I infer …

Schema + Evidence

INFERENCE

Schema – is our background knowledge, text clues, and experiences

The Inferring Umbrella

(Harvey & Goudvis)

Harvey and Goudvis teach visualizing and inferring at the same time since they believe the two strategies are closely related. Harvey and Goudvis make relay that visualizing strengthens ones inferential thinking and that when we visualize, we are inferring with mental images.

When we use inferential thinking, we teach students to draw conclusion or make predictions. The use of context clues is employed. Inferential thinking can enhance understanding. Harvey and Goudvis use an analogy of an umbrella when representing inferring. “Inferring is about reading faces, reading body language, reading expressions, and reading tone as well as reading text” (Harvey & Goudvis, p. 138).

Making predictions Predicting outcomes, upcoming events, and actionsUsing context to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words/conceptsInterpreting the meaning of language Figurative language Idiomatic language Metaphoric languageVisualizing Constructing meaning with a visual image Inferring creates a picture, movie, or slideshow

Inferring relationships Setting to plot Cause and effect Character’s feelings and motivesInferring author’s purposeCreating interpretations based on text evidenceUsing text evidence to surfact themes and big ideasInferring the meaning of text features and visualsInferring the answer to questionsDrawing conclusions based on text evidence

Inferring

Merging background knowledge with clues in the text to come up with an idea that is not explicitly stated by the author. Reasonable inferences need to be tied to the

text

in the mind

The Inferring Umbrella, Harvey &Goudvis (2007) p. 132

References:

Gear, Adrienne. (2008). Nonfiction Reading Power. Ontario, Canada. Pembroke Publishers.

Gear, Adrienne. (2006). Reading Power. Ontario, Canada. Pembroke Publishers.

Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (207). Strategies That Work. Pembroke Publishers.

McGregor, Tanny. (2007). Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading. Portsmouth, NH. Heinemann.

The Connection Between

Questioning and Inferring

Questions that make us think beyond the literal understanding are a pathway to inferring.

Gear introduces the “power to question” separately in Reading Power, and links the connectedness of the two in Nonfiction Reading Power.

Harvey and Goudvis believe that inferring and visualizing are woven together.